EVS PLacement in almere, the netherlands - Youth Networks

2011 v2.0
EVS PLACEMENT IN ALMERE, THE NETHERLANDS
Remco de Jong
Stichting Tripin
17-01-2011

Coordinating organization
Hosting organization
EUROPEAN VOLUNTEERING SERVICE
Dear friends and EVS enthusiasts,
With this invitation we would like to inform you about the free EVS places NGO Tripin
offers as a coordinating organization in cooperation with hosting organization NGO
stichting AAP in Almere. We are applying to the youth in action program for two EVS
volunteers. The project will be applied for on the 1 st of February 2011 deadline and will
start on the 1 st of May 2011 till the 1 st of May 2012.
What : European Voluntary Service in Stichting AAP, Almere.
When : 12 months, 1 st of September 2011 - 1 st of September 2012.
How many : Two EVS volunteers from any EU member state.
How to apply : Send your motivation letter and CV to evsaap@tripin.eu
ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THIS EVS PROJECT
Coordinating organization: NGO Stichting Tripin
Tripin is active now for six years in Almere. Tripin her goal is to help organizations with
making their work more international. There could be said that Tripin gives other
organizations the opportunity to give a whole different dimension to their work.
Hosting organization: NGO Stichting AAP
AAP is a European sanctuary for exotic animals. The animals that end up with AAP
often come from illegal trade, research laboratories, circuses, illegal zoos or directly from
private people. The foundation specializes in hosting apes and monkeys. Other small
exotic mammals can also find a shelter there, including raccoons, skunks and prairie
dogs. When they arrive at AAP they often have been seriously abused and severely
neglected. At AAP the animals receive the professional care needed for their recovery. Its
aim is to make the animals mentally and physically healthy and to place them in a more
natural environment, such as in a natural enclosure or in a renowned zoo.

Originally, AAP served as a temporary shelter only. However, AAP has developed a
special retirement plan for those apes which cannot be placed anywhere else. It consists
of the Islands in Almere, which were put into use in 2001, the Chimpanzee Complex, put
into use in 2006, and the Primadomus project in the south of Spain which is just put into
use one or two years ago.
SOCIAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
As EVS volunteer at AAP you will be part of a large group of volunteers that work with
AAP. The volunteer will be in close contact with the other volunteers. AAP is located on
the country estate from Almere. It is a beautiful area with different organizations
working with nature. There is a biological farm, a place where youngsters get informed
about nature, a place where children with fewer opportunities can have a free vacation
and of course AAP. This country estate is located 8 KM from the city center. A website
with information can be found here: http://www.aap.nl/. We also want to point out that
AAP has a special house in one of the residential areas of the city. Here you will live
together with other EVS volunteers and with other volunteers who work at AAP but
have nothing to do with EVS. This gives you a good opportunity to participate in social
activities and learn more about the Dutch culture. AAP also organizes different meetings
for all the volunteers and friends of the organization once a while.
As coordinating organization Tripin will arrange the necessary things like the obligated
training courses for EVS volunteers, language courses, pocket money etc. (if you want to
know more about your rights as an EVS volunteer, please download the youth in action
program guide) Tripin wil also be a social platform to get in touch with EVS volunteers
from other projects and activities held by partner NGO’s in Almere and the rest of the
country.
ACTIVITIES
The volunteer is working in a very active and flexible foundation. Despite there is a
project description, the volunteer will have a lot of personal freedom. This means that
there is enough space to grow in the organisation besides the fixed activities. Of course
the foundation will give a structure in which the volunteer can find his challenge.
The volunteer can learn how it is to work in a field with a small power-distance. If there
are things that you think can be changed to benefit the organisation in the volunteering
work you are doing, you are more then welcome to share your opinion with the
teamleaders.
Because AAP and Tripin prefer to have volunteers for 1 year. The volunteers will have
the oppurtunity to grow in the organization. Also there are possibilities to see all the
aspects of working in AAP. For example to take care of the animals for six months and
the other three months work in the technical service. Or help with promoting activities.
There will be fixed patterns and tasks you have to perform on the application form but
after some time there will be oppurtunities to change tasks. This kind of changes will be

in cooperation with the sending organisation, hosting organisation, volunteer and AAP
(hosting organisation)
WHAT KIND OF EVS PLACES STICHTING AAP AND STICHTING TRIPIN OFFER
1. animal fostering: (2 volunteers)
• Works together with an experienced animal caretaker and get functional help.
• Cleans and take care of the places where the animals stay.
• Helps in creating the places where the animals stay (putting the attributes on the
right places) and make this places ready for the animals.
• Does fortification and does behavior observation on the animals.
• Feed the animals.
• Doing small maintenance.
• Doing combined activities on the division.
• Registers anomalies and report this to the experienced animal foster.
In AAP everything is about the animals. They will always come first. The team leaders
decide if you are up to more responsibilities. It has happened that one EVS volunteer has
a lot of responsibilities and the others have less. This has to do with motivation and
reliability. It is up to your attitude towards the work, NGO AAP, and other colleages, if
you are chosen to join this project, how your responsibilities and tasks evolve during
your EVS project.
PROFILE OF THE EVS VOLUNTEER
As this project is the maximum amount of time possible in a EVS project the volunteer
must realize that AAP as hosting organization and Tripin as coordinating organization
have some desires due to skills the volunteer must have.
• Being able to speak good English.
Almost everybody in the Netherlands speaks very good English. You will develop your
English skills further on in communicating with your fellow volunteers at AAP. Without
the volunteer speaking English we will have a lot of problems to communicate. This is
the most important criteria and this will be checked if you are pre-selected to do your
EVS at Stichting AAP.
• Being motivated.
A project that last for 12 months is in need of motivated volunteers.
Please show us in your motivation letter why you want to join one of the two projects
mentioned above.
• Having experience with working in a NGO.

It would be good if (s)he would have a small experience in being active in an NGO in
his/her own country to show that the person really wants to take part in exactly this
project
• Having affinity and experience in the work with animals.
Aap his main activity is taking care of exotic animals wich have no other place to go. The
volunteer must realize that the most of the animals are being prepared to go back in the
wild. This means they will not be handled as pets. We call this the ‘hands off policy’ The
interaction between the caretaker and the animal will always be as low as possible. You
will need to get your satisfaction of the fact that the animals grow towards their life in
the wild.
• Being able to deal with strict protocols
For your safety and for the sake of the animals there are strict protocols to work by. You
must be able to work by these protocols. Mistakes can be dangerous for you, your
colleagues and the animals.
• Being able to find a decent sending organization or being member of one.
It’s important for the project that there is a decent sending organization which prepares
you to join this EVS project. They will provide you a pre-departure training and give
information about The Netherlands.
• Having no problem to work one day in the weekend
Unfortunately exotic animals don’t have a weekend brake like we do. This means you
have to work one Saturday or Sunday every week. Of course in return you will get one
day free during the mid-week.
• Understand that this EVS is very hard and physical work.
This EVS project is a lot of physical work depending on the apartment where you will
work there will be 30% up to 60% of cleaning. This cleaning is not a bad thing; you can
enjoy the animals while you are doing it. Unfortunately we cannot make exceptions in
this amount of cleaning because other non-EVS volunteers at AAP will not agree to this.
That is why you need to be passionate about the animals. Otherwise you will not enjoy
this EVS.
• Having no allergies.
Having allergies for cats for example is a bit problematic if you have to feed a lion. (yes
we had one last year)

IMPORTANT NOTICES BEFORE APPLYING FOR SENDING ORGANISATION
• For preparation the SO is obligated to buy the book called ‘the Undutchables’ .
This book is very important to prepare the volunteer coming to The Netherlands.
• Sending costs are transferred to the SO after approval of the final rapport by the
National Agency.
• SO and CO pay both 5% of the travel costs, as only 90% is reimbursed by the
National Agency.
• We are not able to pay the arrival travel ticket up front. The volunteer or SO is
responsible for this. As soon as we opened a bank account for the volunteer we
will make a bank transfer with the reimbursement. This after receiving of the
invoice and other travel documents we will transfer the reimbursement
immediately.
• We are not able pay the return ticket up front. The volunteer or SO is responsible
for this. After receiving of the original invoice and other travel documents and the
acceptance of the final rapport of the EVS project by the National agency we
make a bank transfer to the SO with the total amount.
IMPORTANT NOTICES BEFORE APPLYING FOR VOLUNTEER
• The volunteer is obligated to keep a BLOG on youthnetworks.eu about
developments in the EVS. One entry every two weeks is desired. English is
preferred, but the native language can also be used. This BLOG is used for the
dissemination of results in the EVS project.
• Tripin provides language courses one hour a week for three months. After this the
volunteer can continue the language lessons, but has to pay a fee of €10 a month.
Please note that for German(ic) languages these language lessons are maybe a bit
easy. The courses are focused on basic communicating skills and pronunciations
in the Dutch language.
• For your transport you will receive a bike to move through the city. Also in winter
times you will use a bike.
• As we already wrote before: You will have to share a room with another
volunteer. Please be aware of this fact.
• It is very wise to save some money before coming to the Netherlands. The pocket
and food money is decent for EVS, but won’t leave you a lot of space to explore the
Netherlands. If you really want to enjoy your EVS, explore the country and meet
up with other EVS volunteers in other cities we would highly recommend to have
some other resources then the basic EVS allowances. The other fact for this
advice is that your insurance on EVS is not paying for any healthcare in advance
as long as you are not administered in the hospital. This means in practice that
you have to pay in advance for your healthcare and have to wait weeks before
AXA is reimbursing the money to your bank account.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send us your CV and motivation letter to evsaap@tripin.eu before the 15 th of
February. Do not forget to add a picture to your CV and also mention what do you expect
from this EVS.
SOME EVS BLOGS OF EVS PARTICIPANTS IN ALMERE
http://www.myevs.net/find_weblogs.phpqw=almere
INPORTANT NOTICE FOR SENDING ORGANISATIONS