We All are Europe - AESAEC

Module 4 – The Grundtvig Initiative on Volunteering in Europe for Seniors (GIVE)
Discuss the possible risks of a senior volunteering project, e.g. lack of communication, intolerance,
lack of clear tasks, isolation of the volunteer etc.
How do you think this specific experience continued
Now please read the second part of the report before answering the questions below:
Report of Italian volunteer (part 2)
My selfish will was to improve my little knowledge of French. I don’t think I
achieved this aim although I do think that I have somehow succeeded in giving
and receiving good and positive feelings and experiences.
My ten year experience as an events manager allowed me to find and suggest
some ways of improving the commercial aspect of the produce and the communication,
in order to reach a wider audience and to help develop the
hosting organisation.
As I had previously been told about the situation I was entering into, I had
done some research in the Rome area, collecting material from organic factories
and organisations, which turned out to be useful and interesting for
my French hosts.
Personally I am happy to have been involved in this kind of agricultural activity,
which was something completely new to me. Therefore I actively participated
and finally rediscovered the pleasure of simple things, which give
you the real taste of life, and give the feeling that you are still useful and
interested in others.
It may sound strange, but I felt such a pleasure in staying in the countryside
all day long, picking beans, pumpkins and apples, and helping to prepare and
deliver the baskets of produce.
I even dare to say that my experience was definitely positive for me and for
the hosting community. I’ve been officially invited to the inauguration of an
old factory that, on my advice, should become a sort of agrotourism and organic
cultural centre to host courses, meetings etc… (my proposal was presented
to the town council and accepted instead of their project, which only
included the restoration of the building and the setting up of the organisation’s
offices). I am proud of this. I’m in contact with them, and I always
send material which I consider useful to them.
Questions:
In order to complete a successful volunteering visit are volunteers required to have specific
skills What do you consider is more important: professional skills, social skills, intercultural
skills or any other skills
Are language skills vitally important for an international volunteer How can one overcome the
language barrier, before and during the volunteering visit
Could a local volunteer achieve the same goals within a project as an exchange volunteer If
not, what would be different and what are the benefits / disadvantages
Joining an international volunteering project yourself:
If you were to join an international volunteering project, what kind of project would you like to
be involved in
A) social: care for disadvantaged people, activities for disabled children, teaching skills to difficult
unemployed youngsters etc.
B) environmental: cleaning beaches or parks, restoring sites of particular historical interest,
helping in facilitating educational activities etc.
C) cultural: helping in the organisation of festivals or cultural events, helping cultural organisations
in their daily administration and in the organisation of campaigns, supporting intercultural
education projects etc.
D) Others: ____________________________________________________________________
Which European country would you like to go to, and why
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