Description
Through this project we will seed the concept of volunteering in a small community where there are no NGOs, the local teens and adults are not familiar with an ongoing volunteering program and the local community is not reaching its full potential when it comes to taking care of the ones in need, the environment or other issues relevant for the city - TECUCI. Therefore, the Project “Volunteer in TECUCI!” aims to develop a local NGO branch of Semper Musica Association which will remain active in promoting the importance of the voluntary service after this project will end, to train adults and teens in NGO management, how to handle volunteers and on specific themes such as hate speech, roma issues etc, to develop Volunteers Squads formed by high school local teens, to public recognize the energy and time used by the teens in the benefit of the community through organizing the Volunteers Gala and to raise awareness in the local community on the importance of voluntary service at any age for the life of the city.
Summary of project results
Before this project, in Tecuci there were no NGOs who would constantly organize volunteering activities for high school teens, or community events addressed to the entire community. Thus the project aimed to create a local organisation that would develop volunteering activities addressed to high school students and youngsters. The project proposed 5 volunteering fairs in all 5 high schools in Tecuci, where 65 volunteering opportunities had been presented. Over 1500 high school students applied for their favourite type of volunteering activity and, in the end, 304 got involved for their favourite cause. Also, through the public fair organised in Tecuci, adults had the possibility to engage in different volunteering opportunities presented by 5 different institutions, 330 participants registered and 72 actually applied to become volunteers. The organised workshops brought into discussion topics as community involvement, hate speech, environment issues, roma issues, the effect of discrimination on the most vulnerable, all workshops being held by experts from 2 NGOs based in Bucharest, one in Galati and by representatives of Semper Musica. The participants had the possibility to fight stereotypes connected with different groups, to participate to practical exercises regarding the effects of discrimination, to learn about the roma traditions, how to become more friendly when it comes to the environment, what is hate speech and how we can fight it and not least, how we can be more active in the community in which we are living in. The No Hate Speech Circuit organized increased the access to 30 active high school teens to information regarding the specific problematic of different groups such as: injecting drug users, roma population, people suffering from mental diseases and autism. Also, 5 sessions on hate speech issues and actions to fight it online were organised. As members of 5 brigades, 30 teens learned how to work in a team, to negotiate, communicate within their groups or with potential funders, to organize public events etc. Also, by setting up a new NGO in Tecuci, having among the founding members 6 local teachers, organising for them a capacity building training on NGO management and a team building meant to develop the strategic plan of the organisation for the next year, the sustainability of the activities was ensured. They will be continued in a legal and legit form and with chances for the new NGO to receive local support.
Summary of bilateral results