Armenia ESC
ESC11 Individual Volunteering – “SOS – A home for every child”
General Information
In the context of the “SOS – A Home for Every Child” project our Volunteer, Pamela, was hosted by the Armenian Volunteer Service “HUJ” in the city of Yerevan, Armenia, and became part of their multicultural team. As is the case for every ESC project, our Volunteer had a designated coordinator (tutor), who was her key reference point for task-related support, and a mentor who helped her smooth integration into the social and cultural life in Yerevan and facilitated their self-reflection and personal growth through this learning experience!
Activities
During the first week, she observed all the activities taking place at the center to understand its functioning, get to know the children and staff and gather ideas for what she wanted to do. This would facilitate discussions later with her supervisor. Regarding activities, this month there were painting, sculpture, and puppet theater classes.
As her schedule started to be more stable, in the mornings, she played with the younger children, using clay, painting, puzzles, bowling, and other available games, as well as creating various activities she found online. When the other children returned from school, she conducted informal English lessons, playing various games tailored to their needs each time (using balls, and plastic cups, playing hide and seek, puzzles, and games involving the alphabet). During this period of time, the volunteer started to attend Armenia language lessons, in order to improve her work and communication.
When the weather allowed it, she took advantage of it to play with the children outside, either for the English lesson or for them to get some exercise (playing hide and seek, soccer, jump rope). As the project progressed, she participated in all the events organized by the center, such as spring festivals, trips to the zoo, etc.
After three months, she also went to another center, the Rehabilitation Center, to assist another volunteer, a friend of hers, who had just arrived from Armenia and did not speak the language at all. There, both of them helped the teacher in equine therapy sessions for children who had difficulties with movement or various physical pains.
End of the Placement
Upon their arrival back home, EKO had a “post-project” evaluation meeting, in which Pamela, could make an overarching evaluation of their volunteering experience and reflect on how they could utilize their experiences in their future pursuits for further education, employment, or civil society engagement.
My ESC project in Armenia was an enriching experience where I worked closely with the children and participated in various activities. Despite the initial challenge of linguistic differences, I quickly built a relationship of trust, respect, and friendship with all the staff. From the moment I arrived, my colleagues welcomed me warmly, As my ESC project came to an end, I am grateful for the meaningful experiences shared and the lifelong friendships forged.”
Together we explored available possibilities in the context of different programs under the ESC or other contexts:
After Pamela completed her program, she continued her studies in social work, and soon after she graduated. After her graduation, she started her internship in a child protection center. The similarities between this center and the one she volunteered in Armenia were many and her already-gained experience helped her a lot. Now she is working in the tourist field, but she hopes one day to find a job related to her studies. Also, she continues her collaboration with EKO, and she takes part in many online seminars and workshops that EKO organizes.
