ESC11 Individual Volunteering – “Resources for Youth Power”
2021 / 2022 in Yerevan, Armenia & Krasnodar, Russia
CONTEXT
A large number of young people in the participating countries (Greece, Russia, Armenia) who are completing Higher education face the problem of unemployment and deal with significant obstacles in their way to realize their potential. In General, we see that in different regions of Europe there are several serious problems affecting the personal structures of young people, challenging their choice in the field of education and, consequently, leading to extreme difficulties in their entrance and development in the labor market. We believe that the learn-inspire-create paradigm can work as an antidote to these problems. We believe that before learning, inspiration is a state. To choose, explore, select, engage, and create, we must be empowered to do so. We also believe that innovation and prosperity are due to differences in relationships with each other, so we believe that engaging in Volunteering activities in close relation to the local community is most effective in achieving the aims of the European Solidarity Corps program.
PROJECT
The ESC project “Resources for Youth Power” was a long-term ESC volunteering project for 4 young people from Greece (18-30 yrs) to respond to the following challenges:
Need 1: Several serious problems affect the personal structures of young people, challenging their choice in the field of education and, consequently, leading to extreme difficulties in their entrance and development in the labor market.
Need 2: 3. Mismatches between education and the labor market, because high education focuses on the advancement of knowledge, but not vital transversal skills and competencies, so students are not ready for real work and do not have the practice of accepting responsibility.
Need 3: The lack of solidarity and proactive attitude in difficult situations related to coronavirus. People in general aren’t ready to actively engage and offer their help when needed, and gain confidence and skills to become agents of positive change in their communities.
Within this framework, 4 volunteers carried out their activities in the Kuban Youth Resource Center in Krasnodar, with the support of the Russian host organization “Falcogroup”, and in Yerevan with the support of the Armenia host organization ”Future in Our Hands”. The project entailed two separate activities:
A1: 6-months volunteering of 2 young people in Falcogroup, Krasnodar, Russia
A2: 6-months volunteering of 2 young people in Future in our hands Yerevan, Armenia