Romania
SAVE THE CHILDREN YOUNG VOLUNTEERS' CENTER
It was established in 2000, within the project Youth for Children, developed with the financial support of Save the Children International Alliance.
Volunteers' management
The centre recruits and selects volunteers for the programs that Save the Children develops in the General Secretariat. At the same time, it supports the 13 branches of the organization by offering technical and informational support regarding involvement opportunities, elaborating and developing the programs, promoting youth initiatives. On a national level, 1000 youths are involved every year in educational programs or programs for children with special needs.
Development of volunteering
Young Volunteers Centre offers youths and children opportunities for getting involved in the community life, values the opportunities for sustaining and developing volunteering, encourages the society to get involved and promotes this action at institutional level along other non-governmental organizations.
In order to consolidate the group of volunteers, the Centre organizes every month informal meetings, excursions, sports activities and film projections. The most active and valuable volunteers are rewarded.
Participation and representation
The recruited volunteers participate, before starting the activities, at trainings regarding the programs that we develop. After these trainings they can participate at national or international seminars, conferences or camps. As a result of these activities, the volunteers will replicate and disseminate the experience and information achieved, promoting good practice and cooperation between similar organizations.
In 2006, 800 volunteers actively involved in programs developed by Save the Children, being encouraged to participate at activities and to develop their own ideas in projects coordinated by themselves. The programs developed on national level addressed 18,000 children.
• Be a Superhero Campaign promoted volunteering among youths in schools and high schools. 450 young people from Bucharest and branches in Suceava, Brașov, Hunedoara, Dolj, Constanta, Timiș, Iași were recruited and trained, becoming volunteers in programs developed by Save the Children;
• Combat child labour!, 12th of June - 40 volunteers and representatives of the authorities in child protection area carried on an awareness campaign regarding child labour;
• Within the campaign The sea, our only addiction, 50 volunteers informed young
• On 19th of November, the Day of Preventing Child Abuse, Save the Children's volunteers, supported by the actor Mihai Răzuș, set a play regarding child rights violation. This event initiated a debate between children and young people, public persons, representatives of the authorities and specialists in child rights area.
• 60 volunteers informed the public within the fundraising campaign for economically exploited children launched by Cora hypermarket - Month of Open Hearts - and developed in partnership with ILO-IPEC;
• 67 volunteers participated at the Annual Meeting of the Volunteers, where they presented and evaluated the activities carried out in 2006 and the plan for 2007.
• Within the program regarding assistance in emergency cases, 35 volunteers from Bucharest and Dolj branch developed educational activities with children affected by floods - Chiselet, Spanțov and Rast.
• The Day for Combating Violence against Children, 5th of June - the volunteers organized debates on violence themes in schools and high schools from Bucharest and Hunedoara, Mures and Brașov counties. Campaigns in the street were organized, too.
• 60 volunteers from Bucharest, Mureș, Timiș and Iași participated in the awareness campaign during the International Day of Missing Child;
• 85 volunteers from Bucharest, Mureș and Hunedoara informed people about redirecting 2% from income tax towards non-governmental organisations;
• During the Week of Volunteering, event that reunited more then 30 non-governmental organisations, 35 volunteers from Bucharest, Târgu Mureș and Brașov informed the interested people about the programs developed by the Save the Children.
HOW DO I BECOME A VOLUNTEER?
Save the Children Romania is a non-governmental, non-profit, national association, based on volunteering activity of its members. More than 800 volunteers are involved in activities developed by the General Secretariat and the 14 branches in the country.
You can become a volunteer in Save the Children's programs, too!
Contact Young Volunteer's Centre at phone no. 021.316.61.77 or e-mail: voluntar@salvaticopiii.ro and you will find the information you need to be a volunteer.
Join Save the Children volunteers' team!
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