we are EVS

“Discover EVS,

discover your life”

No just work

Erasmus +

Who are we?

Experience on the field

EVS in Agria

Photoinform

July 2o14

N I

Don’t get lost!

3. Who are we?

EVS team Volos 2013/14.

4/5. Experiences on the fieldEVS works and volunteer.

5/6. Refugee Camp, AgriaEVS social integration work.

7/8. Interview Coordinator of Refugee CampChat with Ioanna in Agria.

10/11. PhotoinformSome pictures from Agria.

12/13. No just workEVS life after work. Meteora.

14/15. Erasmus PlusThe new EU programme for mobility.

17. Poem of the monthJohn Dinsky writes about the Greek Alphabet.

2

Who are we?

European Voluntary Service is the

name of this social program wich

is offer for the European Comis-

sion and is developed in the Municipaly

of Volos by KEKPA-DIEK.

Currently, the program has six vol-

unteers from six differents coun-

tries. All of them are working in

differents places around Volos as

the Refugee Camp for Under-18 in

Agria, Roma Community in Aliveri and

social works with handicap people in

Rania (Nea Ionia), Garden (Anno

Volos), Kindergarden and in the

daily center of KEKPA in Pailia.

Volunteers are from Austria, Poland,

Italy, Spain, Hungary and England and

all of them show their compromise in the

social field. By the way, this program

offers an unforgotable experience for

all of them, giving the opportunity to

live and know another culture with the

european background.

Anna, Ania, John, Eva, Julie and Fran

are the people who is working in the

project and this newsletter you can be

informed about all kinds of works they

are doing.

Also, you can find them online on

Facebook as ‘We are Volos’ and

www.wearevolos.blogspot.com

Photo: EVS team 2013/14 in Volos formed by: Eva, Sabrina, John, Fran, Ania, Miriam, Julie and Anna.

EVS team. Volos 13/14

3

by @FranSánchez

Experiences

on the field

Discover the differents works

EVS team in Volos is doing.

4

Text and pictures

of @FranSánchez

Art and Creativity

Potence the cre-

ativity and deve-

lope the art

skills in the young

childrens is one of the

most rewarding experi-

ences for any teacher.

In the cultural and off

school centre in Nea

Ionia they try to po-

tence this habbilities

with creative works and

dynamic lessons with

music and dance.

Classes start after

school in the afternoon

and there are two groups

with differents ages.

First is the turn for

the youngest until six

years and then, the old-

est (nine years), close

the center around 21.00.

Also, the center offers

activities during the

summer months everydays

at morning.

Hug to the integration

Daily center of

KEKPA-DIEK works

hard in order to

improve the social ha-

bilities with disability

people from Volos.

Around 30 people are

going to the center

daily to larn and devel-

ope their knowledges.

The center also has

available one doctor one

room for fisiotherapy

and recovery.

The daily center is open

five days per week since

8.00 am until 16.00 pm.

Social workers, psichol-

ogyst and young volun-

teers works together

looking for the best re-

ward, and sometimes the

best explanation is one

hug.

Art without borders

One of the several

works that EVS team

in Volos is doing

in Refugee Camp of the

Red Cross in Agria, is

focused in creativity

works with under eigh-

teens childrens from

differents countries

like Afganisthan, Pak-

istan, Egypt, etc.

Photography, arts, the-

atre or sports activi-

ties are the main steps

to follow and, at the

end, it is a rewarding

experience as long as

for the team and the

childrens as well.

EVS work

5

EVS

in

AgriaPhotography and Creativity Arts skills are

developed by the EVS volunteers in Agria

6

by @FranSánchez

Ioanna: “The Refugge Camp is an oppor-

tunity for the children to keep the

first contact with the UE”

Coordinator of the Red Cross Refugee Camp in Agria

Main goal of the Refugee

Camp in Agria.

Our main target is to try

to give children all pro-

tection and support -so-

cial and psychological-

they need since they ask

for asylum untill they

find a good opportunity

out. In Greece, another

country in the European

Union or, sometimes, some

of them decide to come

back to their countries.

How many nationatilies are

there in the Camp.

Most of the boys are from

north Africa like Egypt,

Somalia or Sudan. Also,

the Afganistan, Pakistan

or Iran boys are a big

group. The center is

opened since 2008 and the

program has accommodated

more than 400 childrens.

The capacity of the center.

Nowadays, the Refugee Camp

is full of capacity. We

have living with us forty

eight children and we are

not able to take more

children. Anyway, every-

week we have boys who

leave and new ones who

come. It depends on the

season but, normally, our

two buildings with 24 beds

each one, are usually

full.

How long can the childrens

stay in the Camp.

It is up to the boys. They

decide when they want to

leave the center. Some of

them are here for five

years ago mainwhile, oth-

ers are not able to stay

more than one week. Our

mission is to offer them

refugee and try to give

them the opportunity to

keep, and improve, the

first contact with the Eu-

ropean Union in order to

find solution to their is-

sues.

What kind of facilities

the center offers.

We have accommodation,clothes,

medicine, food and catering

for all. Security guards

every day of the year, two

social workers, nurse and

taxi driver, a lawyer,

translators and provision of

bus tickets. Also, the

labour of the volunteers is

very important for them.

Is this Refugee one door

for the welcome to UE for

the childrens?

It is an opportunity in

order to give the final

jump to have a contact

with the UE. Sometimes it

is succeced for them, but

not always. The social in-

tegration is the key for

resolve their issues.

The volunteers labour.

The volunteers who came to

spent a few hours with the

children is like the eyes

of Europe for them. Sports

activities, art creations

or share experiences is

more important than we

think.

Rewarding experience.

The work in the Camp is

very hard but it’s allow

you to improve yourself

like a human. Just a few

help or a couple of min-

utes of conversation is a

world for the

children.They always will

be available for you, and

they will give you very

good memories that, some-

times, are really life

lessons.

7

“Life in the Camp is not easy, but we

try to do it. When you arrived here

after a long walk from Teheran (Iran),

your legs, brain and your body are ex-

hausted and the center is waiting for

you with hot meal and bed”

The story of Habib and Kouram is

completly different to any our

lifes. Since they born, they have

fund obstacles on their way. The first

of all, and without chose it, they have

had the good luck to born in a country

like Pakistan or Iran.

Unfourtunately, the war and crime havebeen every moment present in theirlifes, maybe this is the reason whichhave made theirselfs strongs in theirway untill the Camp for the Unaccompa-nied Minors Asylum Seekers (UMA’s) inAgria (Volos).

Seventeen years old in their backs and

with one future who goes throught Eu-

rope. “Now we are here in order to find

a job, earn some money and try to bring

my family form Pakistan. When I get the

papers, everything will be easiest” said

Kouram.

“My goal is to reach Sweden, I know

somebody there and it is fast, around

six months, to get the papers. Mean-

while, I am learning english” said

Habib, the boy who doesn’t mind walk

around the world if it’s necesary: “As

I don’t have papers, I can’t take a

flight to Sweden so, I will go by foot,

definetely” he explain always with a

smile in his face.

Everything go slowly in the Camp, youcan easily find tim to talk with some-body, play computers games or voley,everybody here is like a small familyand normally, they respect each otherbecause, how Kouram explains in one sim-ply way: “At the end, we don’t have morethings to lose, from here to the nextyears we only have the choice to get ourmind target, to became legal”.

Day per day in the Camp, with Habib and Kouram

8

The KEKPA-DIEK founded in June 2011,

pursuant to Law 3852/2010

(Kallikratis) merging nine municipal

utilities in the wider region of

Volos which focused on major social

actions and interventions. The

KEKPA-DIEK is the evolution of all

these companies.

Municipality of Volos.

Magnesia.

Thessaly.

9

Jump to the integration

Since 2008, the RefugeeCamp in Agria is tryingto give support to peo-ple under age fromcountries in risk ofwar. Their future goestrought Europe.

photoinform

10

by @FranSánchez

Differents national-ities and culturesare living toghetherin the Camp. Egypt,Afganistan, Pakistanand Iran are themainly.

Differents countries,

one familyThe EVS team mission is to develope skills and

strengthen habilities for the future of the children.

photoinform

11

nojust

work

METEORA / Μετεωρα. Was the chosen des-

tiny of the month for the EVS team. Volos, Lar-

isa, Frappé in Trikala, Kalambacca and an

awesome landscape in front of your eyes.

12

by @FranSánchez

njw: meteora / Μετέωρα

Meteora is formed by a

group of huge and ver-

ticals rocks located

in the center of

Greece where six Or-

thodox Monasteries

were built on the top

of the cliffs where

the tourist can enjoy

the awesome shigts and

return back to the

monks life in the

past. Perfect place to

get contact with the

natural enviorement

and breath the fresh

air from the mountains

in a unique place in

‘middle of the sky’.

·The pinnacles were formed

about 60 million years ago

during the Paleogene period.

·The oldest Monastery was

built in 1350.

·James Bond, Tintin, Linkin

Park, Pokèmon, Tomb Raider or

Game of Thrones have chosen

Meteora as background or as a

reference.

You should know...

13

erasmus +

e new EU Programmeon Education, Training,

Youth and Sport14

by @FranSánchez

The European Vol-

untary Service

(EVS) is framed

since January 2014

Erasmus Plus, the new

program of the Euro-

pean Union which was

established with the

aim of creating a mo-

bility program that

encompasses all exist-

ing (Erasmus, Leonardo

Da Vinci , Comenius,

Youth in Action,

Grundvitg). With Eras-

mus Plus is to create

a great program that

manages all types of

existing mobility in

Europe.

Erasmus Plus aims to

provide 4 million Eu-

ropeans the opportu-

nity to study, teach,

or volunteer practices

in European countries.

It is a clear commit-

ment to address the

current economic situ-

ation through EU sub-

sidies for education

and training for the

next seven years.

It is now more impor-

tant than ever to in-

vest in a well

trained, multicul-

tural and holds youth

labor mobility; bet

heavily on the train-

ing of future profes-

sionals, in whose

hands lies the future

of European society.

With Erasmus mobility

+ aged 18 and 30 will

be financed with the

European Voluntary

Service volunteer per-

forming from 2 to 12

months in an NGO in

any country of the Eu-

ropean Union, member

countries of the Euro-

pean Economic Area

(Norway, Switzerland

and Liechtenstein) or

Turkey, current candi-

date and fields: cul-

ture, youth, sports,

children, cultural

heritage, arts, animal

welfare, environment,

development coopera-

tion, etc..

Goals of the Erasmus Plus program:

· Help young people to acquire additional

skills through study and training abroad.

· Improving the quality of education in the

EU and beyond.

· Modernisation of vocational education and

training of the member states and partner

countries.

· Promote the participation of young people

in society.

· Compatible with teaching and research on

European integration.

· Support to the European grassroots sport.

erasmus +

15

16

Alpha is Athina, the home of half of Greeks

Bita plays Bouzuki, on the radio of the last bus when your half

asleep.

Gamma marries Giannis and Gianna, together like oil and cheese.

Delta is democracy, that which killed Socrates.

Epsilon, EUREKA! Archimedes running naked down the streets.

Zita sounds like Zina, the blonde star of the TV screens.

Ita rises with Ilios, the burning sun that pours like orange

over Greece

Thita Swims in Thalassa, the bluest of the seas

Iota lives in Iolkos, where Jason set for the golden fleece

Kappa begins Kalokairi, the summer of 38 degrees

Lamtha, yellow as a Lemon, on the plate and in the trees

Mee and Maria, lay in Santorini before the colours of the beach

Nee is Nafplio, the former capital citadel and blue flag in the

breeze

Ksee for Xylokastro, sitting on the peloponese

Omicron, Olympiakos, the red shirts fighting with the greens

Pee is the panorama, Pee is plato and his dreams.

Ro floats in Rhodos, along the border and the islands in the

east.

Sigma and Souvlaki, on every corner, covered with chips and

grease

Taf survived Thermopylae, while the Persian hordes decreased

Ipsilon, the Hysteria and storm, after the oracle speaks.

Fee as white as Feta, and the moon above the mountain peaks

Xee for Xristos, Christ on the cross before the orthodox seats

Psee inside Pyschology, or under tavern tables, Psari that the

cat quickly eats

Omega is the ora, the hours on the harbour clock as the day

receeds

poem of the month by John Dinsky

17