| Summary of the project: | Project Environment:
CAT de Tercena is a foster home, which resulted from an agreement of cooperation and management between two public organisms: Santa Casa da Misericordia de Cascais and the Institute of Solidarity and Social Security. This organisation started its activities in 2002 and offers
protection for 48 children and youngsters between 4 and 19 years old, who are moved away from their families by different reasons: negligence, different types of abuses (psychological, physical, sexual), violence, abandon or other causes as non basic needs providence, like safety, feed, protection, health, etc. The children stay in CAT de Tercena the time necessary to define a Life Project to each child/youngster, so is needed to be supplied a familiar, cosy, comfortable environment and psychological support as well. Generally, these children have some development problems in some fields as verbal communication and social relationships. So, in these situations all availability of professional staff is needed to follow children evolution.
Barcarena is located in Oeiras municipality. Oeiras is an important Village (45,8/km2) that offers the dynamism of large number of habitants (162.124) mainly young, near Lisbon the capital of Portugal (15 minutes), and 20 minutes from Sintra - World Patrimony, and 20 minutes from Cascais bay. According to the last statis tics information from 2001, the village of Barcarena is 9,01 km2 and has 11 847 inhabitants. The socio-economical situation of the population is varied, from mid -high level to low level, existing more needs near to some neighbourhoods where
poverty is more concentrated.
Tasks for volunteer:
- Supporting the children and youngsters during their study moments: monitoring and helping the children and youngsters in their homework and study hours, helping more intensively in areas where he/she feels more comfo rtable (for instance: English language tutoring, Maths, Geography…), but also motivating them to study and to complete their objectives.
- "Leisure hour": this activity aims at animating and implementing leisure time activities for the children and youngst ers, with an entertaining but also educational purpose. Activities include cooking workshops, fashion shows, photos exhibitions, thematic conversations, etc., develop techniques with the group such as painting, drawing, building or modelling, cuttings, mus ic, etc, according to the plan and to the volunteer's skills.
- "Dinner Time": It is important in the dynamics of the groups of children and youngsters because it is in a way a "family moment". The tasks of the volunteer can include helping in giving the d inner to the children and youngsters, but most important, helping in creating a friendly, fun and home environment during the meal hour. This can include establishing healthy conversations with the children and youngsters, inquiring about
their activities during the day, their problems, their needs, etc.
- Supporting the children and youngsters in health routines: help the staff in assuring that the youngsters take care of their health routines (shower, washing teeth, etc), setting the rules and teaching th em hygiene habits.
- Preparation of parties and special events: The volunteers will be involved in planning, creating and proposing new ideas for this kind of events.
- Preparation and monitoring of going outs: having activities out of the space of CAT de Tercena is also foreseen in the activities plan. It is important for the youngsters to diversify their horizons and to develop their knowledge of the surroundings. The volunteers can plan different and new activities for these "going outs", visits, define places to go, etc. During the activity, they can also be responsible for monitoring the group and leading the activities.
- Promote European Voluntary Service and other youth activities: organise exhibitions and presentations in schools and in youth clubs (give visibility to EVS activity, in order to motivate more young people to participate on EVS and in other youth activities like youth exchanges)
- Participation in the planning of the work: the volunteers will attend to the planning meetings (propose ide as to implement, propose solutions for specific problems, become aware of the working methodologies of the organisation, place their doubts or questions about the work, evaluate, etc)
- Personal project: promote a personal project that comes in accordance with the regular philosophy of the institution.
Profile of the volunteer:
Special interest or previous experience to work with disadvantaged children and young people, self-motivated, dynamic, versatile, good mood, flexible, with self initiative, creativ e, with handwork skills, willing to take on new challenges, opened to work with people of all backgrounds and cultures; enthusiastic to participate in the project; willing to develop new activities and with sense of responsibility. |
