| Summary of the project: | Project Environment:
Casa do Parque is a foster home funded in 1997 that offers protection for 14 children between 0 till 12 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.
The children stay in Casa do Parque at least one year and 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.
Foster homes seek the return of the children to their families when they already have conditions to provide them a good quality life. This progress can be reached by the early intervention that is taken from the beginning by the staff with these families. When it is not possible , the alternative is adoption.
Carnaxide is part of Oeiras Municipality that 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.
Casa do Parque is situated is an area where most population can be considered low economic class, with low financial incomes. There are many gipsies and African people living here. There are public social care organisations that provide services and support to the population.
Tasks for volunteer:
- Supporting the children and youngsters during their study moments: monitoring and helping the children in their homework and study hours, helping more intensively in areas where he/she feels more comfortable, but also motivating them to study and to complete their objectives.
- "Leisure hour": this activity aims at animating and implementing leisure time activities for children, with an entertaini ng 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, music, etc, according to t he plan and to the volunteer's skills.
- "Dinner Time": helping in giving the dinner to the children, but most important, helping in creating a friendly, fun and home environment during the meal time. This can include establishing healthy conversations with the children, 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 children take care of their health routines (shower, washing teeth, etc), setting the rules and teaching them hygiene habits.
- Preparation of parties and special events: planning, creating and proposing new ideas for this kind of events.
- Preparation and monitoring of going outs: 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: attend to the planning meetings (propose ideas 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; motivated to work in a neighbourhood where live African immigrants and gipsies cultures, self-motivated, dynamic, versatile, good mood, flexible, with self initiative, creative, with handwork skills, willing to take on new challenges, opened to work with people of all backgrounds and cultures; willing to develop new activities and with sense of responsibility. |
