SERVIZIO VOLONTARIO EUROPEO
BELGIO
ORGANISATION:
Tau Group, Lennik
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: 't kruispunt vzw
- Time out
T Kruispunt is an organisation which gives information and assistance/support
concerning holidays and leisure time activities for people with a mental
disability and for people in their environment. Throughout the working of the
project the organisation tries to formulate an answer to different questions
concerning their leisure time. One of these concrete project is Time Out. This
non-profit organisation is actually active on a regional base and will strive in
the future for more international cooperation. The aim of the Kruispunt is to
build up a network in which requests and offers for free time activities and
holidays for mentally disabled persons (a disadvantaged group) can be brought
together and answered in an individualised way. Attention is paid to the
triangle request (of the target group, their family, friends, ...), offers (coming
from profit and non-profit organisations), and finally voluntary structure (for
transport, child care, ...). These 3 elements support and assist the activities
of the Kruispunt.
It is not the aim of Kruispunt to realise independently free time and holiday
activities, but to direct mentally disabled persons towards existing projects
and / or organisations. By doing this the Kruispunt discovers a lack for
disabled persons of free time activities. The project is partially financed by
the Flemish Community, by the target group and by sponsoring.
TASKS OF THE VOLUNTEER: Organisational
activities: build up a network for child care, contact organisations who can
offer free time and holiday opportunities for mentally disabled persons, help
the disabled persons in finding a suitable answer to their needs, work out an
efficient database to match the demands and offers, ...
Practical activities: integrate in the network of volunteers (organise transport
for the disabled, assist them, help in the care centre for children, ...);
develop and organise a training programme for the voluntary network.
As this project is very innovative also for the Kruispunt, there is no risk for
job substition.
SUPPORT SYSTEM: technical: A cultural
preparation will be provided, in combination with a language course. If
necessary for performing the tasks, technical skills will be taught by the
staff. These skills will be developed during the whole project.
personal: An explicit personal and individual supervision is foreseen on
specially arranged moment. The volunteer will be followed-up by the supervisor.
She/he has enough opportunities to work independently.
linguistic: a language course given by a recognised organisation (HFS).
ORGANISATION:
Tau Group, Lennik
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: Il Fioretto vzw
The Tau-group is an initiative of 9 services, which take care of persons with a
mental disability. They have one common aim : offer qualitative and outstanding
assistance, education and care to disabled persons.
The name "Tau" is the smallest letter from the Greek alfabet and symbolises the
commitment to the most vulnerable people in society. The Tau-group wants to
strive for a reciprocical practical and pragmatic cooperation on all relevant
levels: Human Resources Management, training of the personnel, European
relations, informatics, Ethical Assistance, concept development, ...
The Tau-group is composed out of : * Zonnelied vzw (activity home and day centre
for adults) * Zonnestraal vzw (activity centre for adults) * Il Fioretto vzw (activity
centre and meeting place).
Two services help in total 250 persons and have 210 staff members :
- Medisch Pedagogisch Instituut (MPI) Sint-Franciscus vzw, which exists out of *
a boarding school for youngsters with a small or heavier mental handicap * a
semi boarding school for schoolkids and youngsters with a handicap * a daycare
centre for schoolkids * a family replacing house for work-able adults.
- Medisch Pedagogisch Instituut (MPI) Maria Hulp der Kristenen vzw. This
institute offers the same services as the MPI Sint-Franciscus.
Both MPI's deal with 400 children and 360 staff members.
- 5 schools for disabled children (mentally) : * Buitengewoon Secundair
Onderwijs Sint-Franciscus (Special High School) * Buitengewoon Basis Onderwijs
Sint-Franciscus vzw (Special Elementary School) * Buitengewoon Lager Onderwijs
Sint-Fransiscus vzw * Buitengewoon Secundair Onderwijs Sint-Mariadal vzw *
Buitengewoon Kleuter en Lager Onderwijs Sint-Mariadal vzw. Ca. 640 children are
attending these schools and 170 teachers are involved.
Il Fioretto has grown out of the Zonnestraal. It symbolises the reconciliation
between tradition and innovation. As a service for adults with a mental
disability the Zonnestraal orientates his care towards the future. This means :
* living in small scale units with 5-6 persons, close to the safe presence of
centralised and qualitative services * a meaningfull day programme with
possibilities to personal development * consciousness integration of Zonnestraal
in the community of Lennik * an intensive training programme for the staff . Il
Fioretto is a meeting place with a modern seminar infrastructure, a restaurant
and a cultural meeting place. Around 8 adults with a mental disability work in
il Fioretto. This means for them an opportunity for integration and for labour
appreciated in society.
TASKS OF THE VOLUNTEER: Il Fioretto would
like to host a volunteer to help with the development of the centre and to
assist the disabled persons. The volunteer should be a polyvalent person with
feeling for the assistance of disabled persons. Following activities are
proposed to the volunteer : * cooperate in the meeting centre * develop and
implement a communication- and promotion strategy * assist and guide a team of
mental disabled persons together with other young and dynamic people.
SUPPORT SYSTEM:The volunteer will be
integrated in the team of Il Fioretto and will be supported by one of the staff
members. Also the Tau-group is always there to guide the volunteer through his/her
experience.
ORGANISATION:
VIA vzw, Antwerpen
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: The East West Centre vzw
The East West Centre vzw is a training and information centre for natural/ecological
way of living and macrobiotics. The East West centre wants to build a bridge
between Eastern philosophy and Western ecology, between the wisdom of the North
and the traditional knowledge of the South. In training, workshops, courses and
holiday programmes the centre integrates diverse point of views and methods
which can lead to a healther life and growing consciousness.
With this training centre we want to realise an educational residential centre
which can give an ecological example for groups, families and individuals. We
want to set up a few projects: biological vegetables - and herbs garden for self
reliance, a permaculture project, waste prevention, recycling project, ... The
centre can be hired by a group (with own cooking facilities or catering), but is
also used for our own training courses by the East West centre. The volunteers
have the possibility to participate in these courses. The East West Centre is
financed by grants (The ministry), training contributions, subscription fees and
members fees.
TASKS OF THE VOLUNTEER: Outside (garden/field):
take care of the fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, herbs and educational garden.
Sow, plant, collect the harvest, take care of the material, participation in
concrete projects in the field (planting of trees, ...)
Inside: care of the buildings, decoration of the centre, develop macrobiotic
cuisine. Promote the international dimension of the centre together with the
coordinator, welcome foreign participants and trainers, ...)
SUPPORT SYSTEM: technical: The 2 practical
staff members will cooperate closely with the volunteers. They will discuss the
tasks and planning with the volunteers and guide the volunteers in their tasks.
A personal contact person of VIA will work on a confidential relationship with
the volunteer and will mention, if necessary, problems to a third person.
According to the nature of the problem, intervention will be done.
Luc De Cuyper, the coordinator, will be responsible for personal guidance by
having regular evaluation moments and personal follow-up of the volunteers.
VIA will provide regular evaluation moments to discuss the learning process,
integration, ...
A language course given by VIA; Luc De Cuyper will look after the linguistic
aspect during the stay in the project.