VOLUNTEERING IN KAAPV (PIKPA)
EuroMed Youth Project – EVS
PIKPA Athens – Greece
June 2007
Dear JORDANIAN Volunteers,
We are searching for a volunteer for a EUROMED – European Voluntary Service project.
Description of the institution
KAAPV (more commonly known as PIKPA) is a state institution that hosts about 100 handicapped children and youth from 1 to 30 years old. They have moderate to heavy physical and mental disabilities. Most are abandoned by their parents and have little contact with their family so PIKPA is practically an orphanage for unwanted children. Nurses take care of their physical needs (washing, feeding, and medication) but there is a lot to be done for the psychological, social and educational needs of the children. Despite financial difficulties, PIKPA is trying to become more modern, to improve services and to integrate the children in society. However, changing mentality and way of working is a slow and difficult process and a lot remains to be done. Even today, most children still receive very little stimulation and are heavily institutionalised. Volunteers offer extra care and attention to the children and act as a bridge between the institution and the outside world.
The area around PIKPA
PIKPA is in Glyfada, an expensive area of Athens near the sea. The high standards of living in Glyfada are in sharp contrast with the conditions in the institution and it looks like the two places belong to totally different worlds. Glyfada is full of cafes, bars, gyms, cinemas, shops etc and there are a lot of disco’s and nightclubs on the beach. If however this is not your idea of fun, don’t worry: frequent buses run to the centre of Athens (45 - 60 minutes) and there you can find whatever you are looking for, from archaeological sights to alternative bars. The bus service stops between 12pm-5am but the tram runs 24 hours and taxis in Greece are not very expensive so transport is not a problem. Athens itself is quite a big and chaotic city (about 4 ½ million inhabitants). The climate is very warm in the summer (up to 45 C) but can be rather cold and rainy from October to May (although it can also be quite warm… Greece is full of surprises!).
Duration of the project
Long-term project:
Starting June 2007 for 12 months.
Tasks of the volunteers
Every volunteer has a different programme depending on the children s/he is working with and the personal capacities and needs of the volunteer. However, we all share the following tasks:
2 hours per day helping the nurses (bathing, feeding, brushing teeth, changing diapers, accompanying children to school or therapy),
1 hour per day keeping company to children with heavy disabilities (walks, music, massage, simple games)
2-4 times per week swimming in the sea or in the swimming pool and
1-2 afternoons per week going on excursions with the kids outside the institution. Besides, we can participate in any of the following activities:
Stimulation for babies and severely disabled children (play room, music, walks inside the institution or just physical contact) - Individual learning project for specific children (e.g. practicing self-help skills, learning the alphabet, learning how to use money etc) - Physical education or sports - Cooking lessons - English language workshop - Social integration (visit to a supermarket, to a bank, a museum or a post office etc) – Entertainment (organising parties, going to the movies or to a festival etc). Artistic expression (painting, handicraft, singing, dance, etc)- Beauty group - Excursions - Informing the local community about disabilities and trying to involve Greek people to volunteer in the institution - Fund-raising to sponsor activities with the children - Any other activity depending on our abilities and interests and the needs and desires of the children.
In short, we are responsible for helping the children spend their time in a constructive and enjoyable way.
Working Schedule
We work 7 hours per day, 5 days a week (a total of 35 hours per week). Language lessons and meetings (1-2 hours per week) are included in the working hours. We all have different time and day schedules depending on the needs of the children and our personal wishes. Some days we work four hours in the morning and three in the afternoon, other days we only work in morning or afternoon shift. We have two days free per week (usually but not always weekends) and two days free per month. Long-term volunteers arriving in June will take three weeks of holidays during summer, probably in the last three weeks of August (we will announce the exact dates later on). About the rest of our holidays, we can choose when to take them as long as we don’t disrupt the Greek lessons.
Way of working
Volunteers in this project organise themselves. There is no boss, nobody who tells you what to do or controls how you do it. We decide how we will work and what we will do in our weekly meetings. Of course, we have to follow some requirements of the institution (for example, helping the nurses and taking the children to school and therapy) but most other activities depend on our own initiative. In meetings we discuss all issues regarding work, community life, free time activities etc. We all contribute ideas and opinions in the meetings and we all have equal right to decide and to disagree. Usually important decisions are based on consensus; that means that we discuss until the group finds a solution that satisfies all members. Voting is used only for less important, technical decisions.
Does this mean that you are left all alone with no one to help you? No. The volunteers who have arrived before you will show you around, explain how we work and live in PIKPA, introduce you to Athens and answer your questions. There is also a group coordinator who speaks Greek and can mediate between the volunteers and the institution and explains (or tries to explain) how things work, especially during the first months. She also takes care of paper work, pocket money and other exciting technical issues. She will help you with residence permits, hospitals and whatever you need until you manage to do things by yourselves. In case you need more personal guidance, you or your sending organisation should notify us of this in advance so that we can arrange for an accompanier or a visiting youth worker for you.
What does all this mean? In short, it means that if you take initiative, contribute with ideas and suggestions and realise that you are personally responsible for the happiness of the children and the success of the project, then the project will go well. But if you need a lot of structure, formality and guidance and you prefer to follow the leader… sorry, there is no leader!!!
Living in PIKPA
There are around 10 long-term and two short-term volunteers living in PIKPA during winter and around 15-20 in the summer. We all live, cook, eat and work together all the time so be prepared for a very intense experience in community living! Also, we have to support each other quite a lot as some of us may have difficulties to adjust at the beginning or may have some physical disability. Since we are together continuously and we also bring children to our living room quite often it can become a bit asphyxiating at times. Nevertheless, most volunteers until now have liked it so much that they have a lot of difficulty to adjust to the “normal” individual style of living when they go back to their countries.
We live in a big building inside the institution. It is a nice building and has a very beautiful view to the sea. We all share rooms but don’t worry, they are quite big. Inside the building there are also some young adults from the institution who live in separate rooms and we sometimes cook and eat together, or go out to Glyfada with them. The building is wheelchair accessible. All volunteers receive a monthly pocket money of 140 euro.
As we live inside the institution, we have to respect certain rules of the place even if we don’t always agree with them. Greek society is rather conservative and especially the first year that volunteers were in PIKPA, there were many conflicts with the institution about the way we look and behave. Now things are much much better and the employees are not shocked so much by tattoos, piercings and rasta but it is still a good idea to keep a low profile. It will not do much good to our reputation and to our relations with PIKPA if one of us walks around with a hot mini skirt, holding a beer bottle with one hand and a boyfriend/girlfriend with the other. So please use your common sense and when you are in the institution, don’t do something you would not do in front of your grandmother! Also, we must let you know that being drunk or using illegal drugs will not be tolerated inside PIKPA. Do whatever you want when you go out, but if you are found drunk or stoned inside the centre, we will have to ask you to leave the project. Smoking is permitted but please respect those who don’t smoke and also don’t smoke near the children, even if many personnel members do it.
What we expect from volunteers and sending organisations:
For long-term volunteers: Motivation, Enthusiasm, Responsibility and Commitment are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY– please remembers that these children are abandoned both by their parents and by Greek society and they depend on you for love and attention. Creativity, patience, initiative, maturity and a good sense of humour are needed as the work can be hard and Greeks are rather chaotic and hot-tempered! Intermediate level of English is useful. Furthermore, you should enjoy living and working with a big group of people. Also, you should be determined to study hard to learn Greek as it is essential for communicating with the staff and the children. In addition, we would like that you inform us about any physical, social or emotional difficulty you may have that may affect your integration in the project and to tell us what we can do about it. Volunteers with physical disabilities are very welcome but they have to keep in mind that although PIKPA is more or less disabled-accessible, the rest of Athens is another story! They must clearly explain to us what they can and cannot do, and be prepared to openly talk about their disability and of their needs. We also expect that you commit to stay for the whole duration of the project (if you like the project of course). Finally, neither technical skills nor previous experience are needed but if you have studied something relevant and you want to put your skills in practice, we will be happy to try to help you!
By the way, if your main motivation for this project is to learn special techniques about how to work with disabled children in a structured environment under professional guidance, then you will be disappointed. As we said before, the situation of disabled people in Greece still needs a lot of improvement and PIKPA, as most other Greek public institutions, works in a rather old-fashioned and chaotic way. However, if you want to be useful and really make a difference, if you look for a place where you can take initiative and develop your own ideas, then PIKPA is the place for you! You will give a lot of yourself to the children but will get much more from them in return.
For short-term volunteers: the expectations are more or less the same as for long-term volunteers but we are more open in hosting people who are not really sure of their interests, determination or abilities. Also, we don’t require any English level but you should at least be motivated to study English before coming here.
For sending organisations: First of all we would like that you meet the volunteers personally and try to determine together with them if they are suitable for this project. We expect that you read the project description together with the volunteer and help to clarify any questions. We would also like you to send us detailed information about any physical or emotional characteristics of the volunteer that may require special attention from our part and tell us what we can do to help or, even better, encourage the volunteer to have direct communication with us. Most importantly we would like you to support the volunteer in the preparation procedure and certainly to arrange for English lessons in case the volunteer does not speak sufficient English!
Language
Greek: Greek is necessary for communication because neither the children nor the workers in PIKPA speak English. Of course, nobody here will force you to learn Greek if you don’t want to but if you really care about the kids and want to communicate with them, studying hard and attending the Greek lessons will certainly help you! During the first two months of your stay you can attend an intensive Greek course by a private teacher (about 10 hours per week). After that, you will have 4 hours of Greek lessons per week until two months before your departure. Of course it is possible to change this schedule if all volunteers and the teacher agree.
English: we use English in our weekly meetings and also for communicating with each other, especially at the beginning. If your English is not very good, please attend English lessons before arriving.
Training and Support
Training: during the first weeks, volunteers are introduced to the children and shown how to handle them (lifting, pushing a wheelchair, feeding, bathing, etc.). They also learn some basic information about the types of disabilities the children have. However, don’t expect to receive special training about how to work professionally with disabled children. If you want to practice the skills you have learnt at school, it is possible and we will be happy to help you, but the most important function of volunteers is not to do therapy or “scientific work” with the children but to offer them some of the attention and stimulation they need.
Support: once per week there is a group meeting to discuss how everything is going and to plan the next activities. All volunteers are expected to participate actively in it and to contribute ideas and suggestions. Also, we sometimes arrange group or individual meetings with a youth counsellor to discuss about our personal experiences, our feelings about our work, any issues concerning group life etc. Furthermore, the group coordinator will try to help you both with practical problems and with any personal issues you may have, don’t expect however a mommy running after you or a leader who knows everything and tells you what you must do! Finally and most importantly, group members are expected to help one another. We all live together, eat together, work together and often spend our free time together; it is only by caring for each other and by trying to form close relations with all members of the group that we can actually enjoy this experience to the fullest and give the best of ourselves to the children.
For volunteers in need of extra support, we can arrange for it in collaboration with the sending organisation.
What to bring with you (or tell your friends to bring)
For yourself: Your sheets and towels, a few warm clothes for the winter (yes, it can even snow sometimes!), a swimming suit, an anti-mosquito product (citronella oil is very good), 4 copies of your ID or passport, 4 passport photos, a good preparation (see below) and your motivation and good mood.
For the kids: If you have some space in your luggage or if people come to visit you, the following things are welcome: toys for babies ages 3-24 months (rattles, things you can chew and hit without destroying them, things that have bright colours, make noise etc – please no dolls or teddy bears or small things that can break or be easily swallowed), musical instruments, art and handicraft things and used (but comfortable) clothes and sandals in good condition (all sizes, also adult. Skirts, dresses and tight trousers like jeans are not so useful). Also, you may try to find a second-hand wheelchair or a good quality baby pram, as well as tools to repair wheelchairs; there is a big shortage here! Before bringing anything, ask us for more information.
Trial period:
As you have probably understood until now, this is not a project for everybody. We need volunteers who really enjoy being with the children, not just people who do their tasks so that they can get accommodation, pocket money and a nice experience. Also, even if you are really motivated, the living and working conditions in PIKPA are not for everybody. As it is hard to know in advance if the volunteer and the project are “made for each other”, we propose a trial period of two - three months to evaluate how things are going and decide together if you should continue the project or not.
Preparation for the project:
Language: it is useful if you learn some Greek before arriving. Knowing the alphabet and some basic expressions will help you communicate more easily with the kids and the personnel. Also, if your English is not good, please try to improve it before coming here, this is very important! Ask your sending organisation to help you arrange English lessons or, if it is not possible, try to study by yourself.
Knowledge and experience: if you have never worked with people with moderate to severe disabilities before, please visit regularly a centre for these people in your country, even before applying for the project. This way you will become more familiar with the kids and will also get some ideas about what kind of activities you can do with them. It will also help you to browse through the internet or to find some books on animation for young children (disabled or not) and also to find information about the various types of childhood disabilities. Most children in the centre have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida or mental retardation from unknown causes and a few have blindness, deafness or autistic features in addition to mental retardation. Occupational therapy books as well as books on the Montessori method are also quite interesting. We would recommend the following books:
• Disabled Village Children by David Werner (difficult to find in bookshops but you can order it in several languages from
www.healthwrights.org it is under Publications. You can also read it on line in English or Spanish at
http://www.healthwrights.org/booksonline.htm ) THIS IS REALLY AN EXCELLENT BOOK, please try to browse through it (I know it is a bit too big to read it)!
• Handling the Young Cerebral Palsied Child at Home by Nancie Finnie (available in many languages, very good information although sometimes it is very detailed)
Living in community: remember that you will live together with a big group of volunteers; this means that you must be prepared to respect the needs and wishes of others as much as your own. It also means being ready to participate actively in all household tasks such as cleaning, tidying up and, of course, cooking! So, if you have lived with your mama and papa until now, maybe you could start experimenting in your own home before you come here, this will also make your parents really happy, no? And don’t forget to bring with you a cooking book, especially one with recipes typical of your country!
Health: a few children of the centre are Hepatitis B carriers. This is a disease transmitted by body fluids (in a way similar to how AIDS is transmitted) and if you want to be absolutely safe from it you must a) avoid direct contact with blood or caca, especially if you have an open wound on your hands, b) wear gloves if you shower a child or change diapers and c) do the Hepatitis B vaccine before leaving your country. Your insurance or your sending organisation can pay for it under the category of exceptional costs. However, please ask the doctor for possible side-effects or problems created by the vaccine. People who have a family history of multiple sclerosis should avoid it. If you choose not to have the vaccine, don’t worry, Hepatitis B is impossible to be transmitted if you follow some basic hygiene precautions. Also, it is good if you have vaccination for tetanus as we are often outdoors, exploring the big and mysterious PIKPA territories...
Culture: there are many books and internet sites about Athens, Greece and Greek culture and history. They may give you a lot of interesting information about your new country and may help you adjust more easily but also remember, not all Greeks drink ouzo and dance the syrtaki! Anyway, prepare yourself for a country where logic and organisation are not the first priorities and where chaos, passion, absurdity and spontaneity reign. If you are flexible and with a good sense of humour, you’ll just love it!
Interested???
Then send your CV and motivation letter as soon as possible to office@earthinternational.org . A.S.A.P before 28.09.2006
European Voluntary Service – Technical Information
Eligible: non-profit organizations, local governments, individuals
Age of Volunteer: 18 – 25 years
Duration of Project: 6 - 12 months (shorter periods considered)
No job substitution, No routine tasks, Minimum administrative work
Financial Support:
Travel: 100%
Volunteer’s Allowance: 140 - 220 euro / month depending on country.
Hosting Organization: 480 euro + 300 euro / month (organization responsible for food and shelter)
Exceptional costs (e.g. visas, permits, arrangements for volunteers with special needs): 100%
