Emilia, Miłosz and Sławek went to Rustavi in Georgia to volunteer. They worked for the International Scout Center, where they ran a Viking, Science, Photography, Hiking club for children; taught children, teenagers and adults English; raised funds for animals and clothing for the needy. This is how their stay went.

Scout Camp w wiosce Pona

We spent the last week of August at the Rustavi scout camp. During the week-long camp we helped the older scouts to organize activities for the younger scouts. We conducted two types of workshops on our own, the aim of which was to integrate the new scouts and improve their movement coordination and English language skills. The camp took place in a mountain village surrounded by beautiful nature. It was just after our arrival, so it was also an opportunity for us to integrate with the other EVS volunteers and make friends with our peers from the city where we lived.

Scout Center duty

From September to January, our weekly schedule was divided by duty. Each day corresponded to the on-call duty in a different department of the organization. We worked in the departments:

-Kitchen. Our organization has a hostel, which hosts international groups carrying out projects such as exchanges, trainings, seminars. During visits of such groups once a week we helped in the kitchen to cut vegetables, wash dishes, clean the dining room before and after meals.
-Reception. The duty at the reception desk mainly made sense during the visits of international groups that were communicating in English. Then we were able to answer any questions we might have and help to solve current issues related to the stay at the Scout Centre, e.g. Can you do the laundry, what’s for dinner, print files. During the time when there were no groups in the buildings the duty was much less intense.
The technical department included cleaning work on the premises of the organisation (mowing and grass cutting, preparation of plants before winter, tailoring of roller blinds and flags, folding bunk beds).
-Housekeeping (cleaning). In Scout Centre you are employed to clean the buildings. We were her helpers as volunteers. Each of us once a week was sweeping, mopping the corridors and wiping hen in the guest rooms.
The program department is a department that included preparation or conducting classes for children and young people other so-called intellectual activities.

Youth Clubs

English language club – once a week, on Saturdays, we ran an English language club. Classes consisted mainly of conversation and introduction to grammar, learning phrases and words. Classes were conducted mainly through simulations and games.

Scientific experience – every Tuesday we conducted classes for children aged 9-10 at the school in Rustavi. During the classes we conducted scientific experiments, mainly physical. Some of the experiences were performed by the children themselves under our supervision or assisted in their performance. After each experience we explained to the children the scientific theories behind them. The aim of the workshop was to interest the children in physics, to show that it can also be interesting and funny. From February to March we ran the club for children. In April we transformed the classes for an older group of 17-18 years old, where we presented curiosities related to the Cosmos.

Maps and orientation in the field – the club took place every Friday at our headquarters. Usually 6 people aged 14-26 came. During the classes we taught the participants how to use the walrus alphabet and how to use it; using geographical coordinates and finding the location of objects, cities on the map and in the field with their help; calculating the height of the tree based on the length of the shadow. We introduced the participants to Geocaching. Participants found boxes hidden in Rustavi and Kojori. Some of the classes were dedicated to global geography. Each of the classes took place with the inclusion of games, dividing into groups that competed with each other. Each participant was actively involved in the workshops and had tasks to perform. Most of the classes took place in the open air.

Photo club – we taught the basics of photography, using techniques such as camera obscura, photography with long exposure time and „painting with light”. During the last classes we built our own cameras using simple materials, so called pinhole cameras and went to the open air photography.

First aid – we prepared a document with a workshop plan and a sponsorship letter. We wanted to get financial support from outside for the purchase of a phantom for first aid education. We had several meetings with representatives of the Youth Department of Rustavi City Hall, who were interested in cooperating with us.

Help for the needy In February we found a sick homeless cat on the street and decided to help it. During the visit to the vet we met people who work for the homeless animals. After that we decided to conduct a small fundraising among our friends for the animals they are treating. At the end of the project we collected clothes and shoes for the benefit of the needy among our friends. Before leaving, we want to give the clothes to one of the orphanages in Rustavi.

Cooperation with the Town Hall.

By the end of June our clubs were finished. During the holiday season most of the children were not interested in continuing or went to the villages in the mountains. During this period we continued our cooperation with the Town Hall, mainly based on meetings with employees. Unfortunately, our idea of first aid was not financed, but we were invited to a trip for students, where we were to conduct a first aid workshop. We prepared for this task in a solid way. Unfortunately, due to the tight schedule of the trip, it was not possible to allocate time for our activities. Together with the City Hall we were also planning to conduct a presentation for young people about the European Voluntary Service. Unfortunately, due to the holiday period it was not possible to find a date for its implementation. Nevertheless, the effect of our cooperation with the City Hall are the foundations which we prepared for further cooperation. We know that the Office wants the next Scout Centre volunteers to conduct language classes for young people from families with economic difficulties.

EVS on vacation

We hitchhiked during our trips to the Caucasus. We met a lot of people who are at an age where they could go to EVS or have children at that age. Most of them have not heard about this program or this possibility. Each time we talked about how they can go, what the program includes, we gave contacts to people who can familiarize them with EVS in their native language in more detail. We hope that at least a few of these people will volunteer and that we have done some good promotional work in many cities in Georgia and Armenia.

More photos from our volunteer work can be found in the gallery.