The Project of European Voluntary Service program Erasmus+ supported the sending of 2 Slovak volunteers to Baku the capitol city of Azerbaijan. Volunteer services were held in the Maryam Merkezi center which is focused on the education of under-privileged children and youth. Education is not completed by sessions only, which is the reason why the center is trying to create good conditions for free time activities. The project integrated 2 Slovak volunteers in extracurricular activities in the Maryam Merkezi center. They were helping with organization and implementation of the activities and they had a chance to empower themselves in the inspirational environment as well.
Project goals:
- to offer to the students of Maryam Merkezi a variety of extracurricular activities for the sake of the personal development of the children and youth of Baku
- to encourage personal development of the volunteers through the opportunity to gain many competencies thanks to the activities at Maryam Merkezi
The volunteers were participating in these activities: the study of Russian and the Azerbaijan language, sport activities, handcrafts and art workshops. They cooperated with local volunteers in activities such as tutoring, summer camps, trips and cultural events.
Thanks to the project, volunteers gained the following skills: knowledge of English, Russian and the Azerbaijan language, Linux, time management, creativity, presentation, pedagogical and organizational skills, responsibility, self confidence, flexibility, the capability of coping with conflict situations, empathy, solidarity, and cooperation with people from different cultural background.
The project was financially supported by The European Union and the program Erasmus+ by grant of 9,105.00 Euro. We are thankful for the support.