IRHOV

Activity description

IRHOV, the hosting organization is a primary and secondary school for young people (between 3 and 21 years) with hearing or visual impairment.Most of the young visually impaired volunteers who apply for an experience abroad know little or nothing at all about specialized education, as they attended mainstream schools. This project will enable them to meet young people who study in a specialised school. They will thus have the chance to compare the two types of experience and to talk about them with the young pupils they will get in contact with during their service. Volunteers can: - help to better understand difficulties related to visual impairment, even when specific material is available; - strengthening links with families and between families; - ensuring the links between people responsible for extracurricular activities (sport day, theatre, reading) and the young pupils; - giving a positive image of visual impairment to young pupils from the mainstreem school.

Accommodation, food and transport arrangements

The volunteer will live with ohter young visually impaired volunteers in an apartment; kitchen, bathroom and toilet will be shared, whereas bedrooms are individual. The appartment is a 20-minute walk from the service placement. The centre of town is also at walking distance (25 minutes): an urban neighbourhood close to the centre, but calm and green nonetheless. The volunteer will get a monthly sum of pocket money and food & hosehold money. He will mange his budget according to his needs.

Training during the activity

During the first two weeks, the volunteers don't work: they benefit from orientation and mobility classes (to learn to go to places for daily life and work, routes, shops in the neighbourhood), as well as from daily living skills sessions (to prepare meals, do the shopping, do the laundry and take care of the linen and the house, first aid), and intensive French classes, so as to make them as autonomomus. All along the project they will get support regarding their special needs from the coordinating association, Views International.

Participant profile

This project mainly targets young visually impaired people. In order to better adapt to the daily tasks, the volunteer must have a basic knowledge of French (beginner level). The volunteer will be motivated and will have the desire to be integrated in the working team. Besides, the volunteer will strive for the autonomy and integration necessary in his private and daily life, both with his housemates and his multicultural neighbours. Being open and knowing how to listen are essential qualities for the tasks that the volunteer will be required to carry out.

Activity dates

A total of 39 week(s) during the period 02/10/2023 to 01/07/2024

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Activity location

Rue Monulphe 78, 4000 Liège Belgium

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 Individual volunteering

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Looking for participants from

Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Türkiye

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Activity topics

Social challenges

Education and training

Creativity and culture

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Deadline for applications

No application deadline

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