Albania
With a landscape including rugged mountains and a lengthy stretch of Adriatic coastline, Albania is home to a rich blend of religions and cultures. After World War II, Albania remained staunchly isolationist until its transition to democracy after 1990. The 1992 elections ended 47 years of communist rule, but the latter half of the decade saw a quick turnover of presidents and prime ministers. While there have been signs of economic progress with inflation under tighter control and some growth, the country remains one of the poorest in Europe. Unemployment is high and poverty widespread. VIP has developed many relationships with non profit organisations in Albania, creating a variety of individual volunteer placement possibilities.
Projects
Romani Baxt Albania
“R.B.A” is a Romani community based non-profit 
centre, situated in the periphery of Tirana, the capital of Albania. This is a training center for Romani children which provides services to underprivileged members of this community. Volunteers are needed in the following areas:
a- Teach English to Romani children. The volunteer to this programme must be a native speaker of English. He/she will offer instruction in English by developing the 4 basic skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
b- Office administration. The volunteer who will work as office administrator must create and elaborate new projects for the center as well as contact other organisations or business institutions in order to raise funds for the projects.
c- Social Director. The volunteer will work in the center, creating new activities and games for the children.
d- Women's health programme. The centre is seeking a female physician to volunteer as counsellor in their health programme for women.
The volunteers will work six hours/day and five days/week from 09:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00. The projects are available all year round. Accommodation will be in a guest room in the Romani community centre. An Albanian Romani family near the centre will prepare the meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) for the volunteers.
Deutschzentrum Tirana, Projektbüro Goethe-Institute
is a German language teaching Institute in Tirana, Albania. In this Institute, teaching assistant volunteers are needed for German language courses. The volunteers must be German native speakers and must have a degree in German Language teaching. He/she will assist the teacher in the classroom, during 2 hours per day from Monday to Friday (2 x 45 minutes), according to the schedule of the principal teacher.
Albanian Red Cross Society, Tirana Branch
The Albanian Red Cross was founded in 1921 and recognised by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1923. This society, in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of the Movement, strives to improve the life and dignity of people in need, by working to increase humanitarian action. The vision of the Albanian Red Cross is to become a well-developed humanitarian organisation, helping vulnerable people to improve their health and social welfare. The Tirana branch is one of the largest branches of the Albanian Red Cross in Albania. The main programmes in which volunteers are needed, are as follows:
-Health Programme
The Albanian Red Cross is active in health education, promotion of knowledge in reproductive health, infectious disease and hygiene, and promotion of blood donations. The goal of this programme is to strengthen the health of population through the dissemination of information. There are two projects in which volunteers can participate: AIDS Prevention and Personal & Community Hygiene.
-First Aid Programme
This programme is focused on first aid demonstrations for the community. Volunteers can offer their services at various public events and venues.
-Social Welfare Programme
The Albania Red Cross social welfare programme aims to support institutions for people with disabilities, the elderly and children, and to distribute goods to those in need. The programme also provides wheelchairs and establishes self-help projects. There is one project of this programme in which volunteers can participate: Elders Daily Center (the volunteer will assist the elders who frequent this center five days per week).
The volunteer will work about 5-6 hours/day and 5 days/week. The projects are available all year around.
Public Nurseries in Tirana
These nurseries are public institutions for children between 0-3 years old.
Female volunteers with experience working with children are needed for this volunteer placement. The volunteer will work about 6-7 hours/day and 5 days/week. The projects are available all year around.
Programme details
Programme orientation
Participants will be welcomed at the airport by a representative of Experiment Albania, our VIP representative organisation in Tirana. A two-day orientation programme will be provided upon arrival which will cover basic information about the volunteer placement and about customs & daily life in Albania. During the orientation, a basic Albanian language course will be provided to the participant, in order to enable him/her to communicate with the local people. This orientation concludes with the exploration of Tirana, the capital of Albania, visiting some cultural and historical buildings like National Historic Museum, Mosque of Et’hem Bej, etc.
During the programme, depending upon the length of the stay (2 or 4 weeks) the volunteer will have the opportunity to visit the cities of Kruja, Durres and Shkoder accompanied by a local Experiment guide. Included in these excursions may be visits to the most important historical and cultural places of these cities such as the Museum of Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg, the Ethnographic Museum and Traditional Bazaar in the city of Kruja, a Roman Amphitheater and Archaeological Museum of Durres, the Rozafa castle in Shkodra, etc.
Homestay
During the volunteer programme, a homestay (with evening meal only) will be provided for participants under the age of 30, with the exception of the programme in the Romani Community Center where the volunteer will be accommodated in a guest room at the center. For those volunteers over 30 years of age, the VIP office in Albania will assist in locating other accommodations near to the project site. These participants also will have to pay for their own meals in addition to the regular program fees. Estimated cost per month for additional food is $130 - $160.
Requirements
Age: 18 +
Programe fees 2012
| Duration | Cost |
|---|---|
| 10 days | US$ 1156 |
| 2 weeks | US$ 1301 |
| 4 weeks | US$ 1446 |
Please note, due to fluctuations in the exchange rate, prices are given in US$. A price in £ sterling will be quoted on application.
What's included
-
Application processing
- Airport transfer (Arrival & Departure)
- Two day orientation upon arrival
- Albanian language instruction
- Volunteer project placement
- Excursions and visits to other cities
- Out-town transportation during the visits to other cities
- Homestay where applicable
- Dinner in homestay
- Entrance to the museums and other historical places
- In country staff support
What’s not included
- Travel to and from Albania, visa expenses if any
- Daily transportation to the project
- Breakfast (this is included in Romani Community Center volunteer placement)
- Lunch
- Required travel and accident insurance
- Personal expenses, including international phone calls
- Meals for the non-homestay participants
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