minna, Author at Maailmanvaihto ry

Bite the Culture: Azerbaijan

After a long break, we are back with Bite the Culture events! In the first upcoming event, we will get to know Azerbaijani culture and have a taste of delicious Gutabs.

On Friday 8th December at 18–20
At Maailmanvaihto’s Office, add. Oikokatu 3, Helsinki

Have you ever heard of Gutabs? Gutab is stuffed flatbread. The stuffings can be herbs, pumpkin, meat etc. It is usually served with butter and yoghurt. Don’t worry, for the event we are going with vegetarian and vegan options 🙂

We welcome to the event all of you who– have participated in Maailmanvaihto’s activities – volunteers, Buddies, host families, people of the voluntary workplaces, for example. With this event, we wish to thank you for your contributions. Come to join us and enjoy a great Azerbaijani evening together! We have space for 30 participants.

The event will be hosted Dilbar, the European Solidarity Corps volunteer of Maailmanvaihto’s office.

Registration

Please register for the event via the registration form (Google Forms).

Safer space and Accessibility

We wish to build in all Maailmanvaihto’s activities an atmosphere in which all participants can feel welcome as themselves. To support this, we will follow in the event Maailmanvaihto’s Safer space principles.

Inside Maailmanvaihto’s office it is possible to move around with a wheelchair, but the office space is not completely wheelchair accessible: there is an approximately 7 cm doorstep at the entrance, and the toilet is not big enough for a wheelchair. Assistance dogs are welcome. We will gladly give you further information. You can reach us at tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi.

14th Nov Focus Group Discussion: Changing the Narrative

How do we talk about international volunteering and should it be changed?

We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about international volunteering service narratives and how to improve them to be more equal and inclusive! Welcome to our focus group discussion on Tue 14th November 2023 at17–18.30 at Maailmanvaihto office, Oikokatu 3, Helsinki!

The focus group discussion is targeted at those people who take part in communication work about international volunteering as well as those interested in exploring the communication work of the field. We are looking for ten participants. The discussion will be held in English.

This focus group discussion is a part of the project Decolonise Volunteering! that aims at understanding how colonial legacies and neocolonial practices and structures still affect how international volunteering is perceived and organised and making international volunteering more equal.

The input of the discussion will shared with the project. The project includes participatory action research, developing a self-assesment tool for organisations of international volunteering and a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) to support the pre-departure training of volunteers, as well as advocacy work.

The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union and it is also supported by UNESCO Participation Programme and the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. These are not responsible for the contents of the focus group discussion event.

For those participants of the focus group discussion whose travel costs exceed 10 €, Maailmanvaihto can reimburse max. 20 € of the costs exceeding 10 €.

Safer space and Accessibility

Registration

Please register for the focus group discussion to tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi. From the same address, you can ask for further information if needed.

Volunteering around the world: Interview with Vietnam Friendship Village

What kind of organisations welcome ICYE volunteers on different sides of the world? Get to know Vietnam Friendship Village which works for cultivating reconciliation and healing the wounds of the Vietnam War.

Interview: Aura Lehikoinen & Susanna Halme
Photo: Aura Lehikoinen

Hello there! What are your names, and what do you do for work?

Hi! We are Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Thao, Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan and Ms. Pham Thu Huong. Thao and Loan work as teachers and Huong as an accountant at Vietnam Friendship Village in Hanoi.

How did you and your organisation get involved with international volunteering?

There have been volunteers for a long time at Vietnam Friendship Village which is a residential facility located in Hanoi, Vietnam. We provide medical care, physical therapy, education, and vocational training to Vietnamese children, young adults, and veterans with a range of maladies presumed to be caused by Agent Orange. The mission of Vietnam Friendship Village is to cultivate reconciliation and heal the wounds of the Vietnam War. We aim at doing that by uniting veterans and caring citizens, with the support of international cooperation, in the building and supporting of the Village of Friendship, a living symbol of peace. Volunteers are an important part of this mission.

What are typical tasks for volunteers in Friendship Village?

The volunteers support children and assist in teaching them. International volunteers work in the classrooms and also in the children’s houses. For example, helping children to eat. They can work all over the village. We have also local Vietnamese volunteers working in the garden, cleaning up the area, and planning activities with children. Volunteers also can teach English to us (the staff) and even to some children.

What are some things that volunteers seem to be surprised about in Vietnam? Or is there anything like that?

They are surprised about the traffic and the weather! They also like friendly people in Vietnam, different types of fruits, and beautiful views. The lake view in the central of Hanoi is popular.

If a young person is thinking about volunteering, what would you say to them and how would you encourage them?

Welcome! Vietnam Friendship Village needs caring and helpful volunteers. The volunteers enjoy working here and many of them come back to this country after their project.

Read also

Aitoo Vocational College is looking for a European Solidarity Corps volunteer – apply as soon as possible!

Interested in European Solidarity Corps volunteering in Finland? Would you like to begin your experience already soon? Good news: due to a cancellation, Aitoo Vocational College is now looking for a volunteer for a period that begins already 2nd October 2023!

UPDATE: The position has been filled, we warmly thank all the applicants!

Volunteering period: 2.10.2023–30.6.2024 (9 kk)

Number of volunteers: 1 (Please note that due to the tight schedule, this position is only for candidates who don’t need a residence permit to Finland – citizens of EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.)

Application deadline: Apply as soon as possible! The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found.

Aitoo Vocational College (Aitoon koulutuskeskus) is a vocational institution that offers education for students with special needs. The students need special support in learning and studying regularly due to learning difficulties, disabilities, illness, or other reasons. We offer education and training for students with the most severe disabilities or chronic illnesses.

The fields of study are household and cleaning services, janitorial services, catering services, and crafts and design. We also offer pre-vocational programmes, such as preparatory instruction and guidance for those who do not yet have a clear idea of their career choice.

We aim at ensuring education, training for and empowerment of young people with special needs. We want to provide together with different actors, such as social and health care services, for young people with the best possible tools to work and manage their lives after their studies.

Our main campus is located in Aitoo, Pälkäne, and we have a smaller teaching unit in Tampere. The total amount of students is 120. The students’ age varies from 16 to 20+ years. The students live on the school premises during the study week. We employ over 70 people.

Activity topics

Inclusion of marginalized young people, disabilities, European identity, citizenship and values

Location

Our main campus is located in the countryside in Aitoo, Pälkäne. It’s situated approximately 40 kilometers southeast from the city of Tampere. Pälkäne is a small country place with 6 800 inhabitants and it consists of smaller villages. It is important that the volunteer is motivated to live in the countryside and enjoys having peaceful nature around.

Volunteer’s role and tasks

The volunteer will assist the students and the staff at the vocational college and at the student dormitory in Aitoo. The tasks will include assisting in guiding the students and spending time, discussing, and having cultural exchange with them. The volunteer will also facilitate activities, such as hobbies and games, and assist the students in moving around. The tasks will be planned more in detail based on the interests and skills of the volunteer.

At Aitoo Vocational College, the volunteer will get a chance to take part in meaningful volunteering among students who need additional support and build international contacts at the grass root level. For the students, the interaction with the volunteer will offer a good way to gain international know-how. These tasks will support participation, diversity, and normalisation – both from the point of view of the volunteer and the host organisation.

Volunteer’s profile

We hope that the volunteer is interested in working with young people (with special needs). The volunteer needs to have an open-minded attitude towards differences and be flexible, towards changes in the planned daily routines, for example. When selecting the volunteer, priority will be given to candidates with fewer opportunities. The currently open position is only for candidates who don’t need a residence permit to Finland – citizens of EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Accommodation, food, and transportation

The volunteer will live in their own room in the main building of the main campus. The volunteer will be offered the daily meals in the student restaurant of the campus. From the campus, there are bus connections to the nearby cities.

Accessibility

The working spaces and sanitary facilities of the campus are accessible for people with physical disabilities, but we cannot necessarily organise accommodation that is suitable for people with physical disabilities. You are welcome to ask for further information through Maailmanaihto – ICYE Finland: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Furthe information and application instructions

> General program information of the European Solidarity Corps
> Application instructions and the application form

On the page of the application instructions, you can also download the application form. Send us your application as soon as possible – we will fill in the position as soon as a suitable candidate is found!

Apply now! Open position for European Solidarity Corps volunteering at Dagtek 1.9.2023–31.82024

Looking for volunteering possibilities in Finland? Are you aged 18–30 years and living in an EU country or Ukraine? Apply for European Solidarity Corps volunteering at Dagtek!

European Solidarity Corps volunteering offers a great way to participate in creating grass-root level contacts and understanding among people with different kinds of backgrounds. It is carried out and financed by the European Union. >> Learn about European Solidarity Corps volunteering in general. We at Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland are now looking for a volunteer for a European Solidarity Corps volunteering project at Dagtek.

Dagtek arts&crafts workshop & life skills activities

DAGTEK offers services for people with intellectual disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders as a part of Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county (Västra Nylands välfärdsområde in Swedish). The activities Dagtek offers are divided into several sections in different areas. The volunteer will assist either in our arts&crafts workshop or life skills activities – or in both if the volunteer wishes so.

In Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop (Konst och hantverk in Swedish) there are four workshops with different textile crafts, visual arts, and ceramics. Each workshop has a coach who coordinates and leads the activities. At the moment Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop community consists of 25 participants, who are mostly women with different types of intellectual disabilities or minor learning challenges, and four workshop coaches/mentors.

The participants of Dagtek’s life skills activities (Livsorienterad verksamhet in Swedish) need guidance and support in their daily activities. The life skills activities take place in small groups consisting of 2–4 people and are always planned according to the condition, interests, and needs of the participants. About twenty people take part in the life skills activities daily. The daily activities consist of music, arts and crafts, painting, games, and walks outside, for example. The goal is to encourage every participant to be active, get involved, make their own decisions, and affect the content of their daily lives, taking into consideration every participant’s individual starting point.

Number of volunteers

1 (The position is only for candidates from the EU countries and Ukraine.)

Volunteering period

1.9.2023–31.82024 (12 months) UPDATE: The open position has been filled!

Applying deadline

Apply as soon as possible! We will fill in the position as soon as a suitable candidate is found. The position is only for candidates from the EU countries and Ukraine.

Themes

Creativity and culture, disabilities – special needs, inclusion – equality, health, and wellbeing

Location

Dagtek is located in Ekenäs (Tammisaari in Finnish), which is a small town with about 15 000 inhabitants situated by the sea in Southern Finland. Dagtek is located in the centre of the town. The majority language spoken in Ekenäs is Swedish (81%) and about 17% of the population speaks Finnish. Ekenäs is a part of the Raseborg commune (28 000 inhabitants).

Volunteer’s role and tasks

Through European Solidarity Corps volunteer cooperation, we wish to offer our community members the possibility to build networks and get a wider perspective on the world around us. At the same time, we hope to have one more person to be present for the clients and assist them in the daily workshop activities, as well as in social and practical situations during the day.

In the arts&crafts workshop, the role of the volunteer is to support the clients with special needs in their textile crafts work, art activities, and all kinds of daily activities. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organize activities and teach the clients new skills especially related to arts&crafts. Despite their learning disabilities or other special needs, many of the clients of Dagtek workshop are quite independent in their daily activities. The role of the staff and volunteer is to coach and guide them in the arts&crafts activities and to support their independence in different everyday situations.

The volunteer’s role in the life skills activities is to support the clients and give guidance for them. The volunteer also helps in the clients’ daily activities related to mealtimes, going to the toilet and to walks outside, as well as walking the clients to and from their car transportation when they arrive and leave Dagtek. According to their skills and interests, the volunteer can also organize activities for small groups or individuals. Dagtek values creative activities such as music, arts&crafts, and physical and outdoor activities. The clients appreciate possibilities for individual encounters, for example, talks or reading for them. The volunteer can also contribute to the production of pedagogic and visual support materials and the documentation of Dagtek’s activities through photography, for example.

Volunteer’s profile

We are looking for a volunteer interested in working with adults (18–60-year-olds) with different types of intellectual disabilities, autistic disorders, or minor learning challenges. It is important that the volunteer is socially active, flexible, and motivated to participate in community life, meaning being there for the clients and communicating actively with them. It is also important that the volunteer has open communication with the staff team and shares their ideas and observations with them. The working language of Dagtek is Swedish, so it is important to be motivated to learn Swedish.

Dagtek’s arts&crafts workshop can be a great match for you, if you have skills or interest in visual arts, handicrafts, or art in a wider perspective – ceramics, photography, or dancing, for example. Having a volunteer with an interest in arts would enrich the community and give you a genuine possibility to share your skills and experience.

If you feel like you have the ability to motivate and encourage people and awaken their interest in participating and being active, you can suite well into the life skills activities team! In the team, it is good to have good social skills and to be open to meeting new people. We appreciate flexibility and a positive outlook on life and other people. It is also important to be able to tolerate fast-changing situations. Experiences or skills in alternative communication methods are an advantage, but not a requirement.

If you are interested in volunteering in both the arts&crafts workshop and the life skills activities, you will be welcome to have tasks in both. NB! The currently open position is only for candidates from the EU countries and Ukraine.

Accommodation, food, and transportation

The volunteer will be accommodated in a local host family if a host family is found. Otherwise, the volunteer will live in a shared flat together with another volunteer of Dagtek.
Lunch will be offered at Dagtek. Other meals will be provided by the host family or cooked by the volunteer (in which case the volunteer will get a food allowance).
The possible daily commuting costs will be covered for the volunteer.

Accessibility

The physical environment of Dagtek is also suitable for people with physical or (minor) sensory disabilities, depending on the special needs of the person. Wheelchair access is possible and there is an accessible toilet in the building. Since Dagtek works with people with different disabilities, our staff has experience in providing extra support and can sometimes support the volunteer, if needed. However, there are no resources to provide continuous intensive support for the volunteer. If you have a disability, please, feel welcome to contact us for consultation via the coordinating organization Maailmanvaihto: esc@maailmanvaihto.fi.

How to apply?

UPDATE: he position has been filled!

Privacy Policy: Maailmanvaihto’s Knowhow Map

Basis: Personal Data 523/1999 *)
EU Data Protection Regulation
Date: 23.05.2023

1) The keeper of the register

Name: Maailmanvaihto ry
Business ID: 0281262-7
Address: Oikokatu 3, 00170 Helsinki
Other contact information:
Phone number: 050 452 5660
E-mail: maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi

2) Contact person for matters concerning the register

Name: Communications Officer Minna Räisänen
Address: Address of Maailmanvaihto ry (above)
Phone number: 050 452 5660
E-mail address: tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi

3) Name of the register

Maailmanvaihto’s Knowhow Map

4) The purpose of processing personal data

Making it possible for the volunteers to use Maailmanvaihto’s Knowhow Map, exploring the impact of volunteering programs at Maailmanvaihto.

5) The content of the register

If the user of the Knowhow Map shares their answers with Maailmanvaihto, the personal information that the user has entered into the Knowhow Map themself will be saved. No personal information is requested in the Knowhow Map.
If the user of the Knowhow Map creates into the Knowhow Map a user account and saves their answers, the e-mail address of the user and the password of the user account as well as the personal information that the user has entered into the Knowhow Map themself will be saved.

6) Normal sources of information

The information is received from the user of the Knowhow Map.

7) The processing of data within Maailmanvaihto

The information that the user decides to share with Maailmanvaihto (see section 10) will be processed by those staff members of Maailmanvaihto for whom it’s necessary to handle them. Only the staff members of Maailmanvaihto have access to the information.

8) Normal disclosures of data

The data will not be disclosed to parties outside Maailmanvaihto.

9) The transfer of data outside the EU or EEA

The Knowhow Map is situated in the service of DigitalOcean. The information that the user shares with Maailmanvaihto is situated in Maailmanvaihto’s account in Google G Suite service. The services of DigitalOcean and Google may be located outside the EU/EEA. DigitalOcean ja Google are committed to complying with the requirements of the EU Data Protection Regulation.

10) The principles and retention periods for the protection of the register

IT processed data
If the user creates an account and saves their information in the service of DigitalOcean, the information will be saved in the service in question. The information will be saved in the service in question as long as the Knowhow Map exists in the service of DigitalOcean. Maaimanvaihto does not have access to explore individual information that is saved in the service of DigitalOcean.

If the user shares with Maailmanvaihto the information they filled in into the Knowhow Map, Maailmanvaihto will receive the information filled in the Knowhow Map (but not the e-mail address or password of the user into the Knowhow Map). This information will be stored in Maailmanvaihto’s account in the Google G Suite could service. The retention period of the information shared with Maailmanvaihto has not been limited.

11. Inspection rights

Data subjects have the right to inspect their data recorded in the register. Maailmanvaihto has access to the information that the user has shared with Maailmanvaihto. The request should be made to the Secretary General of Maailmanvaihto in person or at the office address. Personal Data Act §24, EU Data Protection Regulation.

12. Right to request the correction of data

Everyone has the right to request the correction of inaccurate information contained in the register. Maailmanvaihto has access to the information that the user has shared with Maailmanvaihto. The request for the correction of inaccurate information should be addressed to the Communications Officer of Maailmanvaihto.

14. Other rights related to the processing of personal data

The registrant has the right to ask for the deletion of their information. The keeper of the register will correct, delete, or complement inaccurate or unnecessary information the request of the registrant or on their own initiative without unnecessary delay. The registrant is responsible for the correctness of the information they give. It is the responsibility of the registrant to inform about changes in the information they have given.

15. Changes to the privacy policy

The privacy policy may be updated, along with changes in the legislation, for example.

Vounteers’ Voices 2/2023: Decolonising international volunteering

Read the issue in pdf

In this issue

4 Pääkirjoitus / Editorial
6 Kutsu syyskokoukseen / Invitation to Autumn Meeting
7 Kuulumisten vaihtoa
10 Tule mukaan toimintaan
11 Järjestötoiminnasta elämänpituisia muistoja ja ainutlaatuisia kokemuksi (on the Finnish language website)
13 Join our activities
14 Terveisiä maailmalta: Suomesta Keniaan ja Intiasta Suomeeen (on the Finnish language website)
17 Volunteering around the world: Interview with Vietnam Friendship Village

Theme articles

19 Viisi kysymystä Maailmanvaihdon yhdenvertaisuustyöstä (on the Finnish language website)
22 Dialogeja dekolonisaatiosta (on the Finnish language website)
24 Näkökulma: Hyviä kysymyksiä (on the Finnish language website)
26 Kolme lukuvinkkiä (on the Finnish language website)
27 Tulevat tapahtumat / Upcoming events

Editorial: Decolonising international volunteering

It’s been a year since I joined the decolonisation project Decolonize Volunteering! The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. It is also supported by UNESCO Participation Programme and the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. The two and a half years long project is about halfway through, with half a dozen active members from our organisation steering the implementation. The project was launched to take a more critical look at international voluntary work, its motives, outcome and the whole volunteering system. And what is decolonisation? It can be defined as an act to dismantle the power structures and system of exploitation formed by centuries of colonialism. That starts with the recognition of the phenomenon and progresses to concrete actions for a more just world system.

In the online discussions, July-September 2022, the participation was active, and I got a feeling that we are well on our way towards decolonisation. As usual, the increasing amount of information did not ease the pain. The further and deeper we got in the project, the more doubtful I started to become. Is there any hope of a change? If colonialism is so extensively in the structures of society and our culture, where and how could we begin to change them? Who even wants to, of us who have been given a privileged position in the global order as a birth gift? The fact that the world is unfair to some other people, secures our own political, economic and cultural dominance. But is this inequity inevitable? It is, however, comforting to believe that there is hope. It starts with noticing the continuation of colonialism, understanding everyones’s involvement and finding the will to change the situation.

We started at international level via Zoom and gradually moved on to actions, each organisation in its own way, by implementing some ideas we had developed together from a bunch of decolonisation definitions jointly created in Vienna in the autumn of 2022. The topic was brought to camps, board meetings and the World Village Festival in the spring of 2023. It has been received with enthusiasm but also with a feeling of helplessness. How are we supposed to become decolonised? I believe that it is only possible in a dialogue between different perspectives, daring to see, hear, question and change things. Decolonisation is the main theme of this issue. I hope we manage to convey the enthusiasm we have felt about the subject during the past year through different activities around it. When the project ends next year, we have only taken the first steps on our decolonisation path.

Hanna Sainio
Maailmanvaihto’s board member

Privacy policy: Data forms of Buddies

Basis: Personal data act 523/1999 *)
Data protection setting of EU
Date: 15th June, 2023

1. Registration holder / Business ID

Name: Maailmanvaihto / Business ID: 0281262-7
Address: Oikokatu3, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Telephone: +358 (0)44 318 0888
E-mail: hosting@maailmanvaihto.fi

2. Contact person on regarding the register

Name: Programme Coordinator Mari Takalo
Address: The address of Maailmanvaihto (see above)
Other contact information: Telephone: +358 44 318 0888
E-mail: hosting@maailmanvaihto.fi

3. The name of the register: Data forms of Buddies

4. The purpose of processing the data of the register

To organize the Buddy activities of Maailmanvaihto.

5. The information content of the register

The contact forms for Buddy activities, that include the name, contact information (email address, phone number, and place of residence), year of birth, and the information concerning the Buddy activities, given by the person who filled out the form.
The participation forms for Buddy activities, that include the name, contact information (email address, phone number, and home address), year of birth, and the information concerning the Buddy activities, given by the person who filled out the form.
Feedback forms for the Buddy activities, that include the name, e-mail address, and place of residence, and and the information concerning the Buddy activities, given by the person who filled out the form.
The Buddy database, which tells whose Buddy the registered person was and when.

6. Regular sources of information

The information is received mainly from the registered persons themselves.
The registered persons fill out the contact form on the website of Maailmanvaihto.
The registered persons fill out the participation form on Google Forms or on a separate pdf form.
The registered persons fill out the feedback form in Google Forms.
The office staff of Maailmanvaihto updates the Buddy database on whose buddy the registered person has been, and when.

7. Processing data at Maailmanvaihto

The information of the register is handled carefully at Maailmanvaihto.
Access rights to the information of the register are restricted inside Maailmanvaihto so that only the office staff of Maailmanvaihto and the board member responsible for the Buddy activities can handle the data of the register. The information will be accessible for and used only by those staff members who need it in their work tasks.

8. Regular disposal of information

Maailmanvaihto communicates the name and email address of the registered person to the volunteer who the registered person will become a Buddy for.

9. Transferring information outside EU or ETA

Maailmanvaihto communicates the name and email address of the registered person to the volunteer outside of EU or ETA who the registered person will become a Buddy for.
Maailmanvaihto stores the information in Google cloud, in which the information may be situated outside the EU/ETA district.

10. Protection principles and time of preservation of the register

Information processed with IT

Electronic documents are kept in the Google G Suite accounts of Maailmanvaihto office staff. The accounts and computers of the office staff are secured with passwords and the computers with security software.
The time of preservation of the application forms is not restricted.

11. Checking rights

A registered person has the right to check the information recorded about them in the person register. The request must be appointed to the Programme Coordinator of Maailmanvaihto either personally or through the office address. Personal data act §24, the data protection setting of the EU.

12. Right to demand a correction of information

If there is an error in the person register, the registered person has the right to demand a correction. The request to correct false information must be appointed to the Programme Coordinator of Maailmanvaihto.

13. Other rights concerning the processing of personal data

The registered person has the right to ask that their information will be removed. The controller of the register will correct, remove or complete incorrect, unnecessary, insufficient personal data by their own initiative or by the demand of the registered person. The registered person is responsible for the correctness of the information they give. It is the responsibility of the person whose information is in the register to notify if there are changes to the information they have given.

14. Changes to the privacy policy practices

This privacy policy may be updated, for example, if the legislation changes.

Beyound Borders: Young People with Disabilities Volunteering Abroad

Interested in international volunteering as a young person with a disability? Join us to learn about European Solidarity Corps volunteering!

The European Solidarity Corps is a funding programme of the European Union that creates volunteering opportunities around Europe for young people. The volunteering projects address a wide range of issues from inclusion to environmental protection.

Food, pocket money, accommodation, and travel expenses are covered by the European Union. If you are a young person with a disability, support can be tailored for you with the EU funding.

You can join the European Solidarity Corps for 6–12 months through Maailmanvaihto. We will be happy to explore together with you what kind of opportunities there might be available for you abroad or in Finland. Read more:

get to know volunteering in Finland (in English) or
get to know volunteering outside Finland (in Finnish).

Watch the videos below for your inspiration. The offer you further information on volunteers’ experiences and the support available. If you have any questions appear, please, don’t hesitate to contact us!

1) Beyond Borders: Susanna Halme – Volunteering as a Person with a Visual Impairment at a Youth Exchange organisation in Austria

In the video, you can meet European Solidarity Corps volunteer Susanna Halme. Susanna shares experiences of volunteering as a young person with a visual impairment at a youth exchange organisation Grenzenlos in Vienna.

00:00 – Introduction video
00:51 – Share us shortly where have you volunteered and what have been your tasks?
01:33 – What was your motivation for doing a volunteer project abroad?
02:03 – What did the volunteering experience abroad give you?
02:36 – What can an organisation benefit from co-operating with a young volunteer with disabilities?
03:19 – What obstacles did you face during your volunteering experience?
05:30 – What kind of support did you get for overcoming these obstacles?
06:09 – Based on your experiences, what kind of tips and recommendations do you have for future young volunteers with disabilities?
07:57 – How could the European Solidarity Corps better reach young people with disabilities to tell them about volunteering opportunities?
08:58 – What other advice, recommendations do you have for decision-makers and organisers of the European Solidarity Corps for making the program more accessible?
09:21 – What greetings do you have for young people with disabilities who might be interested in international volunteering?
10:24 – Credits

Music: AlexiAction – Good Vibes https://pixabay.com/fi/music/yritys-good-vibes-127577

2) Beyond Borders: Young people with Disabilities Volunteering Abroad I Jutta Kivimäki

In the video, you can meet Jutta Kivimäki, Senior Program Advisor at the Finnish National Agency for Education. Jutta talks about how the European Solidarity Corps supports young volunteers with disabilities.

00:00 – Introduction video
00:50 – In general, what does Finnish National Agency for Education do in regard to the European Solidarity Corps?
01:26 – What kind of support does the European Solidarity Corps offer for the young volunteers with disabilities?
02:20 – How common is it that young people with disabilities participate in the European Solidarity Corps volunteering?
03:16 – How can young people with disabilities find information about European Solidarity Corps volunteer opportunities?
04:24 – How can young people with disabilities learn more about financial and human support and insurance that the European Solidarity Corps offers for them?
05:27 – If a person with a disability participates in the European Solidarity Corps, this person will be asked to tell before starting the volunteering project, how much expenses will be involved in their support. What advice do you have for young people for calculating the expenses?
06:27 – What advice would you give to receiving and sending organisations for preparing to work with young people with disabilities?
07:57 – What would you like to improve in the future in the European Solidarity Corps, in order to make it more accessible to young people with disabilities? Whose support do you need in this regard?
09:06 – What greetings do you have for young people with disabilities who might be interested in applying for the European Solidarity Corps volunteering?
10:15 – Credits

2) Beyond Borders: Young people with Disabilities Volunteering Abroad – Viivi Kilpeläinen ja Susanna Haarala, Finnish Hearing Association

In the video, you can meet Viivi Kilpeläinen, youth specialist and Finnish Hearing Association (Kuuloliitto) and Susanna Haarala, member of Finnish Hearing Association youth committee. They share experiences of travelling abroad as a young person with hearing loss.

00:00 – Introduction video
00:53 – Let’s start. Please introduce yourself.
01:15 – Briefly, what is Kuuloliitto and what kind of activities and services do you offer for young adults?
02:12 – How typical is it in your network that young hard of hearing adults go and volunteer abroad?
02:43 – You said that it is not that typical for young hard of hearing adults to go and volunteer abroad. Do you know why?
03:16 – From your perspective, how can hard of hearing youth benefit from international experience?
04:05 – What barriers do hard of hearing youth face when travelling abroad?
04:47 – Kuuloliitto and Maailmanvaihto have jointly promoted European Solidarity Corps volunteering for young people with hearing loss. Why do you consider the program a good option for them?
05:22 – How can Kuuloliitto support young people wishing to volunteer abroad & volunteering organisations wishing to learn more about supporting young hard of hearing people?
06:06 – What greetings do you have for those young people with disabilities who would like to volunteer abroad?
06:40 – Credits

Music of the videos: AlexiAction – Good Vibes https://pixabay.com/fi/music/yritys-good-vibes-127577

The videos are a part of the project “Beyond Borders: Young People with Disabilities Volunteering Abroad” of the European Solidarity Corps volunteer Mariam Darbaidze at Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland. The volunteering period was co-funded by the European Union.

Every year, many young people take part in European Solidarity Corps volunteering. For people with disabilities, the process of joining international volunteering is often more difficult due to the challenges and obstacles they face in their lives.

The goal of the project is to create more knowledge about European Solidarity Corps volunteering as a young person with disabilities – for young people with disabilities interested in international volunteering, organisations hosting volunteers, and organisations coordinating and funding volunteering. In general, the project intends to promote equality of possibilities.

The European Commission is not responsible for the content of the videos.

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023: Language and Communication

In this issue

Read the pdf version of the magazine.

4 Pääkirjoitus / Editorial
6 Kutsu kevätkokoukseen / Invitation to Spring Meeting
7 Kuulumisten vaihtoa
10 Tule mukaan toimintaan!
11 Isäntäperheily avartaa maailmaa
13 Join our activities!
14 Terveisiä maailmalta! Greetings from Abroad!
18 Volunteering is a chance to give and learn: Interview with ICYE Kenya

Theme articles

20 Käytännön kielitaito tuo ongelmanratkaisukykyä ja itsevarmuutta
23 ”Sen takki” ja muita hauskoja hetkiä kulttuurivaihdon parista
26 Äidinkieli – se kielistä rakkain
28 Finding your way to communicate
31 Tulevat tapahtumat / Upcoming events

ISSN 2342-2629 (Printed)
ISSN 2342-2637 (Online)

Registration

Safer space and Accessibility

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people living in Finland: circular economy, second-hand shop, children’s aid… … apply now to volunteer in Iceland!

For young people living in Finland: Workshops for young people, social media outreach… apply now to volunteer in Italy!

Join Maailmanvaihto at the Helsinki Pride Parade and the Pride Picnic on June 27, 2026!

Safer space and Accessibility

Registration

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people living in Finland: circular economy, second-hand shop, children’s aid… … apply now to volunteer in Iceland!

For young people living in Finland: Workshops for young people, social media outreach… apply now to volunteer in Italy!

Join Maailmanvaihto at the Helsinki Pride Parade and the Pride Picnic on June 27, 2026!

Read also

Activity topics

Location

Volunteer’s role and tasks

Volunteer’s profile

Accommodation, food, and transportation

Accessibility

Furthe information and application instructions

Read also

Join us in creating the MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2026 magazine! Brainstorming meeting Wed 15 April

Maailmanvaihto’s office closed from April 3 to 6

Capital region: Become a host family in April for a young volunteer from France with Maailmanvaihto

Number of volunteers

Volunteering period

Applying deadline

Themes

Location

Volunteer’s role and tasks

Volunteer’s profile

Accommodation, food, and transportation

Accessibility

How to apply?

Read also

Join us in creating the MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2026 magazine! Brainstorming meeting Wed 15 April

Maailmanvaihto’s office closed from April 3 to 6

Capital region: Become a host family in April for a young volunteer from France with Maailmanvaihto

1) The keeper of the register

2) Contact person for matters concerning the register

3) Name of the register

4) The purpose of processing personal data

5) The content of the register

6) Normal sources of information

7) The processing of data within Maailmanvaihto

8) Normal disclosures of data

9) The transfer of data outside the EU or EEA

10) The principles and retention periods for the protection of the register

11. Inspection rights

12. Right to request the correction of data

14. Other rights related to the processing of personal data

15. Changes to the privacy policy

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people living in Finland: circular economy, second-hand shop, children’s aid… … apply now to volunteer in Iceland!

For young people living in Finland: Workshops for young people, social media outreach… apply now to volunteer in Italy!

Join Maailmanvaihto at the Helsinki Pride Parade and the Pride Picnic on June 27, 2026!

In this issue

Theme articles

Editorial: Decolonising international volunteering

Read also

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2025: Environment and International Volunteering

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023: Language and Communication

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 2/2022: Sustainable Volunteering

1. Registration holder / Business ID

2. Contact person on regarding the register

3. The name of the register: Data forms of Buddies

4. The purpose of processing the data of the register

5. The information content of the register

6. Regular sources of information

7. Processing data at Maailmanvaihto

8. Regular disposal of information

9. Transferring information outside EU or ETA

10. Protection principles and time of preservation of the register

Information processed with IT

11. Checking rights

12. Right to demand a correction of information

13. Other rights concerning the processing of personal data