minna, Author at Maailmanvaihto ry

Privacy Policy: Documents of Incoming Volunteers

1 Registration holder / Business ID

Name: Maailmanvaihto / Business ID: 0281262-7
Address: Oikokatu3, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Other contact information: 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 registration: Documents of Incoming Volunteers

4 The purpose of processing the data of the register

Arranging voluntary workplaces and accommodation for the volunteers.
Arranging matters related to the volunteers’ residence permit.
An excerpt of a criminal record is requested from all the volunteers who work among minors and people in a vulnerable position.
Paying the allowance for European Solidarity Corps volunteers.
Maailmanvaihto composes a list of all the contact persons of the volunteers in a case of emergency so that the Maailmanvaihto duty officer can be in contact with them, if necessary.

5 The information content of the register

Application form and motivation letter in English, consisting of the following personal data: the name of the registered applicant, contact details, contact details of an emergency contact person, background information as requested in the application form, and application profile data written by the applicant.
ICYE and IJFD volunteers: Certificate of Health form.
ICYE and IJFD volunteers: Report on the Candidate by the sending organization, which includes the interviewers’ comments on the applicant’s suitability to the program.
European Solidarity Corps volunteers: income-tax cards.
Criminal record excerpt of the volunteers who will work with minors or people in a vulnerable position.
Copy of passport of those volunteers who will need a residence permit.
A list of the contact details of the contact persons in case of an emergency, given by the participants.
A form reporting the volunteer’s interest in communication co-operation with Maailmanvaihto.

6 Regular sources of information

The information is received either directly from the applicant/participant or from the applicant/participant’s sending organization, which has received the information from the applicant/participant.

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 can handle the data of the register. The information will be accessible for and used by only those staff members who need it in their work tasks.

8 Regular disposal of information

The Application form, Certificate of Health (ICYE and IJFD volunteers)and Report on the Candidate (ICYE and IJFD volunteers) are given to the potential volunteer workplace and host family of the registered participant.
A criminal record excerpt is given to the potential volunteer workplace.
Income-tax cards of the European Solidarity Corps volunteers are handed to the accountant.

9 Transferring information outside EU or ETA

Maailmanvaihto may store some of the data of the register in its accounts in the clouds of Google and Dropbox, in which the information may be situated outside the EU/ETA district.

10 Protection principles and time of preservation of the register

A. Manual data

The documents in Maailmanvaihto’s possession are kept in a locked archive at the office of Maailmanvaihto.
A list of the program participants’ contact person information is kept in Maailmanvaihto emergency duty file, which is in the hands of the duty officer.
Time of keeping of information of applicants not selected for a volunteering programme is a maximum of one year.
Time of keeping the documents of the participants of the volunteering programmes:
- The time of preservation of the application forms is not restricted.
- Certificate of Health is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- The criminal record excerpt is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- Report on the Candidate is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- The time of preservation of the form reporting the volunteer’s interest in communication operation with Maailmanvaihto is not restricted.
- Other documents concerning the registered person are preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended at most.
- A list of the participants’ contact persons’ contact details in case of emergency is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- Income-tax cards are preserved at Maailmanvaihto for six years.

B. Information processed with IT

Electronic documents are kept either in the Google G Suite and Dropbox accounts or computer’s hard drive of Maailmanvaihto office staff. The accounts and computers are secured with passwords and the computers with security software.
Time of keeping of information of applicants not selected for a volunteering programme is a maximum of one year.
Time of preservation of applicants selected for a volunteering programme:
The time of preservation of the application forms is not restricted.
- Certificate of Health is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- The criminal record excerpt is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- Report on the Candidate is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- The time of preservation of the form reporting the volunteer’s interest in communication operation with Maailmanvaihto is not restricted.
- Other documents concerning the registered person are preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended at most.
- The list of the participants’ contact persons’ contact details in case of emergency is preserved for two years after the volunteering period has ended.
- Income-tax cards are preserved at Maailmanvaihto for six years.

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.

Online Info Event on International Volunteering 31st August 2021

31st August 2021 at 6–7.30 p.m.
in Zoom (link to the sign up form up below)

Interested in volunteering in Europe or further away? You are welcome to the online info event of Kansainvälisen Vapaaehtoistyön Verkosto KaVa (the Network of International Volunteering)! During the event, you will gain information on the possibilities to head abroad via the network’s members, when the coronavirus situation allows, and hear about the experiences of volunteers.

The members of the network are Allianssi Youth Exchanges, Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyö ry (KVT), and Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland. The Network of International Volunteering advances quality and responsible volunteering.

The members of the network send volunteers abroad to local grass-root level projects and receive volunteers to Finland.
The volunteering periods last from a few weeks up to a year.
An aim and a purpose have been thought for the volunteering, and the activities of the members of the network are non-for-profit.
The goal of volunteering is intercultural learning as well as advancing global responsibility and active citizenship.
In Finland, one can join in gaining international experiences in the voluntary activities of the network.

The event is open for all. The event will be held, at least mainly, in Finnish. The participants commit to building for their part an atmosphere in which all are respected. Sign up for the event via the sign-up form of Zoom.

After signing up, you will automatically receive a link to the Zoom meeting. The accessibility information of Zoom is available at https://zoom.us/accessibility. In case you have questions, please contact us at tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Welcome!

During the week of the info event 30.8.–5.9.2021, greetings from the people of KaVa and the pickups of the activities of the network will be visible on social media. Welcome to follow our accounts! #KaVaDays

Volunteers’s Voices 2/2021: What drives people to volunteer abroad?

Read the magazine as pdf version.

In this issue

4 Pääkirjoitus / Editorial
6 Kutsu syyskokoukseen / Invitation to Autumn Meeting
7 Kuulumisten vaihtoa
10 Tule mukaan toimintaan
11 Hallitustyössä oppii monenlaista
12 Join Our Activities
13 Terveisiä maailmalta! Greetings from Abroad!
17 Developing skills with ICYE Kenya
35 Tapahtumakalenteri

Theme

20 Volunteering at the Maailmanvaihto Office
22 Välivuosi vapaaehtoisena
26 Erilaisten kulttuurien ymmärrystä ja ammatillista osaamista
28 Lehtimäen opistossa vapaaehtoisia tuetaan kertoen ja kysellen
31 Uudella stipendirahastolla tasa-arvoisempaa vapaaehtoistyökenttää

Editorial: Why leave the comfort zone?

Interest in different people and new cultures, taking a gap year, learning new skills, broadening one’s worldview, learning a language, experiencing a sense of community, doing hands-on work, clarifying future plans – these things, among others, are emphasized when the people participating in international volunteering through Maailmanvaihto discuss their motivation to volunteer abroad.
There are certainly as many reasons to leave the domestic comfort zone and slip into a daily life in another country as there are volunteers, but those who go on international volunteering seem to agree that a period of volunteering abroad is a growing experience that you may, in one way or another, carry with you for the rest of you life. Living the everyday life in a different cultural environment far from home widens the world around us while also significantly affecting our inner world and ability to reflect on our own as well as others’ actions. For many, what they learn and experience during international volunteering becomes part of their identity, which is why the volunteering period is often seen as a significant event in their own life story.

In this issue, several people who have gone abroad or arrived in Finland for volunteering through Maailmanvaihto shed light on their own motivation to participate in international volunteering. You can, for example, read about Roos’ European Solidarity Corps volunteering period at the office of Maailmanvaihto or find out what Anu’s experience of ICYE volunteering for a social organization in Bolivia means to her now, seven years later. There are also various other ways of getting involved in Maailmanvaihto’ activities in Finland – some of our former volunteers, for example, make school visits to secondary schools, act as support persons for foreign volunteers, interview applicants for international volunteering and participate in the board’s activities. In this magazine, Venla, a board member responsible for support for foreign volunteers, discusses her motivation to join the board.

There are many motivations to change your world, so read more and come along!

Wishing you inspiration and enjoyable reading moments,

Elina Villberg
Board member, Team of outgoing volunteers

Wed 8.9. Online Info: For ICYE Volunteering to Asia!

Zoom in to international volunteering – join in Maailmanvaihto’s onlin info and learn about ICYE volunteering in Asia!

On Wednesday the 8th Sept 2021 at 6–7.30 p.m.
In Zoom (a link will be sent for those who sign up)

Interested in volunteering in Asia, during a gap year, for instance? Join Maailmanvaihto’s online info and get to know the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE) volunteering program! You will learn about the possibilities to travel for ICYE volunteering to Indonesia, India, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, or Vietnam when the coronavirus situation allows.

In the ICYE volunteering periods, intercultural understanding is built through daily life cooperation. Voluntary work is done in common-good organizations for half a year or a year. One can volunteer in a kindergarten in Japan, a school in Taiwan, or a human rights organization in the Philippines, for instance. The ICYE program is targeted at young adults.

In Finland, the international ICYE network is represented by Maailmanvaihto, which trains the volunteers. In each destination country, the volunteers are supported by the local ICYE organization.

There is a participation fee for the program. Besides training and support, the program fee includes e.g. accommodation and daily meals as well as insurance. In the online info, the practices of the program will be explored. For instance, the application process will be reviewed step by step. In addition, you will hear about the experiences of volunteers

Elina Hirvola, who has volunteered at a junior high school, and
Jussi Poikkeus, who has spent a volunteering period in a welfare center in South Korea.

The online info is open for all and it will be held in Finnish. The accessibility information of Zoom you can find from the address httsp://zoom.us/accessibility. We wish to advance in all Maailmanvaihto’s activities an atmosphere in which everyone can feel welcome as themselves. To support this, in the event, Maailmanvaihto’s guidelines for safer spaces will be followed.

Sign up by sending a message to tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi. We will send you a link to the Zoom meeting. If needed, you can ask for further information from the same e-mail address.

Warmly welcome!

Established in 1958, Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland is a non-governmental organization that sends young people abroad for 6–12 months of volunteering and receives volunteers to Finland. We work for advancing intercultural understanding, equality, and peace.

Tapola Camphill Village Community

Would you like to live and learn in a vibrant countryside community, supporting adults with disabilities while gaining hands-on experience in workshops and care? Volunteer at Tapola Camphill Village Community, where you can immerse yourself in community life and build meaningful friendships!

About Tapola Camphill Village Community

Tapola Camphill Village Community is a vibrant living and working community for adults with disabilities. Tapola is a private social service provider. Our task is to maintain and improve our residents’ well-being. We offer both 24-hour assisted living and supported housing. We have 50 residents and all together we are about 100 people, including co-workers and volunteers.

Tapola consists of:

three homes for our residents
an outdoor Workshop (working in the forests, making firewood, shoveling snow, and mowing the lawn)
a garden and herb workshop (taking care of plants and harvesting and making products such as tea and herbal mixtures)
an art workshop (crafts, art, and music)
a small village shop where we sell our workshop products

In Tapola, we have a rich cultural life with different festivals and activities. Our aims and values are the well-being of all residents, enabling an individual life, supporting self-determination, and developing a balanced work and community life. In our community, everyone is special and deserves acceptance, respect, and meaningful experiences. In addition, we are very aware of the surrounding environment and take care of nature.

Location

Tapola is a countryside community located in Niinikoski village, Southern Finland. We are 10 km away from the nearest town of Orimattila, 30 km from Lahti, and 100 km from the capital city of Helsinki. Orimattila has around 16,000 inhabitants. The public transportation from Tapola to Orimattila is limited, but from Orimattila the bus and train connections are good. We have bicycles for volunteers. In addition, the volunteers with a driver’s license have the opportunity to use Tapola’s cars when paying the fuel costs.

What will you do?

Every year, we welcome 3-6 volunteers from all over the world to become integrated into all aspects of life in Tapola. We have four decades of experience in voluntary work, and everyone is happy about new people who become new friends and are, in the end, like family members. We collaborate with international organizations that provide seminars and training for volunteers who join our community.

As a volunteer, you will become part of the Tapola Community. You will provide support and build friendships with the residents. Volunteers support, together with the co-workers, the well-being of the residents. Each volunteer participates in one of our workshops to assist the residents. Training is implemented through work, and more responsibility is given to each volunteer as they show themselves ready for new challenges. Everything is about doing things together and supporting each other, not seeing the residents as only care recipients.

Volunteers are responsible for a variety of tasks, such as participating in our workshops and organizing cultural and free time activities. A typical day consists of

common meals
morning and afternoon workshops
cultural and social activities
house chores activities throughout the day and in the evening

The weekends are more relaxed. The volunteers are involved in social and leisure activities depending on what the residents want to do.

Who we’re looking for

Essential:

willingness to adapt and enthusiasm to learn
motivation to learn Finnish and get familiar with the residents, community life, and Finnish culture
motivation to live in a countryside community and approach each person with respect for their individuality
no specific previous experience required

We appreciate these skills:

ability to take care of others
basic knowledge of housework, such as cleaning and cooking

Tapola offers opportunities where the volunteers are free to create something new and bring in their own skills and abilities (music, sports, hobby groups, and events).

Practical arrangements

Accommodation: The volunteers live in the Tapola area in the Väinälä-house. Everyone has their own room; other facilities are shared. The necessities for living are provided. Living in the community is a great opportunity to learn about others and yourself. All the houses and workshops are within walking distance of each other. Ten kilometers away is Tapola’s lakeside cabin, which can be used together or, if available, also with friends and families during the summer months.
Food: In Tapola, we prepare wholesome homemade food in our common kitchen. Our cooks prepare all meals of the day for the entire community, and the food is delivered to each house. We follow a six-week rotating menu and serve healthy, basic home-style food. Vegetarian and lactose-free options are available. For special allergies or diets, a medical certificate is required.
Free time:
- Two days off per week.
- Two vacation days per month. It is important to regularly take a rest and gather new strength for this rewarding but also difficult task. A volunteer can gather holiday days for longer periods. We encourage you to explore Finland, its beautiful nature and interesting history. Guests are welcomed into the community but we hope for discretion while being around the residents.

Training during the volunteering period

The volunteers will have an on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp organized by the Finnish National Agency of the European Solidarity Corps. In addition, they will be invited to the on-arrival training camp and mid-term evaluation camp of the coordinating organisation Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland.

To help fit into the community and Finnish culture, Tapola offers the volunteers regular mentor meetings and Finnish lessons in small groups. The volunteers will also get access to the Online Language Support (OLS) tool of the European Solidarity Corps to help them learn Finnish.

Accessibility

Unfortunately, the physical environment of the workplace is not suitable for volunteers with physical or sensory disabilities, and the staff does not have the resources to support them.

If you need additional support due to a long-term illness or other reason and would like to discuss if volunteering at Tapola could suit you, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information via Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. We’ll be happy to tell you more!

We are happy about every volunteer encounter over the years. For further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Activity topics

Disabilities, well-being, inclusion, agriculture

How to apply?

See the application instructions

Further information

If you wish to ask something, please, see answers to frequently asked questions and European Solidarity Corps program page.
If you don’t find an answer to your question, please contact us at Maailmanvaihto at esc@maailmanvaihto.fi. Do not contact the voluntary workplace directly.
Please note that you can only apply for the open position by following the application instructions linked above.

Volunteers’ Experiences

MaailmanVaihtoa 2/2021: Mikä motivoi kansainväliseen vapaaehtoistyöhön

Lue lehden pdf-versio.pdf-versio.

Sisällys tulossa pian.

Keeping in touch after volunteering

The end of the international volunteering period often marks a new phase for the friendships which have begun during the stay: it’s time to connect across countries. Two pairs of friends tell about their friendship and about staying in contact mainly through digital channels.

Jaishrre and Annika: Northern Lights and Friendship at a Training Camp

Six and half years ago, Annika Reinholm and Jaishrre Dhanjani met and became friends in Finland. They both had travelled there for Erasmus+ European Voluntary Service (nowadays known as European Solidarity Corps Volunteering), Annika from Estonia and Jaishrre from Spain.

Jaishrre, who nowadays lives in Spain, tells:

“We met in Helsinki from where we took a bus to our onarrival camp. Annika seemed very lively, energetic and interesting to me, so I wanted to get to know Annika.

With Annika everything seems like an adventure. During our volunteering time in Finland, we used to roam around. Annika was the spice of my experience, we had so much fun! It seemed we were in our own world and always laughing! And, by the way, Annika made our first Northern lights experience a bit scary by scaring us all the time. Hah!

As Annika said, distance friendship is possible, but for me it’s hard. Some, like me, prefer the old 90s style of meeting your friend in person. I think the trick to maintaining a long distance friendship is to be in touch, not to forget the other.

We both have changed, but it seems that our friendship has not. I wish we could see each other. Before Covid, it was like always making excuses. Now we want to visit each other, but there’s Covid.

I hate distance relationships but I love talking with Annika. I have learnt from Annika two very, very important words we tend to forget: be yourself. I keep those in mind and heart. Whatever happens, I know that Annika is one of those friends in the globe that I can always count on.”

Annika, who nowadays lives in Estonia, tells:

“I remember meeting Jaishrre at Maailmanvaihto’s camp for volunteers. In the night, we went to the meadow and forest next to the camp center to watch revontulet (Northern lights). We went there with Jaishree and other volunteers. It was pretty scary, but at the same time a lot of fun. Jaishrre was the one who kept up our good mood. It was an amazing experience!

We keep in touch on Facebook Messenger and through voicemail and videos. Distance friendship is possible, but both have to do hard work and keep in touch. It doesn’t matter how big the distance is, the important part is that you two areconnected and can trust each other.

I think Jaishrre is just like sunshine and makes people laugh and have a good time. There is a good quote about that: smile is the best medicine. I learned from Jaishrre that regardless of what has happened in your life, you have to stand up, keep smiling and move on. Never lose your positive side and thinking. You have to keep hoping that one day everything will fall into the right place.

I am sure that no matter what we still keep in touch and one day meet again.“

Karoliina and Silko: Paths Crossed in Ecuador

In 2013, Karoliina Kupari was ICYE volunteering in Ecuador and Silko Mergenthal travelling there. Their paths crossed and a friendship began.

Silko, who nowadays lives in the Netherlands, tells:

“I was traveling in South America for eight months and traveled to a little town called Collaqui in Tumbaco, Ecuador, to help build an eco house. We got along very quickly and spent time together during my entire stay. We even went hitchhiking together.

Nowadays, LinkedIn is the only channel through which we keep in touch… just kidding. We have called each other through Telegram. We have also occasionally whatsapped to each other which is very easy and quite natural for people in our age group.

I have visited Karoliina in Helsinki and she visited me in Nijmegen in the Netherlands when I was studying there. During that time, Karoliina set me up to meet her friend who was living there, too. I think people don’t change that much, only circumstances do. We have planned to visit each other again after the pandemic.

From Karoliina, I learned to love Helsinki when I visited the city. Karoliina showed me around and I met new people through her. I miss Karoliina’s unique laughter. Laughter and joking around is like medicine. I guess our sense of humour and passion for travel is what connected us in the first place.

Karoliina, who nowadays lives in Finland, tells:

“I met Silko in the town where we both lived in Ecuador. I think Silko made a lot of friends and learned Spanish super quickly thanks to his outgoing personality.

Time has made our communication more infrequent, but we have visited each other’s home countries during the years and followed each other on social media. It is nice to see how the other is doing now later in life. Silko just graduated from university.

It’s not the same over digital channels, but I like how social media reminds you of the people that are there, even though you haven’t seen them in ages. Whenever news come up from Germany, Silko pops up into my mind. Silko has followed Finnish politics after we got to know each other. When Silko hitchhiked through Sweden and Finland, he stayed at my place in Helsinki.

I guess the meaning of friendship is the friendship itself. It’s very fulfilling to catch up and notice how the same person is there, even though life runs on its course.

I think Silko is super funny and always in a good mood. He is very interested in current events of the world and keeps himself very updated. He is also brave and spontaneous.

I think knowing people from around the globe is super life enriching. Even though you see and contact people who live far away much less than with those who are nearby, you always know they are there.”

Online Meetups at Maailmanvaihto’s Forums

Often volunteers form friendships with a bunch of people: other volunteers from around the world, host family, support person, mentor, people met through hobbies… This spring, Maailmanvaihto offers two forums to keep in touch with people met while participating in its volunteering programs:

Facebook group for alumni: In this group, previous participants of Maailmanvaihto’s programs can keep in touch with each other and receive once in a while news from Maailmanvaihto. So far, the message flow has concentrated on the latter, but the forum is open for diverse matters. facebook.com/groups/maailmvan
Online Language Café: A weekly meeting point for all Maailmanvaihto’s people as well as for other people. Chats are held weekly in Finnish and in Spanish in Zoom. The Language Café welcomes all from beginners to advanced speakers of these languages to participate. maailmanvaihto.fi/en/online-language-cafe

Text: Minna Räisänen
Photos: from the albums of Jaishrre Dhanjani, Karoliina Kupari, Annika Reinholm and Silko Mergenthal

The article has been published in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2021.

European Solidarity Corps volunteering in Austria – apply 9th June at the latest!

Our Austrian co-operation organization Grenzenlos is looking for young people aged at 18–30 years to fourteen workplaces. Give your input and learn new in early childhood education or the cultural field, for instance!

Get to know the workplaces and the tasks of the volunteers as well as the experiences of previous participants on the website of Melange. The volunteering periods last for 10–12 months and begin in next September–October, if the coronavirus situation allows.

An example of these inspiring voluntary workplaces is the culture center Kulturhaus Brotfabrik in the outskirts of Vienna. In the center, the residents of the district decrease isolation and strengthen solidarity and social cohesion within the neighbourhood.

While volunteering in the European Solidarity Corps, the volunteer learns via daily life co-operation. The volunteering periods offer a chance to learn from deeper than just the surface both the voluntary workplace and local living. Volunteering co-operation in the open positions is coordinated by the youth exchange organization Grenzenlos which also supports the volunteers.

The volunteering periods will be subsidized by the EU. With the support, the volunteers will for instance be provided with accommodation, insurance and support for language learning. In addition, the travel costs to Austria will be covered (the participant may need to pay only a small portion of the travel costs) . We at Maailmanvaihto can act as a sending support organiaztion for the volunteers who head for the experience from Finland. We will train the volunteers and be a part of their support network throughout the volunteering period. After their return, we will meet the volunteers to explore together with them the learning experience and we will welcome them to join in our upcoming activities.

The European Solidarity Corps volunteers is meant for people aged at 18–30 years. In order to participate, you don’t need to have an educational or work background – motivation for international volunteering as well as practical English skills are enough. The positions are primarily targeted at those young adults who have less opportunities than their peers to gain international experience, due to unemployment, for instance. Learn more about the European Solidarity Corps volunteering in general.

Applying

Apply on 9th May 2021 at the latest! See on the website of Melange the applying instructions and download from there the application form (docx). Send your fiilled-in application form and your CV in English to Grenzenlos to application@grenzenlos.or.at. Please, remember to tell in your applicatin form about your motivation to apply to the voluntary workplace in question. If you wish to apply for several workplaces, please fill in a separate application form for each workplace.

You are welcome to name in your application Maailmanvaihto (Oikokatu 3, 00250 Helsinki, Finland; +358 50 452 5660; maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi) as your sending organisation. Our OID code is E10126971 and our contact person Secretary General Anni Koskela. NB! Maailanvaihto can work as your sending organisation only if you live in Finland. Send you application message as a copy to us at maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi. If the voluntary workplace would like to receive you as a volunteer, let’s set up a meeting to get to know each other, and if everything seems good for you and us, let’s agree upon co-operation.

Accessibility information

In case you have a disability or a long-term illness, you can, if you wish, ask from Grenzenlos at application@grenzenlos.or.at whether if it would be possible to arrange for you the kind of support that you would need, in case you got selected as a volunteer. In you wish, we can also ask for this information from Gzenzenlos for you. You can reach us at maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi.

About applying for ESC Volunteering in the coronavirus times

European Solidarity Corps Volunteering period can be started if starting the volunteering period physically in the host country is not possible due to exceptional circumstances. The periods will be completed in the host country when the circumstances allow it. European Solidarity Corps Volunteering can also be postponed to a later date or canceled in case needed due to the coronavirus situation (see the news from the Finnish National Agency for Education). It is worth finding out from the flight company, with which kinds of costs the flights would be possible to postpone or cancel if needed.

Further information

In case you have any questions, please contact us! We will be happy to answer. You can reach us via e-mail from the address maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi and by phone from the number 050 452 5660.

Read also

Get to know our activities during the World Village Festival weekend!

The World Village Festival will be organized online 29–30 May 2021. We participate in the festival as an exhibitor. In between the festival program, learn about possibilities to join in the activities of Maailmanvaihto, you can find information on them from below and during the festival weekend also on our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

Visit the World Village Festival
5 x join in the acitivities of Maailmanvaihto
Upcoming events

We at Maailmanvaihto work for advancing intercultural understanding, equality and peace. We are a youth exchange organization found in 1958. Our organization is religiously and politically nonaligned.

Via us, young people both travel abroad and come from abroad to Finland for 6–12 months of volunteering. The co-operation offers for the people of the workplace and the volunteer a joint intercultural learning journey.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we currently have much less volunteering exchange. About the impact of the coronavirus situation on the volunteering programs you can read on the pages of the programs. We follow the situation and update the information.

5 x join in the activities of Maailmanvaihto

1) Abroad from Finland for volunteering

In international volunteering, you will learn through daily life co-operation. You will gain understanding of life in another part of the world and learn about yourself, too. There are volunteering tasks in the educational field, human rights work, and environmental protection work, for instance.

If you are aged 18–30 years, apply for EU-supported volunteering in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC)!

In the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE) program, volunteers work outside Europe. The upper age limit of this program is flexible. The next time to travel for ICYE volunteering abroad is in January–February 2022.

2) From abroad to Finland for volunteering

We receive volunteers from different parts of the world. In Finland, too, the young people participate within the European Solidarity Corps or in the ICYE program. Most often, our volunteers work in the educational field or take part in work with people with disabilities.

3) Become a host family

As a host family, you have an important role in making the co-operation between a young volunteer from abroad and a common-good organization possible by providing a home for the volunteer. In this voluntary task, you will share your daily life home living with the volunteer. Welcome to become a host family are families, couples as well as those who live alone. See our current possibilities to become a host family as well as further information on host family activities – and apply to become a host family!

4) Become a support person

Also as a support person, you are an important part of the volunteering period in Finland of a young volunteer from abroad. You are a local friend who cares about the greetings of the volunteer and supports the volunteer in getting to know living in a new place. See further information on the support person activities and apply to become a support person!

5) Join in the teams of training camps for volunteers

In the teams of Maailmanvaihto’s training camps, you will get a chance to exercise your skills and get to know volunteers from different countries. We are currently putting together a team for the on-arrival training camp which we will hold in August in Tuusula, if the coronavirus situation allows, or online. Learn more about the training camp activities and apply!

Got interested? Do you have questions? Please, contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also e-mail or call us at maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi +358 50 452 5660.

Want to say up to date about possibilities to join in our activities? Subscribe to our monthly e-mail newsletter (MailChimp) (the newsletter is published in Finnish).

Upcoming events

18 Aug Zoom
Zoom into international volunteering: ICYE volunteering in Asia!
We will learn about co-operation in Asian countries, such as Japan and Taiwan. Further information and sign-up instructions coming up soon.

22 Sept Zoom
Zoom into international volunteering: Skills for life from volunteering
The participants will share their learning experiences. Further information and sign-up instructions coming up soon.

6. Oct Zoom
Zoom into international volunteering: Opi vapaaehtoistyössä luonnon- ja ympäristönsuojelusta
ESC and ICYE volunteering opportunities in the nature and environment field in different parts of the world. Further information and sign-up instructions coming up soon.

What motivated you to participate in international volunteering? Write about your experiences in the MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices magazine

Write about your experiences

Maailmanvaihto sends and receives international volunteer workers for periods of 6 to 12 months both in Finland and abroad. Even though we are a youth organization, our volunteers have widely varying backgrounds: some have just graduated from upper secondary education, some are spending a gap year, some have already some professional experience…

Have you participated in an international volunteer program via Maailmanvaihto? What kind of motivations and expectations did you have prior to leaving abroad? Did your experience change your perspective or thoughts? Did you get what you expected? Were you surprised by something? Which kinds of things kept up or increased your motivation?

Would you like to write about your experience in the upcoming issue of Volunteers’ Voices? We also welcome photographs and illustrations! Please contact us with your suggestions by June 20th 2021. The deadline for materials is August 1st 2021. Contact address: maailmanvaihtoalehti@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Join in the editorial team

Would you like to explore the theme as a part of the editorial team? Please, contact us if you would be interested in contributing by writing an interview story, making graphics, taking photos, or taking part in editing the stories. We will be happy to hear about your interests and to tell you more about the magazine work and ideas for stories for the upcoming issue. Also from those interested in taking part in the editorial work we hope a message by 20th June 2021.

Join in learning together in magazine work! You can reach the editor-in-chiefs via the address maailmanvaihtoalehti@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Read published issues of the magazine.

1 Registration holder / Business ID

2 Contact person on regarding the register

3 The name of the registration: Documents of Incoming Volunteers

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

11 Checking rights

12 Right to demand a correction of information

13 Other rights concerning the processing of personal data

14 Changes to the privacy policy practices

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people in Finland: 11-month volunteering in Germany – education, youth work, cultural exchange & personal development at Urspring School!

For young people living in Finland: European projects, public relations, social media & political education workshops… apply now to volunteer in Germany!

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

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people in Finland: 11-month volunteering in Germany – education, youth work, cultural exchange & personal development at Urspring School!

For young people living in Finland: European projects, public relations, social media & political education workshops… apply now to volunteer in Germany!

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

In this issue

Theme

Editorial: Why leave the comfort zone?

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people in Finland: 11-month volunteering in Germany – education, youth work, cultural exchange & personal development at Urspring School!

For young people living in Finland: European projects, public relations, social media & political education workshops… apply now to volunteer in Germany!

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

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people in Finland: 11-month volunteering in Germany – education, youth work, cultural exchange & personal development at Urspring School!

For young people living in Finland: European projects, public relations, social media & political education workshops… apply now to volunteer in Germany!

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

About Tapola Camphill Village Community

Location

What will you do?

Who we’re looking for

Practical arrangements

Training during the volunteering period

Accessibility

Activity topics

How to apply?

Further information

Volunteers’ Experiences

Read also

Aitoo Vocational College

Nicehearts

Dagtek Life Skills

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people in Finland: 11-month volunteering in Germany – education, youth work, cultural exchange & personal development at Urspring School!

For young people living in Finland: European projects, public relations, social media & political education workshops… apply now to volunteer in Germany!

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

Jaishrre and Annika: Northern Lights and Friendship at a Training Camp

Karoliina and Silko: Paths Crossed in Ecuador

Online Meetups at Maailmanvaihto’s Forums

Read also

ESC volunteering at Maailmanvaihto: a joint learning experience

Sharing and Caring as a Host Family

Ten Months at Koli National Park and Nature Centre Ukko

Applying

Accessibility information

About applying for ESC Volunteering in the coronavirus times

Further information

Read also

5 x join in the activities of Maailmanvaihto

1) Abroad from Finland for volunteering

2) From abroad to Finland for volunteering

3) Become a host family

4) Become a support person

5) Join in the teams of training camps for volunteers

Upcoming events

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

For young people in Finland: 11-month volunteering in Germany – education, youth work, cultural exchange & personal development at Urspring School!

For young people living in Finland: European projects, public relations, social media & political education workshops… apply now to volunteer in Germany!