or official information about this project, please go directly to official EU-website
European project: EI: 2007 – NL - !2
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“t WasdoM invites six EVS volunteers of f different nationalities to learn, to live and to work in an international communication experience.

The Project environment

et Wasdom is a youth centre located on the grounds of a Dominican Monastery in the city centre of Zwolle, Holland.

Zwolle is a small historic town in the North East of the Netherlands, close to the German border. Zwolle is an old Hanzecity situated on the river IJsel. It is city with strong rural ties and is not so densely populated as other Dutch cities.

The Dominican monastery wants to be closely linked and involved in the society. Typical for the Dominical philosophy is
• Having an open dialogue with people who think differently.
• Searching for what is meaningful and important in daily life-experiences.
• A life style which is going beyond only materialistic values.

'T Wasdom is on the second floor of the former laundry and bakery located behind the monastery. It was recently redecorated by young people and set up as a youth centre for the youth living in Zwolle.

The atmosphere of the Dominican monastery gives the centre a very special atmosphere. Participants are invited to think about their own history and also their future. It may be that even people perceive themselves differently after visiting the center.

Youth centre'T Wasdom offers the following services and possibilities:
• Youth groups can use the centre as the place where they can meet and make their own programme
• Youth groups and individuals can get coaching from the workers and volunteers at 't Wasdom
• There is also the chance to visit the monastery and to meet and to talk with people from the Dominican community
• There is a walk-in cafe twice a week with teenagers and students where young people eat together and do some activities
• Youth and student exhibitions are also possible. Every month there is an opportunity for people to view and react on artworks.


Het Wasdom centre is also involved with numerous other activities. These include working with young asylum seekers, working with homeless people and also youth work in other churches in Zwolle.

There is also a group of international and Dutch volunteers organized by the monastery through the EVS scheme. These young volunteers get the opportunity to experience the reality of youth work and other voluntary services in and around the city of Zwolle. Their diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences bring a new perspective to the youth centre. They are actively participating in all aspects of ‘Het Wasdom’. There is also an active exchange of views between Dutch people involved in the youth centre and these EVS volunteers.

Tasks

he Wasdom Youthcentre pays special attention to the formation of these volunteers. That means; apart from their volunteering work, there is also time to talk, think and work around themes concerning your view on religion, the society and the people around you.

Another important part of this formation is that all volunteers live together. In this living together they will work out certain themes about personal development and how they perceive other people and how they think about important questions of life.

One day a week is reserved for formation exercises and this takes part in Het Wasdom. This is a special time reserved for group activities such as discussions, excursions and group activites. The remaining four days of the volunteers week is carried out in other voluntary organizations and activities.

EVS volunteers who become part of the scheme will find themselves living and working in a local community. There will be very close ties in their daily activities between the youth centre and the monastery. There is also the possibility and encouragement to get involved in other volunteer activities throughout the city. The co-ordination of all these activities is carried out by the supervisors of the Wasdom project.

Tasks for volunteers in the Wasdom Youth Centre

Every volunteer in the group will partake in these tasks within the youth centre.
• Supporting the youth groups which use the centre. This happens two times a week, during evening or afternoon; (3 hours per week)
• Guiding and providing support for the Youthcentre-pub for young teenagers (12+). Duties involves groupwork with participants, the coordination of meal preparation etc. (3 hours per week)
• Being the host for the Wasdom-Youth centre; keeping the kitchen, arranging materials for the groups and facilitating bookings (5 hours per week)

Voluntary work in the local community

very volunteer can choose between one of these tasks
• Supporting young asylumnseekers; assisting them in doing home-work and helping them in having contacts with bureaucratic institutions
• Volunteering work at the drop-in centre for homeless people; helping at the bar
• Volunteering work at the pop-centre; organising pop-events and build up exhibitions
• Building up a theatre-project with mentally disabled people
• Being a buddy for elderly people for example having a walk and a talk with them.
• Doing youth-work activities in one of the church congregations of Zwolle
• Working in a secondhand or Fair Trade shop
• Assisting in outerschool activities for children



Volunteers also have the opportunity to work on other activities. These will be defined according to the aspirations and experiences of each individual volunteer. In effect each volunteer creates his or her own programme to suit his/her needs, experiences and interests.


Target group

• Enjoys living together in a house with volunteers from other nationalities and religions.
• The volunteer needs to have some experience or strong preference in working with young people.
• Willing to reflect on yourself and the world surrounding you.
• Prepared to learn Dutch.

The foundations of the youth centre have been established through the Dominican Monastary and hence there are still very strong ties with the church and its surroundings. Therefore all volunteers should be willing and open to doing voluntary work within a christian environment.
Jongerencentum ‘t WasdoM
Assendorperdijk 6
8012 EH Zwolle
038 – 4254417

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