Become a Volunteer
Become a volunteer
Are you interested in volunteering abroad? Thanks to financial support from the European Solidarity Corps program, together with ADRA Slovakia, we will send a total of 24 volunteers abroad in 2024-2026, where they will participate in ongoing humanitarian projects. In the coming months, we will start looking for people interested in volunteering in Serbia, Zambia or Uganda. Join us, help where it is needed, and gain a lot of new experiences and acquaintances.
WHO CAN JOIN US?
Volunteering within the Humanitarian Volunteering for Solidarity Activities project is fully covered by the European Solidarity Corps, including insurance, accommodation at the project site, transport, travel expenses and small monthly allowance. In addition, each volunteer has a mentor from the sending country and the organization where they work throughout their stay. This is a unique opportunity to get to know a foreign country and gain valuable experience and practice. However, the process of selecting suitable candidates reflects that and has several stages.
After completing the face-to-face training, candidates will be able to choose from volunteer positions published on the European Youth Portal in the Humanitarian Aid Volunteering projects section. Each position is then subject to a separate selection process.
!! Since the number of applicants is much higher than the number of volunteering opportunities in the field of humanitarian aid, it is not guaranteed that all applicants will be selected for one of the humanitarian aid volunteering projects after completing the training.
Those who pass the test can apply for a 5-day face-to-face training at one of the collaborating organizations in France (InstitutBioforce), Germany (Ruhr-UniversitätBochum), Italy (LattanzioKIBS and Fondazione PUNTO.SUD) or Spain (Instituto de Estudios sobre Conflictosy Accion Humanitaria).
To apply, the individuals must first indicate their interest in the face-to-face training. The relevant person (from ESC, not ADRA) responsible for the face-to-face training will then contact them within 1-2 months to inform them of any available positions.
The face-to-face training is organised three times a year: February – March, May – June and September – October. The preliminary calendar is published on the EU Academy website under the heading “Online training for candidates of the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps”.
The face-to-face training is free of charge. All costs associated with participating in the face-to-face training (travel, accommodation, meals, etc.) will be covered.
!! Due to the very high interest in face-to-face training in the field of humanitarian aid, it is necessary to close applications for face-to-face training from time to time. To find out when applications are open, please refer to the information on the EU Academy website.
This is followed by a verification test of the acquired knowledge, which takes place online.
Once candidates have registered on the portal and selected their volunteering type, they should select the option “Humanitarian Training” on the EU Academy online learning platform, accessible via the “Online Training” tab in their European Solidarity Corps account. They will first be asked to complete a self-assessment on the EU Academy platform. They will then complete a mandatory general online training in the field of humanitarian aid. In addition, they can voluntarily complete a number of free General Online Trainings, language support etc.
The first step is to register on the European Youth Portal. There, interested individuals first register and select the type of volunteering they are interested in – Humanitarian Aid Volunteering.
A year spent in Serbia
Tamara joined a similar volunteer program, which you can now join as well. She spent a year as a volunteer in Serbia, where she planned and implemented leisure activities at a hostel for people in need and helped with integration projects in nearby villages. “I am grateful that I was able to live in a smaller town and had the opportunity to regularly visit rural areas and be in contact with the locals. They convinced me that Serbia is an extraordinarily beautiful country with huge potential and full of people who will help you feel at home here.” More about Tamara’s story can be found here: https://www.adra.sk/rok-v-srbsku/
News
FAQs
Our humanitarian volunteering project is open to young people aged 18 to 35 who are permanent residents of an EU Member State, Turkey, North Macedonia, Liechtenstein or Iceland and have not yet participated in any humanitarian volunteering under this programme. They must first register on the European Youth Portal and undergo training organised by the European Commission.
Citizens of Ukraine can participate in other programmes under the European Volunteer Corps, but not in humanitarian activities. More information can be found on the European Youth Portal.
Equal opportunities
A key element of the project is inclusion and reducing inequalities, not only in the topics that volunteers can work on, but also in the selection of volunteers themselves. During the project, we have set aside 12 places for applicants who do not have the same opportunities as others, whether they are applicants from remote rural areas, or those from difficult economic circumstances, representatives of linguistic and other minorities, or for example people with physical disabilities. The support for these people is described in more detail here.
After participating in the training, candidates can apply for individual positions published in the European Youth Portal. Each position is subject to a selection procedure. The duration of volunteering ranges from 2 to 12 months, within our volunteering positions it is 6 to 12 months. Participation in the project is covered by the European Solidarity Corps funds, including insurance, accommodation at the project site, transport, travel expenses and monthly allowance. Humanitarian volunteering positions correspond to approximately full-time work, i.e. between 30 and 38 hours a week. All costs directly related to the work performed by the volunteer are then covered by the organization’s finances. In addition, each volunteer has a mentor from the sending country, as well as in the organization where he or she works, at his or her disposal throughout the stay. All volunteers receive confirmation at the end in the form of a Youthpass certificate.
All volunteer positions provided by ADRA Czech and ADRA Slovakia starting in September 2024 will be specified and published on the European Youth Portal during the summer of 2024. However, you can already take a preliminary look at the focus of volunteer positions, register on the European Youth Portal and complete the necessary training.
The positions offered include a wide range of options, from humanitarian coordinators and logistics specialists to outreach coordinators and administrative staff in local centers. These positions change continuously throughout the year. We recommend that you regularly monitor the opportunities listed above and get involved where you are interested in developing your skills and competencies.
You can find other volunteering opportunities abroad within the European Solidarity Corps program on the European Youth Portal. In addition to Humanitarian Aid Volunteering, which is offered by ADRA Czech Republic and ADRA Slovakia, there are 2 other types of volunteering that are open to those aged 18-30. No training is required for these two types of volunteering. These are:
- Volunteering Activities
- Solidarity Projects
After registering on the portal and selecting the type of volunteering, individuals can choose from a number of organizations or the organization can contact them if they meet the criteria for the position based on the completed profile.
For more detailed information, please visit the European Solidarity Corps website in the FAQ section.
What is it like to volunteer abroad?
Project Towards Effective Humanitarian Volunteering
In 2021 and 2022, we participated in a project that developed volunteering abroad. We worked on how to connect many years of experience with humanitarian projects around the world with experience with volunteering in the Czech Republic. Thanks to the EU Aid Volunteers program of the European Commission, we were part of the project “Towards Effective Humanitarian Volunteering”, where, together with eight other partners from around the world, we improved how to select, train and provide the necessary support to volunteers going on humanitarian projects in countries outside the European Union.
THE PROJECT WAS SUPPORTED BY
Donors and partners
The Humanitarian Volunteering for Solidarity Activities project (no. 101140258) runs from February 1, 2024, to January 31, 2027, and is co-funded by the European Union.
