This is a reference for Margaux Richet

Preparation, incoming, mid-term evaluation and return/evaluation seminars for international volunteers 2017

The training activity took place
in Germany, Ghana, Togo
organised by VIA e.V. Verein für Internationalen und Interkulturellen Austausch e.V.
Since 2011

Aims & objectives

Aim: to prepare and support international volunteers at different moments of their voluntary service in order to reflect about their projects and experiences.

Programs: EVS, IJFD, FSJ Incoming, weltwärts, EPI, CSV, Lattitude, BFD-Reverse, Incoming

Preparation seminar (in Germany): to prepare German volunteers who are going to work in different projects abroad. Topics such as: diversity, stereotypes, conflict resolution, language barriers, team work or intercultural communication.

Incoming seminar (in Germany): to welcome international volunteers, to exchange about their motivations, expectations and fears, to help them to discover and understand their projects, to introduce them to some topics such as social work and inclusion, diversity, conflict resolution or intercultural communication

Mid-term evaluation seminar (in Germany, Ghana, Togo): to reflect on the first part of the projects, to deapen social, political or historical topics in order to understand some situations, to learn how to deal with conflicts, to get inspiration to manage the rest of the projects.

Return/Evaluation seminar (in Germany): to evaluate the experience of living and working one year abroad, to reflect on the personal, social, intercultural and professional experience, to define the skills and the key competences, to multiply "civil courage" and social or political commitment in the society.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Composition of the group: German and international volunteers (Mongolia, Nepal, Indonesia, Mexico, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, China, Benin...)
Countries where the participants are going: Ireland, Norway, Poland, New Zealand, France, Germany, England, Ghana, Togo, India...
Trainers from France, Germany, England, Spain...

Training methods used & main activities

- "get to know each other" and "ice brakers" games
- communication games and exercices
- team-building games
- conflict resolution activities
- non verbal and verbal methods
- language animation exercices
- outdoor education methods
- art pedagogy

Outcomes of the activity

Preparation & Incoming seminar:
The young participants could express their expectations, motivations and fears and felt more prepared to live in a foreign country.

Mid-term seminar:
The participants could exchange about the first months of their life and projects abroad. They could share their difficulties and learn new ways of dealing with conflicts. They learned creativity methods to find out their own solutions. They exchanged about social, political and historical issues connected to their countries. They worked on their motivation. They prepared the rest of their projects.

Return seminar:
The participants could tell and exchange about what they learnt abroad. They had a reflection on the way they could use this experience in their future life (personal, social, professional) and the multiplier effect of their experience for their environment.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I was a full-time trainer and I co-facilitated the trainings with a second trainer.

I worked on this training for over 50 days days as a full time trainer.

back to top