ReachOut! -European volunteering for refugees

<< Background >>We applied for the project since we as a relatively new migrant association saw our chance to implement some powerful networks in Leipzig but also Europe. We saw the need for more opportunities of many young migrants within the EU. On the other hand we knew about the ESC and its possibilities to discover new countries and cultures. Through the project we wanted to make the ESC more known and use it as a mobility tool for migrants from Bologna (Italy). Since we already had a connection to our partner Associazione Interculturale Universo, the project was the perfect chance to strengthen our network and to create new opportunities for people (especially migrants) from Bologna to come to Leipzig for ESC volunteering. We wanted to address the need of young migrants to do something meaningful and to be part of European communities, especially through benefiting from the ESC programme. On the other hand, we also saw a need for supporting young organisations like ours who were suitable and willing to host ESC volunteers with refugee backgrounds. The necessary steps can be a burden for associations whose work is mainly based on the individual effort of members of a small team. To develop and carry out guidance measures seemed worthwhile. << Objectives >>The primary aim of our project was to make the ESC voluntary service accessible for young migrants and refugees in Europe. In order to achieve this aim we wanted to create a strong network of ESC hosting organisations in Leipzig. By means of a vivid cooperation with our partner organisation in Bologna, we were aiming to enable an active exchange of volunteers between the cities of Leipzig and Bologna (Regional Mobility Hubs) and guarantee a well-concepted support system for our volunteers which would provide guidance throughout all the steps of the voluntary service. Initially, we also wanted to prepare the accreditation of our organisation Salam e. V. as ESC hosting organisation. Another important goal for both our associations (Salam and Universo Interculturale) was capacity-building of our teams by on the one hand exchanging and peer-learning from one another, given the fact that both teams work in very different local environments and under different national circumstances; on the other hand by benefiting from professional coaching, training and workshops based on the teams’ needs. << Implementation >>Both our associations engaged in the promotion of the ESC program. In Leipzig (Germany) the team of Salam e. V. worked to promote the opportunity of becoming an ESC hosting organisation among local actors. We created info material about this opportunity, at the same time offering guidance to the organisations in every step. We distributed this info material using mailing lists and contacting future partners individually. We then arranged individual meetings (online/offline) with possible partners who were interested in getting more information. In Bolgna (Italy), Universo Interculturale hosted one info event about the ESC program directed to young refugees as a target group. We took part in regular individual coaching sessions. We also organized one Transnational Project Meeting which took place in Berlin in September 2022. We as Salam e. V. supported three partners (future hosting organisations) of which one finally received the Quality Label which enabled them to host a volunteer. We then supported them in the process of choosing their volunteer, being also present at the interviews. The volunteer, a young man from Ukraine, was then also supported by us directly when moving from Thuringia to Leipzig, to find a room, etc. << Results >>As a concrete output of our project, there are now two new accredited ESC hosting organisations in Leipzig (Wirrwuchs/Querbeet e. V. and Pandechaion – Herberge e.V.), both of which will be hosting volunteers in the future or are already doing so. Apart from those two organisations, there are also other organisations in Leipzig which have expressed their interest in becoming hosting organisations, it might take them more time to actually get the quality label but they have gained knowledge about the opportunity. As a concrete result, one of the hosting organisations received a volunteer, a young man who had fled from Ukraine. We helped them choose the volunteer and supported him in his intra-german mobility. As an association and as individuals we gained a lot of knowledge and skills, thanks to the coaching by professionals with more experience in the field of ESC and social projects. The members of our association who were engaged in the project learned about project management and gained first experience in budget management and international cooperation. Salam e. V. also broadened its local network.