PAYS BAS 2008

SIW     16-35 ans    

   
NEW OPEN PLACES IN SIW 07 (ADOS), 
AND MTV ERMELO 2!!!

SIW est installé à Utrecht depuis 1953. Inscrivez-vous vite, les projets se remplissent rapidement! Tous les hébergements seront en dur.     

ABOUT SIW

SIW is a non-governmental, non-profit voluntary service organisation which was founded in 1953. Each year, SIW welcomes young international volun­teers in its projects in the Netherlands , and gives Dutch volunteers the chance to partici­pate in projects abroad. Each year also, the number of exchange partners increases, as well as the number of volunteers. SIW mainly exchanges volunteers with exchange partners in Wes­tern and Eastern Europe, but also in North Ameri­ca, Africa , and some South American and Asian coun­tries. All SIW activities are organised by young Dutch volunteers, who find themselves supported by a small office, guaranteeing the continuity of the work.

Our Objectives :
 -    encouraging international contact and understanding
-     stimulating the personal growth and development of young people
-     doing social, cultural and environmental work

Our Activities :

These objectives are realized by the following activities :
-    sending young people from the Netherlands to projects in Western and Eastern Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia;
-    welcoming young people from the above mentioned areas in short-term international volunteer projects and since 2008 SIW is also hosting long-term volunteers in the Netherlands ;
-    the participation of SIW in international seminars.

Our Organization :

In the Netherlands , SIW is running projects and sending volunteers abroad. The activities of SIW, based in the city Utrecht , are organized by volunteers. SIW employs two persons for the administrative and financial work concerning the exchange and the Dutch projects.

Each year, a general assembly decides on policies for the coming year. An executive board is responsible for executing the assembly's decisions. Two committees, the incoming and the outgoing committee, deal with their respective areas. Furthermore, there are several groups, such as the Publicity Group, Asia Group and Dutch Projects Group, each having various tasks, such as organizing the voluntary work camps in the Netherlands .  

Our Sources of Income :

SIW's income largely consists of contributions and subscription fees from the project participants, and subsidies for projects in the Netherlands . These subsidies come from diverse sources. The foundation does not receive any regular grants.

SIW PROJECTS

SIW projects are organised in cooperation with the sponsor for whom the work is carried out. The sponsor supervises the work and two SIW camp leaders will arrange daily tasks. The participants, the group of young international volunteers, are also responsi­ble for the success of the project. Their tasks include: buying food and cooking in shifts, organizing trips, etc. They are expec­ted to help in solving any occurring problems, to take on an active attitude about any of the activities, to show initiative and a sense of responsibility towards the work, the theme, and above all towards each other.  

Each year, SIW organizes between 7 and 20 international voluntary projects in the Netherlands . These projects last 2 or 3 weeks, and take place during the summer (from May until September). The number of volunteers in a project varies from 8 to 20.

Conditions for participation :

The projects are accessible to volunteers between 18 and 99 years old. We try to avoid having more than two people with the same nationality in one project. SIW is committed to providing opportunities for all people, also for volunteers with disabilities. We prefer to deal with each application individually to meet different needs. Please contact us.

Language :

The official camp language on the project is English. All communication regarding our projects (camp description / info sheets / welcome letter) is in English and during the project English is spoken.

Thematic background programme :

In some of the SIW projects the volunteers are engaged in a thematic background programme. This programme is closely related to the actual work or to the aims and activities of the partner organization for whom the work is carried out. The goal of the thematic programs is to better understand the work the volunteers carry out.

Recreational program :

Together with your camp leaders you will discuss about the recreational program. For example visit a town nearby, the town itself, go swimming, visiting interesting museums or other nice places in the Netherlands ! Your camp leaders will have some ideas, but of course it is possible for the volunteers to put forward their own ideas for this program!

WORK

As a rule, the volunteers work 30 hours a week, spread over 4 or 5 days.

We offer various types of work:
-        ENVI            environmental, gardening;
-        RENO            renovation or construction;
-        DISA            work with mentally or physically disabled; 
-        FEST            festivals;
-        KIDS            work with children or youth.

Social work is interesting, but not always easy. Many of our work camps are in refugee centres or in institutes for mentally and/or physically disabled persons. This kind of work camp can be a very interesting experience. However, participants should realize beforehand what it means for the kind of holiday they will have. Some people find the atmosphere in this kind of institutions very sad and hopeless. It can be difficult to be confronted with the lives of disabled people in mental hospitals and with the uncertain future refugees often have. Participants should ask themselves beforehand whether they will be able to deal with this and whether they want to participate in this type of work camps.

Motivation letter :

We ask volunteers to write a motivation letter of about half a page long, in which they can explain why they want to participate in a particular project, what kind of projects they have participated in before or experiences that fit the project. SIW and partner organizations for whom the work is done, really appreciate it if participants are motivated. A motivation letter is always appreciated, but for the social projects they required. So look for special notes in the project descriptions which says that we require a motivation letter.

Project leaders :  

There are two SIW coordinators in each work camp: two SIW volunteers who carry out all practical preparatory work and arrange daily matters during the project. They will be living and working along with the participants and help them out with organizing trips, buying food and cooking. They are respon­sible for the entire duration of the project.

Bikes : 

In most cases the volunteers go to the work place by bike (like the rest of the Dutch people). It is easy to bike in the Netherlands due to its flat surface. And camp leaders or other volunteers are often prepared to help you learn how to bike.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Info sheets :

More detailed information about the projects (info sheets) will be sent to volunteers who have been placed on one of our projects. They will receive this information directly from their sending organization.

Insurance :

SIW provides all volunteers on SIW projects with insurance cover for accidents, illness and third party, only in case personal insurances don't cover the costs. Volunteers expected to bring proof of their health/travel insurance if they have one. Travel arrangements and theft of personal property are not covered. Therefore, all participants are advised to make their own arrangements for this purpose.

No drugs in our work camps!

The fact that soft drugs are (almost) legal in The Netherlands is for some participants an incentive to smoke joints whenever they want. However, in the past years this has caused many problems at work camps for the other participants, the camp leaders and the partner organisation as well. Since 2000 we have adopted the rule for all our work camps that during the whole work camp, it is strictly forbidden to use drugs. Participants who decide to use drugs at any time during the work camp, will be sent away!!

Let us know your story!

SIW is always interested in receiving information about your experience. We hope you will send us photos, web-logs and your great stories. But also not such great stories are very welcome for this way we can learn how to improve our projects for next year. You may send your information to incoming.placements@siw.nl.

WHAT TO BRING

Each project has some specific list but in general these things will be needed: 
- Sleeping bag
- A mattress or inflatable mattress to sleep on
- Soap and towel
- Old/working clothes
- Copy of health/travel insurance (when you have one)
- Warm clothes, a raincoat and a swimming suit!
- SunglassesJ and something on your head against the sun!
- Recipe’s from your own country
- Musical instruments, cd’s, ideas for games/activities
- driver’s license that is valid in Holland , if you have one
- Energy, enthusiasm and an open mind!
- A sense of humor ;-)

LES CHANTIERS  2008

Wetland projects

Especially the impact of SIW projects on reed areas has been substantial. For years we have been supporting wetland areas were a lot of work has to be done each year to preserve these unique areas.  

It’s not strange to have a lot of wetlands in a country that’s below sea level. In fact if the dikes would break half of the Netherlands would be either sea or wetland. Birds frequently use the wetlands in the Netherlands in fall and springtime. They come from Siberia and northern Europe during their migration to warmer places in fall and to cooler places to nest in spring.  Most wetlands in the Netherlands consist of swampy grasslands, reed areas and forelands (areas next to rivers). In the swampy grasslands unique mosses and plant species grow.  

The thatches generally harvest the reed areas to collect reed to thatch the roofs. Because the reed is no longer used on Dutch houses the wetlands slip full and would eventually disappear if not cleaned. This has to be done the old-fashioned way; by hand. Machines are too heavy for the soil and will get stuck.

The reed is gathered on boats and transported. Sometimes it is used for farms or burned if transport in the area is too difficult.  

Nature Projects  All  Nature Projects are full this year.   

There is a saying that ‘God created the world and the Dutch the Netherlands ’. This is exactly why we need volunteers to help with nature projects in the Netherlands . 
The Netherlands don’t have nature but they created it. First the land itself, by building dikes it’s now possible to live beneath sea level. And later the landscapes were formed and maintained by the economical use it had. Thousands of sheep would maintain the heath. Roof hatchers maintained our grass swamps and the use of peat for the ovens used to make that small drenched were made in the peat lands.
The most beautiful natural areas in the Netherlands can therefore be considered as cultural landscapes.   
The problem nowadays is that there are barely any sheep’s left, it’s cheaper to have tiles on our roofs instead of thatched roof and electricity is a lot simpler than burning peat. The loss of these habits means that these very unique landscapes which are so typical for the Netherlands will disappear if not maintained. If nothing would be done to preserve our cultural landscapes they would disappear as well as some unique plants and animals and ecosystems, leaving a forest behind.  
Dutch nature organizations therefore still help nature by maintaining some old uses. Nowadays they do not get any profit from the work they do, but it helps to preserve our cultural landscapes with its unique plants and animals and ecosystems. In some areas however it is hard to get there with machines, and things have to be done the same way our ancestors did them; by hand.  
Dutch nature organizations cannot handle all this labor-intensive work. And some unique natural areas would disappear if not hundreds of volunteers would yearly help out with the maintaining of the Dutch cultural landscape. In the summer SIW groups help out as well.