Assisting the daily life and organising social, sports and leisure activities for handicapped people
       Yeni Sakran          May 1 - September 30, 2008

Volunteer project: Alternative camp is a place for both psychically and mentally disabled people and people with special needs of all kinds. Here all kind of sport programs, social, educational and training activities are held. Thus it is a very challenging and hard work.

Volunteers are expected to assist all manual and social work organized at the camp as well as helping for the daily services like cleaning, gardening, etc. You can also develop new activities depending on your talents. Interested volunteers will be trained as dive-buddies for disabled people to the standard of HSA (Disabled Scuba Association).

Volunteer work: Serving and assisting the disabled people in their daily life at the camp site, assisting the instructors during sport activities and courses, organizing and running social activities, manual work concerning reparations, gardening, cleaning, leading groups for trekking and excursions.

Qualifications: Volunteers talented in computers, sports, indoor & outdoor activities, music, drama, fine arts, swimming and diving, handicrafts will be preferred. Teachers of above mentioned fields and skippers for the camp boat are needed especially. A motivation letter should be sent along with the application form.

Language: English. Some Turkish might be helpful but not necessary.

Volunteer profile: Candidates should have a strong motivation to work with disabled people, socially disadvantaged groups & individuals and write a detailed motivation letter including their experience (if any) and wish to be a part of a hard working team. Previous experiences are preferable, but good mood & good will are essential.

Duration of the project: One to two months between May 1 and September 30, 2008. One can start any time and the minimum stay is a month, although recommended maximum stay is 2 months. Longer stays up to 6 months are possible with the approval of the local management.

Accommodation: In triple rooms with bathroom. Food will be served at the centre.

Location: Yeni Sakran is in the west of Turkey by the Aegean Sea coast. Nearest city is İzmir.

Terminal: Istanbul

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Age range: 18 and over
 

Running a recreation program for mentally retarded youngsters in Istanbul
       Istanbul          until December 31, 2008

Volunteer project: Are you interested in working with disabled people? If yes, and if you are a sport and outdoor trainer, animator, musician, dancer, artist (painter, sculptor), cook, medical student, psychologist, teacher, or without any skills but highly motivated to work with handicapped people, this project is tailor made for you. The Alternative Life Association is running a “living & training home” for 30 mentally retarded youngsters (age 16-29) in Istanbul, located by the Istanbul Straight known as Bosphorus.

Volunteer work: Serving and assisting the disabled people in their daily life at the “living & training home”, organizing and running social & sport activities, manual work concerning reparations, gardening, cleaning, leading groups for trekking and excursions.

Qualifications: Volunteers talented in computers, sports, indoor & outdoor activities, music, drama, fine arts, swimming and diving, handicrafts will be preferred. A motivation letter should be sent along with the application form.

Language: English. Some Turkish might be helpful but not necessary. Basic Turkish lesson will be given to the volunteers.

Duration of the project: 1 to 6 months till the end of 2008. One can start any time.

Accommodation: In the dormitory of the center. Food will be served at the centre.

Location: The center is located in the northern part of Istanbul with easy transport access.

Terminal: Istanbul

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Age range: 18 and over
 

Experience life and work on a traditional organic farm
       eco farms in rural areas all over Turkey          until October 31, 2008

Volunteer project: The farms are located in different regions of Turkey. They are the samples of the traditional organic farming in Turkey as many other farmers use chemicals unfortunately. All projects offer a very close contact with the local people as the volunteers will be living & working together with the farmer families.

There will be different type of daily manual and sometimes hard work in each farm such as picking up vegetables or fruits; hoeing, raking or spading the soil; grafting or pruning the trees, watering the plants and trees, mowing grasses, weeding, animal feeding & caring, basic construction works, producing mud bricks, harvesting crops, drying leaves or seeds, processing grains, producing jam or sauce, dry stone wall making, etc. Of course not all these works will be faced in each farm and in each period, but volunteers must be ready to do any kind of manual work requested.
Teaching basic daily English might be a task of the volunteers as well. Farmers will be working alongside and working hours may vary depending on the work. Also working hours will be longer than usual workcamps, but farmers are tolerant towards volunteers unless they are not really lazy.

Please note that you might be the only volunteer at the time when you are in the farm. But if you apply as a small group of friends, it is possible to place you altogether.

Language: English

Duration of the project: Dates are flexible, thus you can start any time. Minimum stay is 1 week in each farm, maximum is 2 months. It is also possible to spend your time in different farms at different regions by staying for at least 1 week in each farm. The placement will be done according to the availability of the farms at the time of application.

Accommodation: Volunteers will stay in or nearby the farms in separate rooms. Meals are usually eaten with the family members. Mainly vegetarian food is served.

Note: All volunteers have to arrive in Istanbul for an orientation meeting prior to their project.

Terminal: Istanbul

Age range: 18 and over

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Extra fee: 30 Euro for any period of time, be paid on arrival
 

click here  for short-term projects in Turkey

click here  for volunteer programs in other countries