Erbil, KURDISTAN (December 5th, 2017) – Youth Volunteers Initiative: Rwanga Foundation is launching a new project with the title ‘Youth Volunteers Initiative: For the Volunteer Culture’, starting on the 15th of December 2017 and announced on the 5th of December, the annual International Volunteer Day. The aim of this project is to support the youth and young adults in contributing to various needs in the Kurdistan Community, giving the youth and young adults the opportunity to apply voluntary projects.
Voluntary work is generally considered an altruistic activity, in which an individual or a group of people provide services for no personal or financial gain, but merely for the benefit of the public. In order for young people to contribute the various communities and vulnerable groups, volunteers usually need some support, including financial but not salaries, to cover the costs of necessary tools, materials and equipment in order to make the project happen.
Therefore, considering the aforementioned reasons and in order to pave the way towards promoting voluntary and community work, Rwanga Foundation is launching the project of ‘Youth Volunteers Initiative’, which is to urge the female and male youth and young adults to come up with project proposals and participate in a competition to be funded and supported to implement their projects for the best benefit of the public.
Mr. Dastan Qader, Director of Projects at Rwanga Foundation, states:” The Kurdistan Region has about one million youth and young adults (aged 18 to 30), in addition to around 350,000 refugees and IDPs, who are considered as the most energetic segment in the society. If this massive manpower is properly used and utilized, it can certainly be of great benefit to the youth and young adults, their families and the communities as a whole. Therefore, it is very necessary to engage and encourage the youth and young adults to participate in community work and promote a sense of self-worthiness and self-esteem among them!”
General Criteria
The project should be voluntary based and for the well-being of the public communities, benefiting at least one hundred people.
The youth and young adults from the governorates of Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, Kirkuk and Halabja will be invited to submit their initiatives by filling in a project proposal form which can be downloaded via http://www.rwanga.org/yvi
Two projects per governorate (ten projects in total) will be accepted and funded.
Each group of volunteers should consist of minimum five young members (aged 18-30).
Groups which include both males and females are preferred.
Groups which include members of people with specific needs are highly recommended.
The duration of the project’s actual implementation should not exceed two months.
Total cost of each project should not exceed US$ 3,000.
The project budget should not include salaries or any type of stipends to the volunteers, as it is a voluntary-based initiative.
Project proposals should include narrative, financial part (detailed budget breakdown), and photos as well as other documents including maps, designs, approvals, etc., as necessary.
The project proposal and all necessary documents should be submitted by email to: [email protected]
A special committee consisting of representatives of Rwanga Foundation, sponsor, concerned government authority, civil society and a technical expert will review the applications and select the best two projects per governorate.
Theme of the initiatives:
- The initiatives should focus on the below sectors:
Education
Rehabilitation of Buildings
Environmental Awareness
Health Awareness
GBV Awareness
Supporting Vulnerable Groups
Sports
Cultural Cohesion
The International Volunteer Day (IVD-December 5th) is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make their contributions visible – at local, national and international levels – to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This year’s UN Volunteers campaign runs under the slogan “Volunteers Act First. Here. Everywhere” and is for the recognition of volunteer efforts around the world, and in particular to support volunteers providing help in times of instability, disasters and humanitarian crises.
