The AVENIR project was designed to address the need to strengthen the capacity of some rural and urban communities to cope with the various crises of urban communities, in order to help them cope better with crises. To this end, young people in general, and European and national volunteers in particular, were involved as actors in the prevention, mitigation and management of these crises with a view to sustainable resilience. Indirectly, this project aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of considering the involvement of volunteers, both for the individuals deployed and for the host community, and why the involvement of volunteers is an important factor in coping with different humanitarian crises.
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT:
The overall purpose of the AVENIR project was to strengthen youth engagement policies in partner countries in West Africa and Europe as actors in prevention, risk and coping management and to improve people’s resilience.The main actions included the preparation and deployment of 28 European volunteers in three West African countries (Senegal, Togo and Guinea Conakry) together with 9 national volunteers.
This strengthened the capacities of the local organisations that were the beneficiaries of these actions. The resilience of vulnerable populations to health, food crises and climate change risks was also strengthened. This demonstrated the added value of volunteer participation in the prevention and management of humanitarian crises and emergencies.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
- To successfully select, recruit and manage 30 European volunteers for specific tasks in five countries;
- To strengthen the capacity of host organisations and related organisations to mobilise national and international volunteers in humanitarian projects;
- Strengthening the resilience of local communities to reduce the risk of crises in the areas of food security, community health, and water and sanitation;
- Strengthening resilience of local communities to reduce the risk of crises in the area of coastal erosion;
- Sharing experiences and recommendations on the participation of national and international volunteers in improving the quality of life in Member States with a view to influencing national volunteering and third country national volunteering policies.
TARGET GROUPS OF THE PROJECT:
- European and national volunteers;
- Voluntary organisations in the host countries (Togo, Guinea Conakry, Senegal);
- National volunteering schemes in the host countries.
PROJECT PERIOD: 16.10.2018 – 15.3.2021
PROJECT RESULTS:
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS: Association France Volontaires (Francija), Zavod Voluntariat (Slovenija)
(CO)FUNDING: European Union (Eu Aid Volunteers Programme)
AMOUNT OF (GRANTED) FUNDING: 1.041.296,95 EUR (Voluntariat’s share EUR 48.353,82)
