Eboli has about 37.000 inhabitants and the main town is at about 15 km from the sandy coast of the Salerno gulf. Former Roman town, its still presents an ancient historical centre with remains fro middle-age and Rinascimento periods. Its countryside is crossed by the river Sele and its coast is plan and covered by an intense pinewood along which runs one of the longest bike road of Italy. Eboli’s territory is rich in different natural site, with the seaside, countryside, hills, mountains and two regional parks (Monti Picentini and Foce Sele). The main economical activity I still agriculture, in particular the production of tomatoes and cheese and mozzarella which buffalo milk. They town is at few km from the main town Salerno and one hour by train from Naples. Eboli hosts many high schools serving the whole area, so that the population of young people is quite important.
The volunteers, sharing the activities of Legambiente Eboli, have the opportunity to be included in a strong group of persons working in different ways in the most varied projects. Experts in environmental and educational questions, the members of Legambiente Silaris can offer much learning opportunities to the young Europeans, especially working side by side in order to explain better the specific situation of the hosting town. Eboli is very rich in traditions and culture, his inhabitants are friendly and open. The volunteers have the possibility to prove their personal engagement in an activity of voluntary service on a background which is different from their usual surroundings where they former lived, an activity without profit in advantage to the community. The young people EVS our guests during the last experiences, thanks to our effort to include them in the local community, took part in activities promoted by youth groups and youth organizations following lessons in local cooking, music, singing, Italian language, sports,participating in local events and performances of culture and theatre, visiting the natural beauties and artistic richness of the neighbourhood. The efforts of the host organization will help to integrate the young people quickly in the local community.
- Environment education: activities in school and families, raising awareness and promoting active participation to environment protection. Every season there are different topic, such as play schemes with recycled material for kindergartens or energy saving lessons for teenagers.
The volunteers will take gradually the role of promoters and animators of the voluntary service and its initiatives, especially among young people which suffer for limited local working opportunities. The youngsters are actively involved in planning, execution and evaluation of the activities EVS and they will get an appropriate coaching during all the project. We haven't routine work.
VISIBILITY AND VALORIZATION OF THE PROJECT The volunteers' functions will bring an additional European value and foresee a continuous contact with the local community, with the local administration and the schools in Eboli. The project is very important for the town and its administrators. Our volunteers were always welcomed by the Mayor of the town and also received during their voluntary service. At the end of their work they got remarkable gifts from the Mayor in the Town Hall of Eboli. The members of the association Silaris together with the volunteers started a large promotion campaign for EVS in the local schools and in the University of Salerno.
Concluding projects in environmental education, we realized CDs giving prominence to the activities of the young EVS volunteers. Their work, their engagement were always appreciated by the local press reporting a wide echo.
LINGUISTIC AND INTERCULTURAL PREPARATION, ACQUISITION OF NEW SKILLS, SITUATION OF THE HOST COUNTRY
The host organization will provide for the linguistic training of the volunteers. Foreseen is, if the young people agree, the registration in a language course in Italian, in music, in painting, in cooking old local food, in sports and so on.
The population of Eboli is used to organize all over the year important public events in occasion of the religious and local festivities with a large participation of the town. The volunteers can always take part in the preparing activities of the different quarters during the weeks before the festivities.
In summer Eboli offers a lot of important events, cultural performances and theatre.
TRAINING AND ACQUISITION OF PERSONAL SKILLS, EDUCATION, LEARNING: EVS will be a learning time providing knowledge and competences in benefit of the personal and professional growth, of training and last not least of increasing the social integration in the local community.
The circle Legambiente Silaris takes part in CSV: Regional Observatory for Voluntary Service, Foundation South Campania. The observatory with provincial seat in Salerno, organizes courses of training in voluntary service, offering new opportunities of development. Legambiente has founded years ago a network of circles working together in voluntary service all over the province of Salerno. The members of Pontecagnano, Paestum-Capaccio, Agropoli and Eboli take part in cultural projects of national, regional and provincial importance. The young evs people have the possibility to follow also training courses and meetings promoted by Cvs. We shall visit agricultural and breeding farms on the plain of river Sele, where we find the buffalo-breeding of Campania and the transformation of milk in mozzarella, but also other realities of local handicraft as workrooms for artistic pottery.
TUTOR AND COACHING: The tutor lives near the flat of the volunteers She will meet them regularly monitoring their progress and helping to solve problems. The volunteers will get the necessary training for carrying out the tasks entrusted. The tutor is well identified inside the organization and she coaches the volunteers during all the project integrating them in the social and cultural life of the town. The tutor starts her role before the volunteer’s arrival, sending information and keeping contact with him/her by e-mail and telephone calls. She organizes an official meeting on the beginning of the project, individual and then with all persons involved. The next meetings will be less formal, but, however, directed to verify the continuous progress in learning and short, middle and long term results. The tutor involves the volunteers in planning and execution of the project entrusting the tasks. Other members of the local group have the supervision on the volunteers, in particular the President represents in his role a guarantee for impartiality. At last every 2 weeks there will be a meeting with the tutor, the volunteers and the members of the circle involved in order to increase networking. During these meetings the activities will be checked up and new actions planned.
The main activities of Legambiente in the future will be:Consolidation of the protected natural area with its dune along the coast of the Commune of Eboli. This site, at our takeover in 2002, was totally neglected and full of wastes. It is a particular place of suggestive beauty, an area of 22 hectares of pinewood and 3 hectares of beach. We work on the little piece of dune trying to dam the erosion of the coast and we catalogue all species of plants, several of them included in the European Red List of dying out plants. For cleaning pinewood and bush zone we needed a long time, so for its care and conservation. Inside the protected area we realized a pick-nick area, an area for games, a run path and we delimited the pathes to the beach also by collocating sign boards. The EVS volunteers will be responsible for cleaning and maintenance of the protected area, they accompany and inform pupils and visitors coming from the neighbourhood. Especially in summer we have plenty of persons, a good number of them undisciplined.
Our tasks are:
1 - the census of the flora and its conservation: we must complete the sign boards the conservation and preservation of the area by ecological rehabilitation in order to allow a sustainable use and benefit of the site. During the winter we visit the area every week, in summer every day. (ecological rehabilitation, activities in benefit of the community)
2 - Project kitchen gardens in the town and green areas: the gardens, situated in the surroundings of the town, are run by retired persons, called "ortolani" , all members of our association. They cultivate vegetables and fruits without pay for it. A little garden is run by other volunteers of the circle together with a school of the town. The gardens are the place where all aged persons, grandfathers, grandmothers, children, young people and volunteers spend their time in growing vegetables by using compost, a biological way of agriculture, but it is also a place of intense socialization.
The Harvest celebration, a tree for every new born in Eboli, benches, tables, flower beds are the fruits of socialization and confirm the desire to spend the time together. The volunteers help the gardeners running side activities, keep contact with the local schools and coltivate our show garden united to the green areas. The commune of Eboli with a recent adjudication has awarded an olive-yard next to our gardens. Last spring the trees were lopped and we hope to gather the first biological olives. The gardens are open every day. (ecological rehabilitation, activities in benefit of the community, interculture, social-environmental integration)
3 - Project: therapy by gardening: from September to June a group of boys and girls with handicaps helps in the cultivation of the show garden and in the conservation of the area. The young EVS volunteers work with them at least one day a week in order to enforce the fight against every kind of discrimination.(fight against every kind of discrimination, cooperation, exclusion-inclusion)
4 - Projects of environmental education in the local schools to increase information and training for the future generations. These matters change every year. In this winter we started a programme in a Kindergarten: the transformation of waste in Christmas decorations. We adorned a Christmas tree only with recycled material. An other project are energy saving lessons for teenager whose title is: From Global to Local, from the Ancient to Modern Times. The volunteers are always the active part in these educational projects on environment and the contact with children, boys and girls was every time a success.
During the school year we foresee monthly 2 or 4 lessons. (participation of the young people in active citizenship and in various forms of teaching participation)
Legambiente with the intent to integrate the volunteers in the local community collaborates in activities promoted by other organizations of the House of Associations. In particular our circle is part of the "Table for Peace", the "School for Peace" with weekly meetings in the afternoon or evening. We are active in promotion and recovering of the historical centre. We support the Festival of Puppet Theatre, the cultural events, the Youth Music Festival and other performances which need the collaboration from the associations of voluntary service. There our volunteers find the opportunity of exchange with other young people. They take part in the initiatives of the Youth Council, Environment Council founded by the commune of Eboli ( political meetings, participation in active citizenship, in varied forms of teaching participation, in democratic life and in informed democracy)
Our association in 2008 will receive 5 young people from the Civil Service (Civil National Service ex L. 64/01) All legal steps to obtain this target were made, thanks to the Arci Civil Service in Salerno. Therefore the young volunteers EVS will have the opportunity to work together with young people from the local community in all activities mentioned before. (cooperation between young people based on participation, cultural cooperation, information and voluntary activities, social-cultural exchange, European citizenship)Legambiente Campania has a free convention with the Ministry of Justice for Minors in Salerno about the trial of minors at risk or minors penally condemned. Our circle is disposed to collaborate with the Social Service of the Law Court in projects regarding minors from Salerno. The minors' project will be part of our activities under the supervision and control of the local Social Service. (variety social-environmental activity in benefit of the community)
Legambiente Silaris during the summer in cooperation with VOLONTARIAMBIENTE -a branch of Legambiente national- promotes camps of voluntary work for young people and seniors. The seniors in small groups of 2 or 3 persons live together with the young people EVS in our flat in Eboli (cooperation between young people based on participation, cultural cooperation, information, activities in voluntary service, European citizenship)
We continuously promote exhibitions, campaigns and information points (participation of the young people in active citizenship, in varied forms of teaching participation)
OUR ACTIVITIES DURING THE YEAR LINKED TO THE PROJECT.
National campaigns of Legambiente:
The day of trees, November
A tree for every new born January
100 streets for playing April
Cleaned beaches May
Don't joke with the fire July
Clean up the world September
Target rivers October-November
3 days for the swan October
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Garden festival June - September
Cultural event Eburum-Eboli June
Ethnic music festival June
Attrizzi festival in the historical city July
Sand castles July
National, international work camps July - August
Festival of the puppet theatre September - December
The volunteers will support all these events promoting them and taking part in the national campaigns of Legambiente.
IN ACTION ALL THE YEAR
• Educational projects, active citizenship, ecological rehabilitation (recycling of different materials, reduction of waste, renewable energy, use of resources, protected area on the seaside)
• Management project Ministry for Justice and Minors: trial with minors at risk.
• Management gardens in the town.
• Management protected area on the seaside-
• Management therapy by gardening for young people with handicap-
• House of Associations: Meetings with the Table for Peace and preparation for the conferences of the School for Peace.
• Civil Voluntary Service (start 2008)-
• Environmental education project in the local schools.
• Environment Council and Youth Council-
• The volunteers are actively involved in planning, execution and evaluation of the project all over the year.
PROJECT CONDITIONS
The volunteers normally work for 25 -30 hours in a week with 2 free days, in particular during summer time they always work over the week-end.
ACCOMODATION The host organization offers an appropriate, rented, flat in the centre of the town where the volunteers live. It is also the seat of the circle Legambiente Silaris.
FOOD The host organization will provide the money necessary for buying food in order to allowthat the volunteers prepare autonomously their meals cooking by themselves. Foreseen are cooking courses, if desired, in family or organized by the local associations of voluntary service.
The project is open to every candidature included young people with cultural and social handicaps. We only ask a strong motivation. Normally we dispose an information schedule to fill in by the candidate where he explains his reasons. The sending organizations (over 50 in Europe) are preferably those who have links to Legambiente national through other projects in international voluntary service, but we remain open to all other connections.
Our activities, much of them in the open air, don't consent other forms of handicap than the ethnic, cultural or social one. The responsible of the association is an experienced social worker able to find other supporting means in every case.
The tutor and the volunteers of the local group assure their continuous attendance and an adequate personal help, especially on the beginning of the voluntary service. It will be put in practice every effort for integrating the volunteers in the local community, even through the participation in meetings promoted by other local organizations, regarding cultural projects and theatre. With deep engagement the host organization will facilitate the volunteers' integration in the local community. The volunteers can contact the tutor and the members of the circle in every moment, especially if there are problems, incomprehension, adaptation crisis, difficulties in integration. They dispose of all their addresses and phone numbers, they can contact them in every moment day and night. A telephone with SIM card is at their disposition.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Health services are granted through the service of "Medical care" and the "First aid" in the Hospital of Eboli.
Especial needs related to food (vegetarians, diabetics etc.) and health care with natural drugs were widely satisfied in the past.
Among the activities of training the volunteers take part in a course for leader of work-camps where they learn to manage tools and also the principles of first aid.
PREVENTION OF RISKS The volunteers don't dispose of a car, they normally use the public bus service or they are accompanied by the members of the circle. The activities of the project are practically without risk (only a few tools for cleaning the beach and the pinewood). These works are done with high safety standards at the side of experienced persons. There isn't planned any dangerous work or intervention after the outbreak of crisis.
YOUTH programme |
The local group of Legambiente, named Silaris, born in 1995 and operates in the area of the towns of Eboli and Battipaglia. Its main activities are:
.. Environmental protection of the coast and of the inland in the area of Eboli, through national and international actions mainly proposed in summer time; the conservation work reaches also regional protected areas and archaeological sites;
.. Environmental education schedules in schools;
.. Awareness campaigns: urban air pollution, wastes, sea protection, water shortage, etc.
.. Work and consultation with public institution for important environmental issues; work in network with other like-minded organization in the area and the region.
.. Work for peace and anti-racism;
.. Practical actions: constitution and conservation of the coastal area, with beach and pinewood, and fruit and vegetable gardens wit elderly people in the main town Eboli.
The association counts about 60 individual members and works without any permanent staff. Our activities mainly targets all aged people in order to raise awareness about general conservation and personal new attitudes more nature friendly. In specific project we get in touch with young people (summer camps), children and students (school educational units), elderly people (city gardens project).
As for young people, national and international summer camps for volunteers with environmental activities are aimed to recover natural paths with Middle Ages ruins and archaeological areas (artisans' quarters from the Roman period) as well as natural areas of regional importance, once degraded and neglected and now turned to social-environmental projects. Since a long time these experiences bring together young people from all over the world to meet, elaborate and discuss projects and activities of environmental rehabilitation, but also to form an other kind of intercultural learning between individuals with a different cultural, ethnical and religious background. (cooperation between young people based on participation, cultural cooperation, information and voluntary activities). We also try to involve more and more local and international youth in being active in the democratic life and participation in political decisions concerning the environment, in promotion and in activities concerning the Regional Park of the Picentini Mountains, also through days of voluntary service and involvement.
As for school actions, environmental education in schools aiming to increase a different ecological conscience in pupils of the State School (the young people learn an active citizenship and take part in the learning process of teaching participation).
Then we work also to implement national campaigns promoted by our main umbrella Legambiente: air pollution, wastes, sea protection, guardianship of protected areas. We are also part of the Environmental Town Council to involve the local administration of the town into nature protection of the area. Ecological rehabilitation: achievement of e protected area on the seaside of the commune of Eboli (activities in advantage of the community)
Other activities: project of therapy by gardening with a group of disabled citizens aiming to reinforce the fight against every kind of discrimination (cooperation, exclusion-inclusion); Civil voluntary service (since 2008) (cooperation between young people based on participation, cultural cooperation, information and voluntary activities, exchange with different social and cultural realities, European citizenship); we give a trial to minors at risk (variety: activity in benefit of the community) in convention with the Ministry of Justice, Department of Justice for Minors (social-environmental variety: activity in advantage of the community); active citizenship, participation and organization of cultural events, music-theatre festivals, youth-festivals, participation in the Youth Council of Eboli aiming to involve the young people in the local community and the administration of the town to get in touch with youngsters in Europe. The group of Legambiente Silaris is operating in a local ambit in network with other associations of voluntary service on projects of social and cultural issues. The municipality of Eboli offered times ago a house to the different associations for voluntary service, called now "The House of the Associations". In this centre our circle shares a room with other like-minded organizations. It is a meeting point where young people can socialize and the volunteers have the benefit to get an other point of view on the social and cultural life of Eboli. THE VOLUNTEERS EVS HAVE AN IMPORTANT PART IN THIS REALITY WHAT MEANS CONTINUOUS COOPERATION, FORMATION, EDUCATIONAL LEARNING AND SOCIAL-CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE. |
