Say "Yes!" to Volunteering! A Meeting with the Department for SCN and EVS of the Province of Foggia

On 27 October 2011 we made our first visit to the Department for SCN and EVS of the Province of Foggia. That’s when first we got to know about the National Civil Service in Italy. 
During the meeting, Mr. Antonio Fusco and MS Grazia Lodato from the National Civil Service and EVS Department, told us about the Italian volunteering programme, the National Civil Service and the Civil Service abroad, the long tradition of volunteering in Italy.

We had also many other meetings in the Department for SCN and EVS of the Province of Foggia since then and we also had the opportunity to meet in person and to talk to many Italian volunteers serving for this programme in Foggia, Manfredonia, San Severo…

Here’s a general description in English language of how the programme works for those who are not familiar with this national volunteering service or never heard of this opportunity before.

Each and every young person has an opportunity to carry out their National Civil Service both in Italy and abroad! For a period of one year they’ll work as volunteers in organizations in the non-profit sector. This experience serves as an important part of both personal and professional growth and sometimes can even help you to define your future professional life.

To become a volunteer of the NCS all candidates have to fill in a special form defining their educational, volunteering background, and also their motivation to become a part of the project they selected (once there’s a public call all candidates are to choose one project out of the list). All the applications are evaluated by the board and each candidate gets points depending on his motivation and previous experience. After that all applicants are interviewed in person. And some time later, if they are suitable for the selected project, they take up their voluntary job. In the initial stage every volunteer gets a training which is, in my opinion, very important both for the hosting organization and for the volunteer himself. It makes the young person aware of possible difficulties and how to handle them, prepares psicologically and equips him with the necessary skills for social work.

The Civil Service abroad is quite similar to the NCS. The only difference is that the hosting organization is located not in Italy but in another European country. In the past the Province of Foggia had very successful experience of sending volunteers to Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. In my opinion, volunteering abroad has one great advantage over the national volunteering. Apart from the working experience you have an opportunity to discover a new country, explore its culture and lifestyle, taste its food and, of course, learn the language! Isn’t it the chance you must take?

If you want to learn more about the National Civil Service in the province of Foggia or the Civil Service abroad, as well as EVS opportunities abroad, feel free to check out the site or come directly to the Province of Foggia! 

Anna and Zoli, EVS volunteers “A Solidarity Shelter”