Hello! Here we are!!!

We are coming from 5 different countries of Europe: Slovakia, Serbia, Russia, Germany and Poland.

See the pictures: [The group]

The volunteers and their work

Before we start working we are going to school in “Narvik voksenopplæring”, a school for immigrants from all over the world. We can go there during the whole time we are here.

There is a big offer of all sorts of activities for volunteers in Narvik. We can elect our work according to our interests and are not in dept to stay only in one working place all the time.

Slovakia

My name is Ivana Takascova. I am 26 years old coming from Kosice, the second biggest city in Slovakia. I was studying history of arts in Prague finishing my Bachelor parallel to my volunteer service. With my arrival in March 2010, I was the first one of the group 2010/2011 who came to Narvik and I will already leave in the middle of December 2010. I have been in Norway before working as an au-pair for one year. So I can already speak Norwegian.

My main working place is the Ofoten Museum, where I get a perfect offer to involve my studies’ knowledge.

My last big project in Narvik is to registries all pictures from the famous artist from Narvik, Arne Linder Olsen. Thereby, I prepare the basis for the art exhibition, which the museum intends to stage in autumn 2011. I am also using this project as my master thesis.

Here you can read more about Ivana’s project:Fremover_14th of October 2010

I did also volunteer work at the European Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, where I have been a hosting person for the Slovak delegation.

Before the others went to school I was norwegian teacher for them, preparing them for Norwegian lessons in school.

Serbia

Dusan (28) and Dimitrije (23) are coming both from the same city, Kikinda in the north-eastern part of Serbia, which has around 45.000 inhabitants. Funnily enough, the first time they met was in Narvik...

I am Dusan Vrucinic. I was studying on an Electro technical university before I came to Narvik. Besides studying I was volunteering and an active member of the non government organization Centre for Support of Women and had also experience in working with Youth.

I love to interact with children, so I chose the kindergarten “Furutoppen barnehage” as my main working place.

A big project, with which I am also working, is the Beisfjord project, upon which is based the finding and interviews with Yugoslav prisoners’ survivors from Beisfjord, which was a notorious concentration camp in northern Norway during the Second World War and and the largest percentage of the death concentration camp in the Third Reich! In cause to present youth people, in primary and secondary schools in the Narvik Commune and beyond, the situation that happened in their neighbourhood: Massacre and torture of soldiers of the Third Reich against the Yugoslav and Soviet prisoners...

I am Dimitrije Udicki. I just finished my bachelor in architecture before I came to Norway on the 10^th of April 2010. With my departure on the 1^st of December 2010, I am the second one of the group who will leave Narvik.

My job is mainly to help in a designing office, which is located in Narvik.

Another big job is to draw the plan of the War Museum’s building.

After my voluntary service I would like to continue my studies by making my master.

Russia

Georgiy (21) and Ilya (28) arrived together on the 14^th of June.

I am Georgiy coming from Saint Petersburg. After one year of studies in Media and TV with the specification of dramaturgy, I broke up and joined the military service, where I was playing the drums in the military orchestra. After that I decided to become a volunteer in Norway with the aim to gain more non formal education. Besides my studies I was dancing step dance what I also continue here in Narvik.

Now I am mainly working with children in the “Rallarn barnehagen”.

Another big project for me is to plan a performance which I want to present on the “Juleforstelling” from Narvik’s ballet school in December.

After my Voluntary Service I would like to continue my studies. In the future I wish to write screenplays which concern about the children’s problems.

My name is Ilya and I come from Kostroma, middle Russia. Before I started to become a designer, I was a cook. I worked in children camps, played the guitar and the flute besides my work.

Here in Narvik, my main working place is the kindergarden “Furutoppen barnehage”. When we have international evenings in the Youth Club Verdensteater, I am designing the posters.

After my voluntary service, my wish is to stay in Norway, finding some work.

Germany

Steffi (20) and Sina (19) arrived on 19^th of July. Both of them were just finishing their A-levels in school before they came to Narvik. They decided to gain some experience in another country, with a different culture and language by making European Voluntary Service before they will start with their studies.

I am Steffi coming from Greven, a middle-sized town near by Münster in Nordrhein-Westfalen, the northern part of Germany. Besides school I used to work with children in my religious community as a “Messdiener”. So I had already experiences with children’s activities which I want to provide here in Narvik.

My main working place is the kinder garden “Rallarn barnehage”. I am enjoying the big offer of different activities with the children there very much.

I am also helping in the German lessons in the Frydenlund skole and in Svein Tore's office.

After my EVS I am thinking about a study in theologies to become a teacher due the fact I recognized that the work with children could be a fulfilling job for me in the future.

I am Sina coming from Ludwigsburg, a middle-sized town near by Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, the southern part of Germany. I am interested in arts and literature and used to paint and draw regularly besides school in Germany.

At the beginning, my main working place was the library where I have been working for two month. Afterwards I started to write for Narviksenteret’s Website to fill it up with some news of our voluntary work and activities and to help in the German lessons in the Narvik videregående skole Frydenlund.

I am also planning the promotion of the "Aktiv Ungdom" programme, especially the EVS programme, in the northern part of Norway.  

Alongside to my volunteer service I was playing theatre with Narvik’s theatre group “Narvik Teaterlag” joining the Christmas show “Jaken på Julegavene” in November 2010 (see also: Julefortstelling PDF).

Poland:

“The little extra”

There are also some occupations in or out of Narvik which can also span a longer time. These tasks are very important for our volunteer service, in that we are mostly doing them all together and are using them for travelling, for seeing something else and for having some other experiences additionally to our main work.

In the “Haraldvollen leieskole” we are helping rotational in groups of two people for about two weeks, mostly in the time when there are some school classes as visitors. “Haraldvollen” is not a one-time project because on and off there is some help needed:

The main work is composed in helping in the kitchen or in cleaning the cabins. However, there is also provided an opportunity to join the pupil’s activities in accompanying their canoeing tours, horse riding or swimming in the proximate “Polar badet”. We always spend a great time there.

We worked on different kinds of festivals such as the Sami culture festival “Riddu Riddu” (read more: Riddu Riddu) or the “Døgnvill” rock festival in Tromsø.

When there are some special children days in Narvik, we are mostly helping by creating our own projects. For example the “FN dagen” in Oktober (read more: Dancing and singing) or the International Children’s Day in November.

read more: Kjeldebotn

                 [Barnas verdensdag]

In August we were ascend Norway’s national mountain “Stetind” (here are some pictures: [Stetind - Our climbing] . Our guiding person was Anne-Margarethe jriaiahi who is working in the centre of culture in Narvik. As gratitude for her guiding, we helped her in arranging the garage, where all the things for outdoor activities are kept.

A very long project was in Beisfjord, where the boys were fixing the memorial place of the old prison camp from the Second World War, which was the largest in northern Norway and very important for the history in this region. The boys were working on this place for around two month.

Here you can see some pictures from Beisfjord: [Beisfjord]