VOLUNTEER IN FAMDIF
In Murcia (Spain)
Murcia, Spain - Duration: 11 months
The hosting organization: FAMDIF
The Federation of Murcian Associations for People with Physical and/or Organic Disabilities of the Region of Murcia (FAMDIF/COCEMFE-MURCIA) was founded in 1982 in response to the concerns of non-profit associations that compose it, as a means of joining forces to achieve their common goals: the social integration of the physically and/or organically disabled people, and their active participation normalised in social problems and especially those that are directly concerned in their difficulties such as elimination of architectural and social barriers, access to culture, to work, to sports, to health etc.
FAMDIF / COCEMFE-MURCIA is a non-governmental organisation, of a social and non-profit character that expects to serve as a channel to the concerns of the Associations for People with Physical and/or Organic Disabilities of the Region of Murcia. It has an essentially activist character as well as a service provider to the extent that the Administration does not generate them. In addition, it is the Federation of Murcian Associations for People with Physical and/or Organic Disabilities of the Region of Murcia and, in turn, it is a member of COCEMFE (State Confederation for People with Physical and Organic Disabilities of Spain), which represents this group in the presence of the Administration, the Private Enterprise and the Society, and brings together more than 1.600 organisations. Since 2010, COCEMFE has the Seal of Commitment to European Excellence 200+ for its Management System, according to the criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model.
Its work is based fundamentally on the detection and resolution of the situations of social exclusion, in which disabled people often live, the study of the causes, the obtaining of the material and human resources that can reduce them, and as a last resort, allow as soon as possible, an autonomous existence in accordance with the principles of Accessibility, Integration and Normalisation.
FAMDIF / COCEMFE-MURCIA is currently composed of 17 associations.
Mission: Our mission is to represent, support and advice all associations for people with physical and organic disabilities of the Region of Murcia federated while developing services and activities aimed at its member organisations and people with physical and organic disabilities with the objective of achieving the real equality between people with physical and organic disabilities and the rest of the citizens, making them respect the principle of equality in the face of Law and the defence of their rights in all aspects of their lives.
Vision: FAMDIF/COCEMFE wants to be a reference within the movement association of people with disabilities, transparent in its management , to empower its representative and activist character, and be a provider of quality services, with the ability to adapt, in order to meet the needs of its target group and thus fulfil its mission.
Values: FAMDIF/COCEMFE acquires the commitment to achieve its mission and vision acting through the compliance with the following principles and values based on international declarations of human rights and rights that affect people with disabilities: Solidarity, Defence of the rights of people with disabilities, Participation, Independence, Commitment and Equality, Transparency, Efficiency and Effectiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Continuous improvement, Internal Democracy, Innovation, Responsibility, Diversity and Respect for the dignity of people.
FAMDIF/COCEMFE as the Federation of Murcian Associations for People with Physical and/or Organic Disabilities of the Region of Murcia, has as main action axes to represent, support and advice its federated associations, claim and defend the rights of people with physical and organic disabilities, and provide services as long as they are not provided directly by the Administration.
FRAMEWORK OF THE PROJECT
FAMDIF / COCEMFE-MURCIA works at regional level with the aim of improving the living conditions of people with physical and organic disabilities; its main headquarters is located in the capital (Murcia) where nearly half a million people reside.
The Region of Murcia, is one of the 17 Autonomous Communities of Spain. Located in the southeast corner of the Iberian Peninsula, between the Valencian Community, Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha.
In Spain, there is currently a high incidence of disability and the Region of Murcia specifically represents with 7.17% the second highest prevalence rate of disability among the population of active age.
The statistics are there: only one in four people with disabilities is currently employed, it is a diverse group in which only 15% (compared to 30% of people without disabilities) reaches higher education, 43% leaves precociously education (compared to 25% PSD) and 70% experiences barriers to access education. It is a collective with unequal working conditions and among people with disabilities 20% perform elementary occupations, also receiving salaries 10% lower than the rest of the population, so that labor poverty affects more people with disabilities (15.8% of people with disabilities are working poor). In fact, 31.1% of people with disabilities are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
All this statistical reference attests, the increasing complexity of our work and the importance of continuing to focus on projects such as those developed by FAMDIF / COCEMFE-MURCIA to achieve the full integration of people with disabilities in the Region of Murcia.
ACTIVITIES
FAMDIF / COCEMFE-MURCIA develops the following programs and projects:
• Integral Service for the Recognition and defense of the rights of people with physical and organic disabilities.
• Labor Integration Service / Punto Selfempleo Incorpora.
• Technical Advice and Information Service.
• Educational attention to adults with special needs.
• Sensitization for the suppression of psychosocial barriers.
• Awareness campaigns in the educational field.
• Technical Office of Accessibility (OTAF).
• Internal Training Program.
• Professional training programs.
• Occupational training.
• Social Communication Program.
• Day Center for young dependents "Juan Cerezo".
• Leisure activities and free time.
The activities that the volunteer who comes to our association will make in general are: office work, organization and management of training days, seminars and training courses, actions to improve the quality of care of people with physical disabilities, awareness campaigns, awareness talks in educational centers of primary and secondary and in universities. Promotional activities and promotion of volunteering, training meetings and non-regulated training workshops, support in leisure activities and free time. Support in computer training courses.
SUPPORT TASKS IN PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS
Students with special needs between 15 and 21 years old.
• Accompaniment at the time of rest for students who want to leave the center.
• Accompaniment and support to teachers in external activities organized with students (excursions, visits to students in practice centers).
• Support for teachers in the different workshops that will take place during the course, such as crafts for the development of fine motor skills.
• Support for teachers in daily classes in mathematics, language, English and office automation.
• Supervision of students at times when the teacher has to be absent from the classroom.
• Making photocopies.
• Elaboration with the teacher of teaching material (daily activities).
• Accompanying students to public transport (in case any student so requires).
• Contact with external agents who collaborate with the center, for example with teaching staff of the visual team of O.N.C.E. that pay attention to students with vision problems in coordination and collaboration with the teachers of the center.
• Accompany the bathroom to students with severe physical disabilities who need help.
Volunteer's perfil
In FAMDIF we consider that, due to the characteristics of the users with whom we work, the person who performs his/her volunteering in our Association it´s important he/she has healthy moral and psychological conditions.
We will value those volunteers who are aware of the issue of disability. We will also value that they have some kind of experience with people with disabilities (volunteers, relatives, community ...).
Specifically, the profile that we would like the volunteers we want to receive, depends on the program in which they carry out their volunteer work. Because the programs are very varied and based on the collective with which the Murcia Federation of Associations of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities works, we highlight the following characteristics about the profile of the volunteers who work in FAMDIF / COCEMFE-MURCIA :
Awareness: We will value that the volunteers who participate are people who are sensitive to the disability, who do not have difficulty speaking in public and who like to work with adults and also with minors.
Training: We will value that the volunteers who carry out training workshops are interested in the topic of the formation of the workshops in which they will support and participate.
Accompaniment in theater activities: We will value volunteers who show artistic skills and abilities as well as social skills for dealing with people with disabilities.
Accompaniment in leisure activities: We will value people who are sensitive to disability, and who possess social skills for dealing with people with disabilities.
We will value those people who have a spirit of solidarity and generous delivery of the best of oneself; that they know how to respect and actively defend the dignity of the beneficiaries and promote the integral development of the beneficiary with empathy and patience. It is important that they possess a certain degree of maturity, emotional balance, ability to coexist and adapt to teamwork. We will also positively value those people who are participative and communicative in meetings and working relationships, who are open to new experiences and people, and who are willing to leave open doors to initiative and creativity.
Basic knowledge of Spanish language will be appreciated.
ACCOMMODATION AND PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
The volunteers participating in our project will live together with other European volunteers in an apartment situated in city centre and rented by the coordinating organization Euroaccion. Each volunteer will have his/her own room to guarantee privacy and good living conditions. Each month the coordinating organization Euroaccion will transfer to the volunteer’s Spanish bank account (opened at the arrival in Spain with the support of the coordinating organization) the amount of money correspondent to the pocket money and the food money. This money will be managed by the volunteer freely and independently.
The coordinating organization will pay monthly the rent of the apartment and the bills, in order to make volunteers free from these tasks. The apartment will be located around 15 minutes from our Organization. There is a bus line that takes the volunteer directly from his house to the place of work and vice versa with frequent passages. The coordinating organization will cover the costs of the monthly tickets for the public transport.
ESC - European Solidarity Corps
As a volunteer the European Solidarity Corps allows you to learn through non-formal experiences, improve existing or acquire new skills for your personal, educational or professional development.
The European Solidarity Corps covers:
- Your travel expenses from where you live to Murcia and back (return ticket);
- All fees for visa and residence permission;
- Comprehensive insurance (health, accident and liability insurance);
- Free accommodation: a single room in a shared apartment;
- Pocket money in the amount of 150€ per month;
- Food allowance 150€ per month;
- Participation in on-arrival training and mid-term evaluation meeting.
- The opportunity to attend Spanish courses together with other foreigners.
If you are interested in this project, please send us your CV and Motivational Letter to natalia.kacperska@semperavanti.org with the subject VOLUNTEERING in FAMDIF.