The basic idea of the MFA Polish Aid Volunteering Programme is to support development projects implemented in the developing countries and those under social and economic transformation, but it also strives to raise awareness among Polish society of problems existing in these countries. According to the survey conducted by TNS OBOP at the request of the Development Co-operation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in November 2007, among preferable ways of providing development assistance to poorer countries there is voluntary work (and also giving foreign students an opportunity to study in Poland, investments of Polish companies and further opening of Polish market to goods from developing countries).

A volunteer can be anyone who:

• is of age and has Polish citizenship,
• has at least secondary education,
• knows the language of the receiving country or any other language allowing fluent communication in the community where the project will be implemented,
• has no health contraindications to take part in a given volunteering project abroad,
• contacts a sending organisation and, together with this organisation, submits a project proposal for the call for proposals during the pilot year of the Polish Aid Volunteering Programme.

All additional requirements regarding competencies of a volunteer will be dictated by the needs of receiving organisations and treated individually.

Work carried out by a volunteer within a foreign development assistance project will last from 3 to 6 months during the pilot year. Owing to the subventions of the MFA, a volunteer participating in the programme does not have to worry about any additional costs like insurance or travel expenses. Furthermore, a volunteer will be able to participate in training sessions and courses in order to adequately prepare for work within the framework of a given project.

Upon their return to Poland, volunteers will be able to implement educational initiatives (given these activities were foreseen in the project application), which will give them an opportunity to share the experience gained during voluntary work.

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• How to become a volunteer
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