How can you join in?  How can you prepare yourself?  How will you be supported through the experience?  What happens when it is all over?

Introduction

Young people are able to meet and make friends with people of a quite different culture and have experiences that affect their whole future. They can break out of their familiar surroundings and circumstances, which they often find unchallenging, over-protected and unsatisfactory. They are supported in the process of finding themselves, in establishing their identity. They see themselves and the world in a new way and gain confidence in their ability to make a difference in the world. A workcamp is a major event for both the project and the participant. You become part of a group process and learn new skills ranging from building to project management

What to expect from the work camp?

The projects we visit are mainly socially oriented, often in developing countries. There are schools, children’s homes, cultural and art projects, youth initiatives, and projects concerned with maintaining ethnic cultural traditions. The field is broad and open to a variety of new initiatives.

You will live in a group for three or more weeks under quite new social and cultural conditions. You will begin to think differently about your own society and what you can do back home. And you will have gained experience in real practical work.

You work in a group towards a common aim, mostly sleeping and eating together, experiencing successes and failures, facing challenges and having a lot of fun. Some participants focus on the building plan, others work more in the surroundings, integrating the community through games, art, workshops and new ideas depending on the individual skills and desires.

English tends to be the main language of communication in most work camps, but it may well happen that local people speak no English.

Preparation

Finding the money

You will need to book a flight and raise a certain amount of money (see the individual workcamp descriptions) for the participation fee. This covers local transport, food, accommodation, excursions and a contribution to Idem for the administrative costs and flight of the workcamp leader.

If you need to secure some of this money yourself, here is a download with some ideas.

Then, to the extent that you are able, you are expected to try to raise some funds together with the rest of the group to finance the building costs.

Application

You apply online here…

Or fill in the online form here…, then print, sign and send it to us by post.

Or download it here… fill it out by hand (please PRINT email address carefully), sign and post it.

Note: If you are under 18, you will have to get your parents or guardian to sign it as well. In addition, you will need a letter from your parents giving you permission to travel alone in the country of destination.

Preparatory Meetings

There are usually one or two meetings to prepare everyone for the experience, to co-ordinate fundraising, times of arrival and particular wishes individuals may have. They begin when the an initial group of people has signed up.

Practical Arrangements

Ensure that you have a passport valid for at least 6 months after you are due to leave and, if required, a visa for the country you are going to. (Visa requirements for your country can be found on the Homepage of the Embassy of the country of destination.)

You will need to book a flight, or get together with a group who are arranging a group booking for the workcamp. Flights can be booked online, or, which is often easier and costs no extra, from a travel agency.

A list of clothing and travel equipment can be found in Appendix …

Follow-up

A follow-up meeting is usually arranged at the last preparatory meeting. Participants want to meet again, share experiences, photos and documentation, and usually discuss the next steps in assisting the project that they all attended. Very often, one or other participant wishes to organise a workcamp, or help with the process. They become involved in coordination work or in initiatives either connected with Idem or not.