During one of the hot and beautiful summer days in Oslo this year, a Drop in the Ocean was approached by the Design Agency ‘Design Container’, offering to provide their services through a pro bono project developing a Program according to our organization’s needs. Needless to say, we were thrilled!
Av: Trine Jåstad, Utdanningskoordinator i Dråpen i Havet
The need to develop an interactive learning Program
Since we started our services in 2015 we have seen the need to develop an Interactive learning Program for our many volunteers from all over the world contributing at our locations in Greece. Volunteers are our main capacity, but up to now all information to volunteers prior to their field work, have been provided through e-mail, skype meetings and Facebook groups. So, a better and more accessible in-depth training before arriving in field will be crucial in means of our volunteers being as well prepared as possible.
A one-hour online training program
We have been working with Design Container since the beginning of June, and we are proud and happy to offer our volunteers this online course already by the end of this year! This one-hour mandatory training will make sure all necessary preparations reach our volunteers through an easily accessible course. It includes 3 lessons and a final exam that must be completed and passed before volunteering at our location’s in Greece. Volunteers will be provided with a certificate of completion that may benefit them even after volunteering.
Trine Jåstad and Birgit Hjelmtvedt from A Drop in the Ocean together with Linn-Cecilie Linnemann and Alicia Harris from Design Container
Preparing volunteers for the field
Our aim with this learning program is to prepare volunteers for what they can expect in the field, both practically and mentally, and to provide insight and reflection before volunteering in or around refugee camps with vulnerable people and people having fled their homes. By having volunteers completing and passing the training in advance, we believe it will improve the quality of our services in Greece as well as making the experience for our volunteers even better. Also, when it comes to the people we serve, we hope they will experience an even more qualified group of volunteers assisting at each location. We believe the better prepared our field workers are, the more sustainable and predictable services we are able to provide to the people that depend on them.
This project would not have been possible at this stage without Design Container’s generous offer and eagerness to contribute to the cause. Their service minded, positive and professional attitude make us feel lucky, humble and grateful to have been given this opportunity!!!
We wish to extend a big thank you to Design Container!
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