The main goals of the project were: a) Improve the quality of work with volunteers – before, during, and after their stay. The project helped youth workers and coordinators from United Vision and Keric strengthen their methods in volunteer preparation, mentoring, and follow-up. A key result was the full involvement and training of a new team member from United Vision, who is now an active youth worker managing both hosting and sending. b) Expand opportunities for young people with fewer chances, especially from the Czech and Slovak Republics. The goal was to increase the number and diversity of placements, including new partnerships outside the EU. While the Humanitarian Quality Label was not submitted, cooperation with Keric allowed United Vision to gain experience with the programme. c) Foster mutual learning between United Vision and Keric. Keric shared its structured approach to hosting, while United Vision contributed expertise in outreach, communication, and rural youth engagement. This balanced exchange strengthened both teams and laid the foundation for future cooperation.
We applied for this project to help more young people with fewer opportunities—especially from the Czech Republic and Slovakia—take part in long-term volunteering, including in non-EU countries. Many of them face economic, social, or geographic barriers and need extra support to join such projects. United Vision had experience in sending volunteers but wanted to strengthen its hosting capacity, especially through cooperation with Talk and Enjoy in the rural area of Malešov. Keric, on the other hand, saw the project as an opportunity to better understand the context of smaller communities in the Czech Republic, where United Vision is more active. This mutual learning and exchange of good practices were key motivations. At the same time, both organizations needed to grow their internal capacities, involve new team members, and improve their systems. The project gave us space to develop practical tools, professionalize our cooperation, and support volunteers more effectively—both in communication and in mentoring.