Volunteers for interviews with vulnerable refugees at Zealand asylum centers

WeTalk is a conversation concept for young people and adults with a refugee and migrant background who experience mental challenges and dissatisfaction in everyday life. In the Red Cross and the Youth Red Cross, we experience that many people with a refugee and migrant background are characterized by temporary nature, uncertainty about their future, increasing withdrawal of residence permits, and that some fall outside the existing communities, which are often about employment-oriented activities or building skills. Many people with a refugee background also live with a great longing for the life and relatives they left behind, but which still takes up a lot of their mental energy.

The purpose of WeTalk is to create a space for conversation about important mental themes that can often be challenging to deal with, such as stress, uncertainty, worries, grief and loss of family, friends and life circumstances. In WeTalk, you go through tools and conversations as a group that support participants in helping each other understand their situation and to try out options for action.

We are looking for volunteers who can run WeTalk courses for residents of the asylum centers Sjælsmark and Avnstrup, the Immigration Center Ellebæk and for Ukrainian refugees in Ballerup . As a volunteer, you must have the courage and desire to facilitate a safe and trusting conversation space where participants have the opportunity to normalize difficult emotions and create a new community with others.

As a volunteer in WeTalk, you will be trained in the themes of the method and in facilitating conversations for a vulnerable target group. You will also be prepared for the role of volunteer facilitator and gain knowledge of the specific asylum center and target group. A WeTalk course consists of 6 sessions of 2 hours each , where participants work on topics such as problem and stress management, conflict understanding and the importance of social relationships.

In WeTalk, you are 3 volunteers who together plan and facilitate the sessions. During the course, you will receive sparring from employees and supervision from Red Cross psychologists, so we ensure that you thrive as volunteers. The course is a collaboration between the Red Cross and the Youth Red Cross.

Desired professional and personal competencies of volunteers:

• You are good at creating a safe space where there is room for dialogue and conversation between people.
• It is an advantage if you have experience with vulnerable target groups, especially refugees.
• You are empathetic, patient and appreciative in your approach to people.
• You are able to take care of yourself, set boundaries and ask for help.
• You are fluent in speaking and writing in Danish and English. If you can speak Arabic, it is only an advantage.

We expect that as a volunteer you will:

• Can run WeTalk courses at asylum centers Sjælsmark, Avnstrup or Ellebæk during the summer/autumn of 2024.
• Participate in a 1-day training in Copenhagen, as well as a follow-up meeting at the asylum center, where you will be prepared for the role as a volunteer in WeTalk (more information to follow)
• Will be available for supervision and sparring along the way.

Are you interested and would you like to hear more? Then please contact us via the "Contact the Organisation" button and send us a few lines about yourself and your immediate motivation for volunteering in WeTalk. We will then contact you for an interview.