MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
for providing
English Educational Support
 to Orphanages in Bosnia and Montenegro

This page  presents the memorandum of understanding between TWI for the Children and Directors of Orphanages for the  Educational Studies Project to be conducted by American volunteers at orphanages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Montenegro.

TWI for the Children, Inc. is a non-profit organization located in Springfield, Virginia, USA. As a part of the TWI International Studies Project, TWI for the Children initiated a project that brings volunteers from America to spend time in orphanages to teach the children conversational English and assist them in their school work.  The following Memorandum of Understanding between TWI for the Children, Inc. and orphanages in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Montenegro is established to promote this project.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the project is to bring volunteers from the United States to work in orphanages for a period of at least one-month to help  children in orphanages learn conversational English; assist the children with their school work and help develop computer skills. The volunteers will be university students and young adults from the United States.  Teams will include  students from BiH who will work as  partners with the American volunteers. The expectations are that this experience will enhance the lives of the children as well as the volunteers as new language and educational skills are developed; friendships are made and experiences are shared.  

 RESPONSIBILITIES

In furtherance of this project, the following activities are agreed upon:

TWI for the Children, Inc. will:

 ·                   Recruit appropriate volunteers to serve as short-term instructors at orphanages in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and in Montenegro. Prospective volunteers will be interviewed and accepted by TWI for the Children for the project.

·                    Coordinate the duration and schedule for the  work at the orphanage and upon acceptance of the student assistant by the orphanage provide the date and time of arrival of the volunteers in at the orphanage.

·                    Provide air transport to and from the United States.

·                    Ensure that all volunteers have received some instruction in the Serbo-Croatian language, as well as, instruction in the cultural and political background of the region of the orphanage in which they will work.

·                    Ensure that all volunteers have information on food, accommodations and transportation during their time at the orphanage.

·                    Develop with the volunteers a "Work Plan" (days and hours to be in the orphanage with the children each week and 'free' time when they are not in the orphanage). This includes:

• weekday work-times at the orphanage,
  

• dates of outings outside the orphanage with the children,
  

• duties expected to be performed at the orphanage,
  

• cultural time off from work at the orphanage.
  

• other rules established by the orphanage - consistent with the wishes of the director of the orphanage.
  

•  Find appropriate accommodations for volunteers if accommodations are not available at the orphanage.
  

•  Meet volunteers upon arrival in Sarajevo and arrange for transport to their accommodations and to their orphanage. 

•  Introduce them to their Bosnian partner or local contact who will assist them during their time in the area
  

• Provide an initial introduction to the town in which their orphanage is located, and  tell them about local transportation available, restaurants/cafés, markets, and other points of interest.

 Orphanages will:

•    Provide TWI for the Children with appropriate dates for the volunteers to work at their orphanage. The total time the volunteers spend at the orphanage may vary with each team and with each orphanage, depending on the wishes of the Director.

·        Define the type of educational needs to be furnished by the volunteers during their stay at  the orphanage.  The "Work Plan" will be then be developed by TWI for the Children, Inc. together with the volunteers based on previous experience and furnished to the orphanage before the volunteers are to arrive. The "Work Plan" will include the hours to be worked per day, days to be worked each week, activities to be accomplished by the volunteers, days off per week, and dress code. The Director will provide restrictions or rules of the orphanage and make changes, where necessary, and approve the work plan.

·        Provide TWI for the Children with the name and telephone number of a point of contact at the orphanage whom the volunteers will be responsible to during their time there. For example, whom to tell when they are leaving for their 'free time' away from the orphanage.

·       Provide TWI for the Children and the volunteers with a telephone number at which the student can be reached in the event of emergency.

·        Evaluate each volunteer upon completion of his or her time at the orphanage; critique the administrative arrangements for this project and provide suggested changes as required to TWI for the Children.

TWI for the Children will ensure that the "Work Plan" and all responsibilities listed above have been accomplished prior to the volunteers departing for their time at the orphanages.

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Updated: 5/1/2007