International Volunteers
// destinations - Belarus
FACT FILE
- Population: 9.8 million
- Capital: Minsk
- Major languages: Russian, Belarusian
- Major religions: Christianity
- Monetary unit: Belarusian rouble
PARTNER ORGANISATIONS
- LYVS – League of Youth Voluntary Service
LYVS was officially founded in 1994. It is a non-governmental, non-profit organization and member of the National Council of non-governmental youth organisations, Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) and associated member of the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations.
It is based on the principle of free membership. It assists young people in accomplishing initiatives based on volunteer work.
LYVS cooperates with organizations in more than 20 countries, involving over 5,000 people.
TYPES OF PROGRAMMES
- Standard
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- Visa: required. You will need an invitation letter and two passport sized photos. You should enclose a photocopy of your passport and your employer/college details along with your application form so that LYVS can issue an official invitation as soon as possible. The visa can take several weeks to issue from the Belarusian Embassy. Always bring a copy of your insurance policy which should specifically mention that it covers Belarus. It will save you a lot hassle and money when you have to deal with Belarusian bureaucracy. Before setting off, you should also ensure that your passport has at least six months validity and two unused pages. Please visit www.fco.gov.uk for more information.
- Arrival info: Volunteers will be met at the airport and their will be an orientation in Minsk on the first day of the project. LYVS will assist volunteers to arrange travel around the country before or after the project if required.
- Other: Due to the political climate in Belarus and difficulty securing funding for projects, project work can be liable to change. We ask that volunteers applying for these projects take this into account and be especially flexible and open-minded. For more information, please visit www.fco.gov.uk