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During the year 2014, we carried out a senior volunteering exchange together with our partner organization RADKA from Czech Republic.

The implementation of volunteering exchanges of seniors is often limited by a language barrier. Many seniors are worried to travel to another country for a longer time if they do not speak the language and the language barrier is very limiting also for the selection of volunteering activities these people can be involved into.

In the case of Czech – Slovak exchange, this barrier does not almost exist and it opens a space  to seniors who do not speak any foreign language.

 Both partner organizations focused on unemployed people of the age 50+ and we involved them into activities in culture, social and health care (Mother-kids centres, hospitals, senior homes, leisure time activities for children and youth, work with disabled people).

The goal of the project was to support the life-long learning through volunteering and to provide senior volunteers with experience relevant for people over 50 who are currently unemployed.

There were 6 volunteers from Czech Republic who were sent to Slovakia and vice versa, all of them stayed in the other country for 4 weeks. Volunteers were sent in a group and in the hosting country, they volunteered for several organizations (in Slovakia they were placed in the Platform of Volunteer Centres and Organisations, senior home Hestia, day care center for homeless people DOMEC, and Nitra Volunteer Centre).

In the Czech republic, they were hosted by one organization but participated in different volunteer programs (mothers center, senior home, and a nursery Raduška).

Another goal of the project is to support positive relationships between Slovak and Czech citizens.

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