Volunteer with children and adults in Russia

About the project

You will be working alongside local staff in a children’s home, psychiatric hospital, temporary home, or centre for elderly or disabled people. Your tasks will include:

• Playing sports
• Leading arts and crafts projects
• Doing other recreational activities with children and adults with disabilities
• Serving as a companion to women with mental illness
• Teaching English at a vocational school

Through this work, you will be providing much-needed love and attention to children and adults of various ages, some of whom are stigmatised in Russia. This one-to-one experience has long-term benefits for you as well as the people you are helping.

You will be supported by Cross-Cultural Solutions' in-country staff in Russia — all highly skilled translators who specialise in cultural exchange.

The project is based in Yaroslavl, a major city which is 1,000 years old. There is a great deal to do here in your free time, plus you will get cultural and learning activities included in your placement fee. These include a detailed orientation, language training, field trips, guest speakers, participation in local activities, and feedback sessions. Together, these activities give you an inside perspective of the community and culture, within and beyond the context of your volunteer experience.