Living in a different country might be quite overwhelming. It’s harder to find new friends, to adapt to a completely new culture and to find opportunities. After discovering that there is no programme for the international community which can provide the possibility of living different multicultural experiences while being able to collaborate in environments that do not have resources, six international Corvinus students knew that something had to be done.
Meet Omni Volunteer!
We consider that solidarity and the feeling of unity based on common goals or interests, together with the potential for development as humans, are key elements that all of us possess and must use to enrich our environment and guarantee basic needs to the most unprotected in our society. That’s how the Omni Volunteer project was born. We are six third-year students from the Corvinus University of Budapest studying Communication and Media Science BA: Begaiym Akimova, Zhamala Bekbolot kyzy, Ana Cuesta López, Alexandra Demeter, Iana Marinescu and Iuliia Shchutskaia.
Our aim is to be able to make people aware of the importance of contributing to different collaborating local projects. On top of that, Omni Volunteer is looking to increase social awareness and sensibility among the participants in order to obtain a real social transformation in the cooperation environment. We do so, by carrying out International Volunteer Programmes in the areas of Animal Welfare, Art & Mental Health, Education & Culture.
Get to know a little bit more about our projects
Animal Welfare: We went to an animal shelter outside Budapest (Zöld Sziget Állatmenhely), to spend some time with the dogs by playing, walking, and taking care of them. The goal for the Animal Welfare project is to help shelters with the amount of work that they have daily while learning about the “displaced animals” situation in Hungary and the possibility of bringing them some joy and love.
Education and Culture: We held one event for immigrant children at the MENEDÉK — Hungarian associations for migrants. The whole program consisted of several interactive workshops and playful cultural programs led by volunteers. It emphasized the importance of cultural sensitivity and provided a safe space for self-expression, recognition, and value diversity. In addition, volunteers had opportunities to contribute to society, by working with children from different countries and backgrounds.
Art and Mental Health: We created a workshop, in which experts and assistant psychologists were invited for a discussion where the main question was “How can an individual improve mental health through art?”. Musicians and artists performed and shared their experiences, while psychologists conducted the therapy workshop itself. The goals for “Art With Impact” workshops are to use the power of art to reduce both internalized and cultural stigma around mental illness, connect individuals with mental health resources, and encourage the next generation of artists to use their art to create social change.
At first, we were stunned by how many people were interested in our events. Having the Project Management course at Corvinus University has improved our management and organizational skills, on top of that the positive feedback we have received shows us that what we are doing is important and necessary. Here are some of them:
“I have been looking for such projects for a very long time and almost gave up but when I found you I was happy to make some kind of impact and help people around me. I’ve met beautiful people and it warmed my heart”
“I’ve been struggling to keep up with my studies and life recently but your events showed me that kindness and love are contagious and we should spread it more :) ”
If you are interested in Omni Volunteer do not hesitate to contact us!
Contact details:
Instagram: @omnivolunteer
Facebook: Omni Volunteer
Phone: +3670384346
