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Working with Older Volunteers in Manual Intergenerational Projects
Exchange Oberhausen, final presentation of the projects, french participants, pupils and politicians
Due to this selection, most of the participants
had gained experiences in terms of
social commitment as well as intergenerational
cooperation (l’outil en main und
SchuB), which could be drawn on with
regard to the exchange organisation. Furthermore,
most of them were employed in
manual work-related jobs and were able to
contribute with their valuable knowledge.
The elderly were frequently able to provide
detailed information on tools, the time
needed for upcoming tasks as well as estimating
their level of difficulty. This particularly
applied to tasks involving concrete,
wood or sandstone works. In the run-up
to the construction of the beach volleyball
court in the schoolyard of the comprehensive
school in Oberhausen the participating
elderly provided valuable hints regarding
logistics and thus contributed to a successful
running of the project. For instance,
they pointed out that the excavation of the
future beach volleyball court could not be
managed by hand and suggested using a
digger, which was provided by courtesy of
the THW (Technical Agency for Relief).
The native elderly assumed the role of
host and proved to be excellent assistants of
the seminars. They organised car pools for
the excursions, provided their own materials
for the tasks, prepared snacks for discussion
rounds etc. The native senior citizens
at KLAS in Prague contributed immensely
to the realisation of the programme week,
which was partly due to the fact that some
of the project tasks took place on their premises
in the afternoons. On the final evening
they organised a very nice party with
dancing, singing and a raffle. All this contributed
to a warm and hearty atmosphere
and had a major influence on the willingness
to communicate.
Based on these positive experiences it is
highly recommended that the participating
Final Report 25