What are supervision sessions about?

The end of October and the beginning of November is connected with supervision sessions. Our coordinator Katka Košutová tells us more about what the supervisions are about and how our volunteers are doing.

"After two months, I am excited to visit the volunteers during the regular supervision sessions. Supervision is a form of support, development and learning. We usually organise these meetings twice a year. The beginning of the voluntary year can be challenging for volunteers. New surroundings, separation from family and friends, language barriers or cultural differences. These are all factors that can affect their quality of life.

We try to create a safe space where volunteers can share their feelings and needs. It is a way that helps us to face difficult situations or prevent them. We must not forget the supervisors of the volunteers. For volunteers, they are almost the main character in their adventure film. A supervisor is a person who accompanies the volunteer not only in the work, but also takes care of other practical matters. Often they may forget their own needs while performing this role.

This year, as a coordinator, I am looking after 8 volunteers. Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the volunteers in Krnov, so my feelings while writing this article are very current. In addition, I met the girls from the DVC school in Cesky Tesin. Most of all, I was pleased with the group cohesion that I could see. Even in the individual interviews it became clear that the volunteers are very supportive of each other and care for each other. Saying goodbye to volunteer Jeremia who was going home for the weekend and volunteer Klaudia was very touching for me. The volunteers showed me that it doesn't matter what age or gender they are when they are all on the same boat.

Choosing the right "placement" and target group is also key to satisfaction and we always choose the right volunteer according to their personality, their interests and take their wishes into account. I think that for the volunteers mentioned above, the selection was successful and the volunteers are in the right places. Even with the supervisors, I can see that they really put a lot of effort and care into their work. Their biggest wish is that the volunteer is happy and has a memorable year.

Among other things, volunteers use their year to travel and explore different parts of Europe. I always love to hear their plans and stories from their travels. Last but not least, we talk about projects and ideas they would like to implement. We coordinators are often behind the scenes and don't get to see the volunteers every day. I am grateful for this time together to listen to the volunteers and get to know them more. It makes the time of each supervision go by in the snap of my fingers. :-) And what does this experience bring me? Each volunteer is a person who teaches me to look at the world in different ways and find creative solutions."