The VolFiRe “didactic for mentors” workshop has been organised by the Armenian Red Cross Society and Armenia Caritas in Tsakhkadzor on 5/6th of September 2023 for the 12 mentors in charge of establishing and/or developing the 4 existing and 8 new Volunteer Fire Rescue Groups (VFRGs).
The 12 project’ communities were represented: Talin, Ashotsk, Spitak, Novemberan, Tumanyan, Chambarak, Baghramyan, Garni, Vedi, Areni, Vayk, Kapan.
The main objective was to ensure the mentors well understood the overall VFRG model and are well prepared for volunteers’ recruitment. The participants jointly reviewed the VFRG model, discussed the road map for mentors and mentoring system and to agree on the next steps for recruiting the volunteers. The workshop was organised based on a concrete and inter-active methodology, with mentors involved all days in different working groups.
The different aspects introduced and discussed with the participants were the following:
- Review VFRG model: working groups
- Overall objective of mentors within the project
- Phase I: Building the Volunteer Fire Rescue Group
- Phase II: From training to activation
- Phase III: Developing VFRG towards autonomy
- Ensure volunteers’ motivation
- VFRG volunteer management guideline
- Review planning of activities from September to December 2023: working groups
This didactic for mentors was also followed by a 1,5 days’ inclusion workshop on 7/8th of September 2023 organised by Armenia Caritas, in same place, with same participants. The objective of this second workshop, called “Mainstreaming Inclusion within VFRG Model” was to ensure inclusion women and people with disabilities within the volunteers’ groups at the early stage of the volunteers’ recruitment.
The different aspects introduced during this second workshop were the following:
- Introduction to Disability and Gender Equality
- Gender-related and disability stereotype. Disability Terminology. Needs of PWD.
- National and International legal and political frameworks on Gender and Disability.
- Mainstreaming Disability and Gender Equality in VFRG - Practical Recommendations
- Promoting and facilitating Inclusion in VFRG - Practical sessions
