Join Us

Join our team on Samos!

General Volunteering

We are looking for team players who are also able to work independently. We need people who are patient, professional and are prepared to respect the pre-existing systems and code of conduct we’ve developed over the years to make our services as fair and smooth-running as possible, but who can also bring new, fresh ideas, energy and enthusiasm. Our timetable and each volunteer’s role varies depending on day-to-day needs. For this reason, an open-mind and a flexible approach to work are essential. You may assist with:

- reception shifts,

- facilitating recreational activities,

- teaching classes,

- distributing clothing in our warehouse, and/or

- other tasks depending on our projects and needs.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of background, religion, or sexual orientation. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in humanitarian work and want to do what we can to correct this. We believe that a team with diverse religious, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds will be better able to support displaced people living on Samos.

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as LGBTIQ+, people with religious backgrounds that are not commonly represented in the EU, and people who identify as working class or have done so in the past.

We work in a demanding context

Volunteers should expect to be living and working in an environment which can at times be both physically and emotionally demanding. On certain occasions we have to work very long hours at short notice and deal with unfamiliar and challenging situations, including emergencies.

We do of course provide support and training for our team, but everyone applying to volunteer should be confident that they will be able to cope with the situation here both mentally and physically.

Requirements

8 weeks minimum commitment due to the nature of our work (if you are a returning volunteer we can also consider you if you cannot meet the miminum commitment)
Can communicate in English
Over the age of 20
A working phone with WhatsApp
Self-funded: this includes organising and covering the costs of your own transport, living costs, and activities outside of our projects. (For more information, see our Travel & Accommodation page)
We accept researchers or interns on an ad hoc basis; please be very clear in your application what it is you intend to do, and be aware that Samos Volunteers can only offer limited added supervision and paperwork

Language teachers

We are looking for volunteers to join our team on Samos to teach adult English or French language classes.

We are looking for enthusiastic people who are passionate about teaching and education.

Although it would be beneficial, a teaching qualification is not required.

If you have teaching experience, or would be interested in teaching, and you are able to commit for eight weeks or more, we would love to hear from you!

Starting: ASAP
Position: voluntary
Minimum commitment: two months
Minimum age: 20

Be sure to state your preference for ‘English/French Teacher’ in your application!

How the team works together

We bring together a culturally diverse team of 20+ people from over 15 different countries. This diversity is something to be celebrated, however it comes with unique challenges when working together as a team. Our Code of Conduct is based on a collection of lessons learned along the way which help us all work together in a respectful, sustainable and safe environment. Everyone on the team has agreed to adhere to these guidelines while at Samos Volunteers.

You can read our Code of Conduct here.

Questions

You can find answers to some questions we’ve been asked about volunteering on Samos here.