Kaunas „Lesse“ animal charity
(pictures and website - http://www.lese.lt/en/start
Place: Kaunas, Lithuania
Dates of activities: 01/02/2016-01/12/2016
2 volunteers at the organisation
The projects consists of two main parts – volunteering and life under hosting conditions, therefore
please take a look at what we offer and what do we expect:
1. Volunteering 35-40 h/week at your chosen receiving organization. There will be one person
responsible for planning the schedule with you, advising on everyday tasks, he/she will help to
integrate into organization. Please take careful look at the target group description and tasks, this
would be your every day life 5 days/week, thus think very carefully!
2. You’d also meet with your mentor, who would help you to learn from your experience, once a
month at least.
3. You will be part of the group of volunteers at coordinating organization A.C.Patria – participate in
monthly meetings where we share our experiences, support each other and learn from each other.
Volunteers group also are asked to help in making the volunteering and their project visible in
society, encouraging other youngsters to volunteer, sharing good practices.
4. Language courses at least 36 academic hours in a group of volunteers.
5. The shelter is located about 10 km away from Kaunas, therefore it takes more energy to plan the
trip forward and back from the shelter. But most of the workers drive there daily from Kaunas by car
and help volunteers to reach the place comfortably. Also a mini-bus (with a timetable as a regular
bus) makes trips directly to the charity settlement from Kaunas city centre.
7. Regular volunteers’ allowances consists of 80 EUR/month pocket money and 105.57 EUR/month
food allowances (185,57 EUR in total).
8. Volunteers pay their phone and internet connection fee which may reach ~5.8 EUR/month.
9. Accommodation. One volunteer gets private room in shared apartment (3-5 people living in one
flat or house). Usually accommodation is modest in the old buildings, which might look so much
different from what you expect it to be. Temperature inside the room in winter might be ~18 oC. We
ask for 20 EUR deposit in order to prevent damage or loss related, but if no damage done and if
there were no abuse of rules, deposit is given back. For more details, please email us!
10. Since the travel expenses have fixed prices, we would be able to cover only what is under the
given amount by Executive Agency, depending on distance between your homwtown and Kaunas.
Usually this amount is enough to cover your tickets.
About the host organisation – „Lesse“ animal charity
Founded in 2007, “Lesė” is an animal charity in Lithuania providing animal shelter and funding pet
neutering programs for homeless cats and dogs. The organisation is funded by donations and is run
by unpaid volunteers only. Back in 2007, the organisation was one of the first “no-kill” animal
shelters in Lithuania, when animal care in Lithuania was almost non-existent and State-funded
shelters were euthanizing up to 90% of animals without any hope for adoption. The organisation was
founded by volunteers animal lovers, who started to shelter homeless animals at their homes and
advertise them for adoption. In 2008, “Lesė” opened a proper animal shelter and since then has
adopted over 4 500 animals.
The organisations is also well-known for its neutering programs, because it was the pioneer and
leader of “Trap-Neuter-Release” program for stray cats as well as funding subsidies for pet neutering
for low-income groups. Since the establishment, the organisation has funded neutering for over
2,500 animals, which probably saved lives for another 25 000 unwelcome cubs per year.
What We Do:
• Rescue, sheltering and rehoming of animals.
• Organising and funding of animal neutering programs including Trap-Neuter-Release for stray cats.
• Society education through charity events and lectures for children and youth.
• Providing information about homeless animals in all animal shelters in Lithuania through our portal
Animalcare.lt.
Our goals are:
• Reducing the number of unwanted pet animals in a humane way;
• Finding new homes for homeless animals;
• Promoting the society awareness and stopping cruelty against animals;
• Establishing an animal shelter meeting EU standards and creating an effective animal rescue
system.
Staff involved in future Erasmus+ activities:
The “Lese” team in Kaunas is made up of 10-15 active members. They provide a sincere care for
abandoned animals at the shelter. Also, members do give a temporary home for every animal in
need. Not to mention the planning and organising works for the ongoing programmes devoted for
animal saving, treating and neutering such as “Catch-Neuter-Release”. Currently, major repairs are
being made at the new shelter-to-be in Buivydiskes. All the members put a huge effort and countless
hours of work to make the future ‘home’ ready and welcoming.
Volunteers’ profile
Volunteers interested in the project should take into account some of its spesific conditions.
Hard work
Volunteering in an animal charity organisation may seem romantic, but it is indeed a hard work most
of the time. In order to keep the animal clean and provided with his needs one has to complete a
number of daily duties and that can sometimes be dirty, smelly or unpleasant looking. Still that is a
reality of an animal charity volunteer, so person interested in the position should consider his/hers
amount of sensitivity to smell, daily uncleanness and willingness to do some hard work.
Social skills
We do not require high communicational and social skills in working with animals. Anyhow, the
volunteer will be accommodated in a four or three rooms appartement together with the other EVS
volunteers and a daily encounter will be inevitable. We will also ask for support in teamwork and
transparency with the mentor. Naturally, love for animals is a basic requirement.
Health and alergies
Working in this kind of a charity organisation is highly dangerous for people alergic to certain groups
of animals (like cats or rodents) as the volunteer will have to spend every day in a strong
concentration of these animals.
Linguistic skills
Volunteers will be communicating with staff in Russian, coordinator in Russian and German, and
English with the other local volunteers (mostly students and youngsters). Volunteers will get
Lithuanian language courses, so they can learn new language.
The volunteering activities:
All activities for every volunteer are focused on nonformal learning, intercultural learning, personal
and professional development.
The foundation of our organization is our volunteers who keep contributing their ideas, efforts and
resources to Lesė.
1. Various tasks in the shelter:
- walking dogs;
- cleaning cages and rooms;
- feeding animals;
- providing treatment procedures;
- trainings for dogs;
- brushing animals;
- play with animals.
2. We also offer activities with administrative work:
- posters, design of leaflets;
- photographing pets;
- making videos;
- increasing social awareness;
- searching for potential sponsorship.
3. Participation in events:
- meetings in shools and universities;
- fairs
- national Dogs show
- other
4. Trap-Neuter-Release:
- is catching and transporting stray cats for the program Trap-Neuter-Release
PROJECT ENVIRONMENT
Geographically Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania and the fourth in the Baltic States. It is
100 km away from the capital Vilnius and about 250 km away from the seaside. The population in
Kaunas is about 300 000 inhabitants. Ethnic composition: 93,6% Lithuanian, 3,8% Russian, 0,4%
Ukrainian, 0,2% Belarusian, 0,4% Polish, 1,6% others. The most interesting things about Kaunas are
that it is resting at the confluence of country’s two largest rivers in Lithuania, Neris (the river
mother) and Nemunas (the river father), Kaunas has an island in the city centre, which is called
“Nemuno sala” (en. Nemunas island) and at the side of Kaunas city there is Kaunas sea (water
reservoir for hydro power station). Kaunas sea is the largest body of water in Lithuania. There‘re 8
universities, variety of museums (few of most interesting ones is Devils museum, and Museum for
the blind), and six theatres in Kaunas.
In Kaunas you will find also a broad variety of historical landmarks, architecture and of course
activities. In Kaunas old town and new town you will find a variety of café’s, restaurants, pubs and
clubs. There a parks and open squares where people can gather and have picnics, sport activities or
just sit around and relax. By the river Nemunas you will find a bicycle path, main old town and new
town streets also has a bicycle lane. Everything in Kaunas city is relatively close, around 20-30km. in
radius from the city center, so it’s very comfortable distances for cycling lovers. Universities and non-
formal groups propose various after studies activities or clubs, which people from foreign countries,
are also welcomed to join in (contemporary dance theatre, writting club, capoeira, Lithuanian
folklore singing or dancing ensembles, choirs, politology club, philosophy club, possibility to
volunteer in music, arts, movie festivals and much more).
Kaunas in motion  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7z2zPCkH-8
During the year Kaunas is a home to a variety of festivals, including famous summer time Pažaislis
Music festival, Kaunas Jazz festival (at the end of April/ beginning of May) and International Modern
Dance Festival (at the beginning of October). All year round in Kaunas one will have an opportunity
to see some annual cultural events like Kaziukas Fair (at the beginning of March), Days of Kaunas city
(in the middle of May), National Brass Band Festival Let's pipe for Kaunas in the squares of the city
(on May 21), International auto-motto fan fiesta Bike Show Millennium attracts huge amount of
bikers and their bikes in the middle of June, Operetta in Kaunas Castle (at the end of June and the
beginning of July) or traditional folk music competition Play, Jurgelis (in November). Kaunas is proud
of being the only city in Lithuania that belongs to the international towns' union The New Hansa.
Every year, Kaunas presents itself at the annual event of the union International Hansa Days by
introducing the heritage of cuisine, folk art, medieval music and theatre; Hansa Kaunas festival is
usually held in the last decade of August. Also movie, art and music festivals, Spring Poetry festival,
Kaunas Photo festival, Kaunas Biennale and many more take place in Kaunas.
About coordinating organization – Actio Catholica Patria
The nongovernmental public organization “Actio Catholica Patria” is working in Kaunas since 1991.
This organization carries out follow-up activities, offering social and cultural services for children and
young people aged 14 to 29 years. Also A.C.
Patria consults and provides training to other organizations and individuals in the development of
volunteering and working with youth issues. A.C. Patria provides services to different groups of
young people and strive to work with a wider range of work forms that different age groups and
social needs of young people would be met. Employees of the organization are constantly improving
their activities to ensure quality of work and discover new forms of work, corresponding to the
changes in society.
Our main aims are:
• Create conditions for the voluntary activities and to carry out its development in Lithuania.
• Provide social services to young people.
• Organize and carry out a purposeful, focused on the needs of children and youth,activities.
• Provide information, consultation and training services to individuals and legal entities.
• To help youngsters from foster care home to prepare for independent life and integrate into the
labour market.