On 7 September 2020, Jeunesse Emploi Vert pour une Économie Verte (JEVEV) and Jeunes Engagés pour la Solidarité, le Progrès et le Développement (JESPD), both member organisations of Réseau AGYI Bénin, received the certificate awarded by the Benin Office for Youth and Voluntary Services (OBSVJ). The certificate, developed in cooperation with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), promotes quality development in the fields of voluntary work and youth exchange.
The certification process was divided into two steps. Initially, the quality criteria for the certificate were defined and instruments for good practice developed. This step happened in participatory workshops with civil society organisations and international partners working in Benin. A second phase addressed the application of the criteria. To this end, the certification committee evaluated the work of 12 organisations that had applied for the newly developed certification. Finally, the two organisations mentioned above were honoured.
The certification process was a pilot phase and offered all participants the opportunity to share their own experiences and make further suggestions. Based on this, the certification committee then made recommendations, the most important of which is the introduction of a programme to provide professional guidance and support for civil-society voluntary and exchange services.
This recommendation was substantiated by a workshop held from 21 to 22 October 2020. Some twenty participants defined the objectives, the stakeholders and the methods and next steps in the implementation of the programme.
