EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY CORPS

Posithiva Gruppen (PG) is Sweden’s biggest patient organization for people living with HIV. In 2019, we were granted a Quality Label (QL) under the European Commission, thus certifying as a host organisation within the EU European Solidarity Corps Programme. You can find Posithiva Gruppen’s QL information in this database. Posithiva Gruppen’s PIC number is 899579262.

In 2020, we were granted funds for our first ”Positive Solidarity Project”, and hosted our first volunteer (from Spain). You can read more about our first volunteer’s experience here. In 2021 we hosted a volunteer from Russia, and you can read more about his volunteering experience here. In 2022 we hosted a volunteer from Turkey, and in 2023 we started hosting two volunteers at the same time, one from Russia and one from Turkey. We are currently (2024) hosting one volunteer from Turkey and one from Armenia.

Being accepted to a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) project is a significant achievement for any young person. It can be an asset when applying for future jobs and the experience can help young people when applying for higher education. The European Solidarity Corps is an opportunity for young people to engage in a meaningful activity while getting to know a new country both professionally, culturally and socially. After participating in a project, volunteers will also be entitled to receive a certificate that documents their participation and learning outcomes.

Volunteering with Posithiva Gruppen (PG)

ESC volunteers at PG will be involved in the organisation’s activities for young people living with HIV, but also in weekly dinners, cultural events, seminars, conferences as well as in the organisation’s daily administrative and operative work. Volunteers will also be encouraged to hold presentations for staff, members and other stakeholders about their experience on HIV issues from their home country. Depending on the volunteer’s existing skills they will be invited to contribute to the organisation in a personalised manner, e.g. doing design work, writing, mentoring, holding workshops or similar. The ESC activity will also leave significant room for individual projects relevant for the volunteers’ personal, creative, or professional growth. ESC volunteers at PG are expected to work 30-38 hours per week, including language training.

CURRENT PROJECTS AND OPENINGS:

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

Who can apply?

You can apply to become a European Solidarity Corps volunteer at PG if you are a person aged 18-30 living with HIV, residing in one of the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Iceland, North Macedonia, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine.

You must be able to move to Sweden and participate in the volunteering activity for 10 months, starting on the 1st of February 2025 and ending on the 15th of December 2025. If you are selected to volunteer for PG through ESC, costs for your travels (to and from Sweden, as well as local travels), accommodation, food, pocket money and insurance during the 10,5 months, are all covered by the project.

Which skills/experiences will increase my chances of being selected?

• It is an advantage if you are active in an HIV organization in your home country. If you have experience from youth work, social work or community work this is also an advantage.
• You should be comfortable using English as your working language.
• You should be motivated, responsible and conscious of your role as a European Solidarity Corps Volunteer as well as a representative for Posithiva Gruppen while you are engaged in the organization.
• You should be eager to contribute to your personal as well as the organization’s development, while actively documenting your learning process through the tools that we will provide you.
• Your social background, gender identity and/or sexual orientation is not important, and we encourage anyone aged 18-30 who is living with HIV to apply.

How can I apply? 

• E-mail your CV together with your application and letter of intent (instructions below) to volunteer@posithivagruppen.se before the set deadline. We will handle applications as they come in, as well as conduct interviews with potential candidates. 
• If possible, get in touch with a Quality Label-accredited organization in your home country for support. You can search for accredited organizations here. 
• If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, please identify or contact the Swedish embassy or general consulate in your home country in order to prepare your residence permit application. Read more here. 
• Please do not apply for this project if you are not HIV positive. 

Instructions for Application and Letter of intent
(to be sent together with CV) 

• Part1: Application 
  • Basic personal and contact information. 
  • Brief introduction of you and your background.
  • Statement on why you want to volunteer at Posithiva Gruppen. 

• Part 2: Letter of intent 
  • Explain the project(s)* you want to carry out. 
  • Why would you say this project is relevant to you, people living with HIV, or Posithiva Gruppen? 

*The project(s) could be of almost any kind. Maybe creative, social, scholarly, or personal. Previous volunteers have conducted surveys among young people living with HIV, creative workshops, and seminars with people living with HIV in different countries. But don’t let that limit your imagination. The main point is that it serves your growth and that you can explain in what way it does. 

Questions about ESC volunteering at PG? Contact us!
E-mail: volunteer@posithivagruppen.se
Phone: (+46) (0)72-880 56 63

Posithiva Gruppen (PG) is a national patient led organization for people who are living with HIV in Sweden, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. We strive to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV, and a big part of our work is to work against stigmatization and prejudice. We are working with specific target groups such as MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) who are living with HIV, young people who are living with HIV, elderly people who are living with HIV, women who are living with HIV and transgender people who are living with HIV. We offer a range of activities including seminars, educational weekends, weekly dinners, excursions, celebrations, conferences, campaigns and social/peer-to-peer support. The board of the organization consists entirely of people living with HIV which means the organization is truly target group driven. We cooperate with other organizations as well as with public entities such as healthcare providers. Together we strive to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV in Sweden.

For more information, visit our English sub-website.