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Volunteering in Sucre, Bolivia

Volunteer Options 2007

ESCUELA PARA NINOS II

The Escuela para Ninos II is 10 minutes walk from the central square and from the language school.

It is a Training center that has a fundamental task to develop children’s principles and attitudes. It aims to teach them responsibility, autonomy, respect, creativity and security in themselves, and mainly to educate them in a safe and secure atmosphere.

The majority of children that attend the Escuela para Ninos II are indigenous and from very poor families that live in the outskirts of Sucre. The Escuela para Ninos II has been dedicating its services to the community for 21 years. There are currently 170 children between the ages of four and five, distributed in 3 first classes and two second classes taught by six teachers.

We need volunteers that have a lot of energy, patience, creativity to play games, and give love and attention to the children.

Working schedule: From 08:00am to 12:00am

What will you be doing at the Kindergarten?
You will need to interact with the children as well as teachers. You will assist teachers in their classes by helping the children to draw, cut with scissors, sing, teach numbers and letters, play with the children during recess, take them to the bathroom, wash their hands, etc…

As you can see there is a lot of work to be done. Please BE A LEADER, ALWAYS BE HAPPY AND READY TO HELP WHEREVER ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED.

Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation

Educative material, pencils, pens, story books, colored pens or pencils, notebooks, didactic games, etc.

ESCUELA PARA NINOS III

The Escuela para Ninos III is very popular in Sucre. It is situated just a 2 blocks away from the Academia Latinoamericana de Español. There are 10 classrooms, 5 classrooms for pre-school children (4 to 5 years old) and 5 classrooms for kindergarten (6 years old).

The Director is a very enthusiastic woman and enjoys very much having Volunteers at the Kindergarten, as well as the teachers. There are about 300 students, 10 teachers and some assistants.

The work schedule is in the morning so you have free afternoons.


What will you be doing at the Kindergarten?

You will need to interact with the children as well as teachers. You will assist teachers in their classes by helping the children to draw, cut with scissors, sing, teach numbers and letters, play with the children during recess, take them to the bathroom, wash their hands, etc…

As you can see there is a lot of work to be done. Please BE A LEADER, ALWAYS BE HAPPY AND READY TO HELP WHEREVER ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED.


Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation: Educative material, pencils, pens, story books, colored pens or pencils, notebooks, didactic games, etc.

 

HOGAR DE NINAS

This center is the home for approximate 14 girls, ages of 7 to 16 who are abandon or were under any family abuse risk. They depends from the municipality of Sucre. The center works with very little budget, just to cover mostly food and the work of a couple of social workers and a cooker.

Some of the girls attend public schools and return to the center where they have to do homework. Most of them need tutoring and for the one who do not attend to school, they need to study at the center to prepare them for the next school. In this organization you can do lots of things, like playing, gardening, cleaning, teaching, mathematics, music, English. Welcome activities with ballet, broidering, baking, sports

Volunteers needed: Teachers and above all, people who can share love and help with the auto esteem of the girls which is very low. No need any type of experience but would be very appreciate women who know domestic activities.
 

CENTRO DE CUIDADO INFANTIL

The Programa de Atencion a Niños y Niñas Menores de 6 Años, was created in April of 1997 by the Bolivian government with the goal to achieve adequate development and growth of children under the age of six. These children are in a situation of extreme poverty, and provides them with education, nutrition, healthcare and protection.

The children who attend these day care centers are for the most part children of young (generally 17-22 years old), single mothers of limited resources who have left their hometowns to study at the State University of Sucre. They need to finish their studies, as it’s not acceptable in their community to come back to their home town without a diploma and with a child. The mothers leave their children in the morning and pick them up in the evening. The children are fed breakfast and lunch and receive general care during the day while the mothers are in class.

The Day Care Center actually has more than 450 centers in the province of Chuquisaca, and serves 8,500 children. Unfortunately the budget that the centers receive from the state is very small, and doesn’t cover the basic needs of the centers. Needless to say there are no funds available for the maintenance of the infrastructure of the centers, with as a result that the centers are in an abandoned state and in bad need of repairs and renovations.

The Academia Latinoamericana de Español works with two locations in Sucre:
*This placement serves children whose mothers are studying Law, Finance, Economics, etc. They have room for 45 children, and only 5 employees (1 cook and 4 daycare workers).

*This placement serves children whose mothers are studying medicine and dentistry. They have room for 30 children and only 2 employees (1 cook and 1 daycare worker).

No experience is necessary, but you will need at least a High Beginner or Low Intermediate level of Spanish. Volunteers have to enjoy teaching, have a lot of energy, patience, love and care for the children. The volunteers also should have a lot of understanding and flexibility. They need to understand that they will be working in basic conditions, and the staff in charge are generally from rural areas.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday full time.

What will you be doing at the day-care center?

You will need to interact with the children and with the educators. You will need to collaborate with the educators in all the activities; help the children to paint, draw, cut paper, sing, dance, teach numbers and colors to them and especially to play with them when they finish the aforementioned activities.

Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation

Didactic games, wood games, books to color, paintings, pencils of colors, plasticine, paper and more special educative material.

Also welcome powder milk, any types of clothes, shoes, personal cleaning accessories like shampoo, soap, body cream, etc.

CENTRO DE CUIDADO INFANTIL 2

This center offers free educational support to children and adolescents between 4 to 15 years old that live in the poorer outskirts of the city of Sucre. Also they offer services such as careers advise, recreational activities and manual training as well as medical and nutricional aid. The children and adolescents that attend Betania are from native farming families with limited economic resources that have migrated from the country to the city. Many families dedicate themselves to the informal buying and selling of agricultural goods at markets around the city. The center takes care of more than 150 children, on average 40 in the evenings and 90 to 100 in the evenings.

Finally, volunteers are needed who like to teach, and with energy, patience, and love towards the children. The volunteers will have to do everything, from teaching mathematics, language, history, sciences, chemistry, geography, (according to language level), and also help to cook, sweep, paint, wash dishes, etc where is necessary.
 

CENTRO DE CUIDADO INFANTIL 3

It is a day-care center that works Monday through Friday. There are 30 children, children of prostitutes and saleswomen of the public market who would have normally remained locked up in their houses while their mothers work. These children are now in the care of the center and also receive breakfast and lunch. The children are aged is from 1 to 6 years old.

You will need to interact with the children and with the educators. You will need to collaborate with the educators in all the activities; help the children to paint, draw, cut paper, sing, dance, teach numbers and colors to them and especially to play with them when they finish the aforementioned activities.


Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation: Didactic games, wood games, books to color, paintings, pencils of colors, plasticine, paper and more special educative material.

Also welcome powder milk, any types of clothes, shoes, personal cleaning accessories like shampoo, soap, body cream, etc.

ORFANATO

The orphanage is close to the centre of the city. Public transportation takes you to the door of the orphanage (15 minutes) from school.

It’s a very nice and well maintained place and for this reason it has been recognized by authorities in Sucre. Nuns are in charge of the orphanage. A team of Bolivian professionals are working with them.

The girls and boys living there have been abandoned children and are waiting to be adopted. The ages of the children are generally from 0 to 6 years.

What will you be doing at the home?

The orphanage needs people to play with the children including, painting, drawing, dancing, playing with dough and possibly you may need to help feed the children. It would be great if you could bring children’s music, colored pens, candies or anything else that you think will help you in your volunteer experience.

Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation

Diapers, milk, didactic games, colored pens, pencils or paints, coloring books, childrens’ story books, childrens’ music, etc.
  

ORFANATO 2

This center is an orphanage that serves one municipality of Sucre. The children have either been abandoned or are at risk in their families. Most are between the ages of 5 and 18.

All the children attend public schools and in the afternoon they return to the center where they have workshops in carpentry, shoe making, metallurgy and leather working. The idea is for them to develop a manual skill in case they are unable to enter a university in the future.

Volunteer skills needed: Administration, secretarial, psychology department, English Professors and above all, people who know carpentry, shoe making, metallurgy and leather working. Also needed are those familiar with sports instruction in baseball, basketball and soccer, as well as those who know music, computers and agriculture.

In this organization you can do lots of things like playing, gardening, cleaning, teaching computer technology, mathematics, music, English and you maybe put in charge of the bakery project.


Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation: Sports and educational materials, music related items, pencils, ball-point pens, notebooks, books in Castilian, instruments, painting, story books, etc.
  

HOSPITAL PSICOPEDAGOGICO

This Hospital is run by priests and specializes in work with handicapped children.

At the boarding school live 170 children from 1 to 17 years old. They are all poor children who do not have parents and are from the country. Due of their incapacity, these children are not accepted in orphanages.

Activities/Tasks: Currently 3 programs in operation:

1. Rehabilitation Clinic for Children
Hospital needs doctors and nurses, language therapist, physiotherapist.

2. Horse Therapy
A new program for the rehabilitation of the children - at the moment they have two horses.

3. Boarding school
The boarding school accepts any volunteer. You will not be in charge of patients at the hospital, but will work with the children’s homework, as most of them go to public schools. The Director is looking for volunteers who can work in cultivating the self-esteem of the children. People who can play, take the children for short walks in the park or in the garden, play with dough, sing, dance, feed them, do sports, etc.

Other Requirements: Compassion, understanding, a desire to help in that area, friendly, and always to have a big smile. Physiotherapist are desperately needed.

Volunteers need no less than a high intermediate level of Spanish. Better still if volunteers can work at least 3 months.

What will you be doing at the Psicopedagógico?
To work especially in the rehabilitation area by helping the children do their exercises; play with them, take children to the park, play football (they are excellent players!), etc.

Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation
Medical equipment, medicines, wheelchairs, diapers, material for rehabilitation, clothes, money in cash, powder milk, vitamins for children, etc.

CENTRO DE APOYO A LA MUJER

Es un proyecto de atención integral a la mujer en Bolivia que sufre maltrato físico, psicológico y de discriminación
Sus objetivos principales son el de contribuir a la disminución de la violencia de género (intra familiar, doméstica, tráfico, prostitución ) a través de la prevención, atención de casos, albergue y el de brindar capacitación técnica integral para su inserción laboral que permita incrementar sus ingresos. Esto es un programa dirigido por las comunidad religiosa de las Hermanas del Buen Pastor.

A continuación detallo algunos programas específicos que el centro desarrolla:

• PROGRAMA A LA NO VIOLENCIA Y PREVENCIÓN DE MALTRATO A LA MUJER: Destinado específicamente a dar capacitación con talleres y seminarios a las mujeres en el área de Sucre, además de dar atención legal a casos individuales de maltrato.
• ÁREA DE ACOGIDA: A mujeres y sus hijos que han sufrido maltrato familiar, principalmente por ve maltrato por parte de los esposos es estado de ebriedad. El centro brinda alojamiento , comida y autoayuda a las necesitadas.
• SALUD: Hay dos doctoras que atienden en horario de oficina a cualquier persona de escasos recursos económicos para atender consultas externas.
• FORMACION DE RECURSOS HUMANOS: Existe un pequeño proyecto para enseñar a las mujeres a realizar tejidos artesanales. Además pueden recibir clases de corte y confección.
• PROGRAMA DE CUIDADO DESARROLLO INFANTIL: Es una guardería que funciona de lunes a viernes. Hay 30 niños, hijos de meretrices que normalmente se quedaban encerrados mientras sus madres trabajaban. Ahora los niños están en éste centro y reciben todos los cuidados más desayuno y almuerzo. Edad de los niños: de 1 a 6 años de edad.

REQUISITOS PARA HACER VOLUNTARIADO
Se requiere voluntarios profesionales en las áreas de trabajo social, psicología, salud, economistas, enfermeras, médicos, personas con conocimientos de trabajos en telares, moda. Todas estos voluntarios requieren un intermedio alto o nivel avanzado de español.

Experiencia: Para trabajar en el área de Trabajo Social o Asesoría Legal, se aceptará aplicantes que tengas un nivel AVANZADO de español y estudiar/ trabajar en el área indicada.
  

HOSPITAL PSIQUIATRICO

Volunteering at Hospital Psiquiátrico is an excellent opportunity for all those interested in the area of medicine.

There are 400 patients, as well as a team of doctors, nurses, assistants, psychologists, therapists, physiotherapists, Bolivian medical students, etc. The hospital is very clean and organized. The volunteers work mainly with patients; talking to them, helping with their exercises, helping them practice sports, etc.

There is also a section for elderly patients who need help with their wheelchairs, reading newspapers and eating. Student volunteers are not responsible for bathing these patients. The hospital employs people who are specialists in this type of care.

In the hospital you will be working exclusively with the elderly. You will need to talk and, for example, play games with them. It will be necessary to give them breakfast and lunch, help them get dressed and to shower, etc.

Suggestions of items you could bring if you wish to make a donation: Medicines, clothes (second hand is perfectly acceptable), wheelchairs, diapers, cash, etc.
  

JUNGLE NATIONAL  PARK

The Jungle  Park has  200  hectares of land  for  the  program  of  rehabilitation  of  savage  animals in  captivity.  In  the next months,  they  will  buy  400 more  hectares.

Objective:  Take  care  of  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the  place,  and  specially  rehabilitate  the  savage  animals that has  been  in  captivity  as  the  case  of  the  pumas,  parrots,  monkeys, rivers,  small  lakes, crocodiles,  anacondas,  etc.

The Park needs people who:
- Who like simple living and working with animals.
- Who are capable of working with volunteers from many different countries and enjoy sharing daily life and work.
- People, who enjoy nature, lots of rain, humid areas, and mosquitoes, not complain for simple food and living conditions.
Time - Indefinite, and no experience is necessary Number of Volunteers - Indefinite Age & Sex - Indefinite

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING AT THE NATIONAL PARK?
- Take care of, and feed the animals.
- Help Build houses (houses for more volunteers, offices, etc.)
- Help build cages for the animals.
- Help make paths
- Help make signs and put them on the paths.
- Help build cottages, etc…
- Give information to visitors

Accommodation  of  the  volunteers: At  the  moment  there is  two  houses and  good  bathrooms. (shared  services).  The  showers  have  cold  water.  It  is  not  necessary  warm  water  because  the  weather  is  very  hot,  more  or  less  38  degrees.

The  park  offers  accommodation and  3  meals  (breakfast,  lunch and  dinner).  The  food is  simple and  they  eat  what  there  is  in  the  zone,  if  someone  wish  to  prepare  extra  food,  the  kitchen  is  available  for  the  volunteer.

WHAT IS NECESSARY TO CARRY?
- Repellent for mosquitoes (Please find one that do not damage the environment)
- Light and long sleeved clothes and light pants.
- Sleeping bag.
- Extra water (you can buy in town)
- MONEY: CASHING MACHINES ARE AVAILABLE
- RUBBER BOOTS: You won’t find larger than size 11. (American size).
- Sleeping net for mosquitos

There are some few internet cafes as well as telephone cabins.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE:
The highest: 40 grades centigrade during the day.
The lowest: 10 grades centigrade during the night. (Specially in the rainy time November, December, January, and February.

Number  of  volunteers  by  month:  indefinite  (Volunteers  are  required  urgently)

Spanish  level:  High  beginner  at  least.

This project do NOT include bus or airplane ticket from Sucre to Cochabamba, neither the bus to the Park.

On your last week of classes, we will have an Orientation Session to talk about your volunteer program.
We recommend you to take malaria pills and yellow fever vaccine as well as vitamin B12. (It works as an excellent natural repellent against mosquitos).

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