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Volunteering in Cusco, Peru |
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SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS HOGAR CLINICA SAN JUAN DE DIOS Cusco, Peru (Social Volunteer Placement) History/Purpose A clinic run by a religious order that offers free treatment (or treatment for a symbolic fee such as a bag of rice or a bag of corn) to mentally and physically disabled children. Due to the present economic situation in Peru, the government has cut in funding for institutions like this one. The institute is mostly self-efficient in respect that they grow their own corn, potatoes and vegetables (in greenhouses), and have numerous animals that they keep for their own consumption as well. FACTS ABOUT THE CLINICA -52 children living at the hogar -40 come for school or therapy daily -72 children attend the school daily -4 profesoras -3 enfermeras por la mañana -2 enfermeras por la tarde -3 terapistas -Normally 5-6 volunteers -Receive little funding from the government, and are trying to become self-sustaining. Placement In this placement there are many different options. Volunteers can work in the clinic feeding, bathing and playing with the children. They can also work as teaching assistants in the school, assisting with art projects and helping the children with their work. There is also the possibility to work in the physical therapy department, assisting with the therapies, in the greenhouse, or in the administrative office.Requirements Minimum work commitment : 4 weeks Spanish : high beginner Schedule : Flexible, but need a lot of help around lunch and dinnertime, and on weekends. Capacity : up to 6 volunteers at a time Other : Volunteers at this site MUST be self motivators. The clinic is SEVERELY understaffed, and often the nurses do not have time to tell you what to do. You MUST take the initiative and ask! Note: Placements where volunteers work with special/disabled/hearing and/or speech-impaired patients may not intensive Spanish placements; however, Spanish IS needed to communicate with staff and to get the most out of the placement. to staff. Volunteers who want to practice their Spanish must remember to always make an effort to both avoid their native language (or English as it tends to be the common language among world-wide travelers in South America) and to seek opportunities to speak Spanish. THE SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL is closed during "summer break": mid-December though beginning of April and again at the end of July for two weeks. PRONOEI KINDERGARTEN Cusco, Peru (Social/Education Placement) History/Purpose PRONOEIs (Programa No Escolarisado de Educacion Inicial) are government-run nursery schools/kindergarten for the extremely impoverished areas of Cusco. The volunteer placement at a PRONOEI (there are various locations) would include teaching English, helping the teachers in the classroom, and doing special activities with the children. There are about 5 different locations where you might work on the outskirts of the city. Each building holds about 35 children and there are very few resources, so the children lack pens, pencils, paper,etc. Therefore, a volunteer must possess creative skills to compensate for the lack of materials. Placement Teacher´s assistant. Volunteers for this placement must be highly motivated "self-starters" who are able to work independently. Also, some of these schools are in the outskirts of Cusco, so there may be some travel time involved. Requirements Minimum work commitment : 4 weeks Spanish: High intermediate Schedule: Monday through Friday from 9:30-12:00 Capacity: 1 volunteer Other: Patience and a willingness to be helpful in all areas of the daycare. ASILO DE ANCIANOS ´LA RECOLETA´ Cusco, Peru (Social Volunteer Placement) History/Purpose This is a home for elderly
people. It is run by a Catholic order of nuns. There are four different
wards: Placement Various kinds of work related to the care of elderly people, including helping to feed them lunch, bathing them, cutting their fingernails and hair, dressing them, as well as personal attention in recreation, for example, playing ball with them, drawing, walking around with them, games like bingo, dancing, singing, etc. The elderly people like having foreigners around and start smiling once you walk in the door. For those volunteers with a medical background, a general medical placement is available. You will be shadowing the nurses and doctors until you are comfortable to take on individual patient duties. Patients´ medical needs include: administering of medicine, checking blood pressure, taking blood tests, performing general physicals, counseling on better health maintenance techniques, writing patient histories and updates, etc. It is also possible to work in the physical therapy clinic. Suggestions for contributions to bring to the clinic include: hats, towels, sheets, toilet paper, scarves, knitting equipment, games, cold medications, antibiotics, soap, candy. Requirements Minimum Time Commitment: 4 weeks Spanish Level: High-Intermediate by the time the placement begins Schedule : Flexible but preferred is 9am to 1pm Capacity: Maximum 2 volunteers at one time INTI RUNAKUNAQ WASIN Cusco, Peru (street kids project - social placement) History /Purpose A non- profit organization working with high- risk street children and adolescents, who for a variety of reasons (they´ve been abandoned/orphaned, have alcoholic parents, etc.) are sleeping/ living rough on the streets of Cusco. All funding for the project comes from voluntary donations and the staff team consists of 11 professionals who volunteer at the center in their spare time. The children are offered a structured educative, formative and occupational program with the aim of identifying and relating with the needs of the individual. Facts about the center - The center works with between 40 and 60 children at a time and offers morning and afternoon sessions. - Offers an educative program which enables preparation and reinforcement of school work and literacy (first 2 hours of each session is dedicated to the educative part of the program) - Offers a formative program with the objective of developing self- esteem and cultural identity. (one of the volunteers is a qualified psychologist.) - Offers an occupational program with the aim of developing personal aptitudes and practical skills including :- carpentry, shoemaking, sewing, handicrafts etc. - The project is also developing a school for parents of children at risk, working on a variety of relevant topics. - Children prepare their own meals, with the help of staff, which are provided at the end of each session. Placement There are a number of options open to volunteers depending on individual skills, including :- helping in the classroom, helping with a variety of occupational activities, etc. Extra help will also be needed to find funding and the marketing of the project. (current funding runs out in June). Teaching the children to prepare meals and the cleaning up process afterwards is also a priority of the school. Requirements minimum work commitment of 4 weeks Spanish high level beginner/intermediate www.latinoschools.com ACADEMIA LATINOAMERICANA DE ESPAÑOL Ecuador – Perú – Bolivia info@latinoschools.com Schedule Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm **3pm to 7pm Saturday 3pm to 7pm **emphasis is on the afternoon shifts as more children attend in the afternoon when they have finished at regular school. Capacity 1-2 volunteer at a time Other Patience and willingness to work with a challenging group of children and adolescents. The understanding and ability to handle conditions of the poor (for example, street kids can go for days without a bath and lack many standard social skills) "2B" Cusco, Peru (Marketing/Cultural Placement) History/Purpose: Located in Cusco, Peru, 2B is a social project with the aim of providing disabled and hearing-impaired and deaf adolescents with a reliable education and an opportunity to learn useful skills. Young women between the ages of 15 and 22 are taught the art of clothes design, production, and sales. In addition, the project incorporates interdisciplinary facets such as speech therapy, psychotherapy, and artistic development. 2B is a new organization, opening its doors this past January, 2002. The two Bs are Barbara and Baduc, co-founders (an Austrian-Peruvian couple). Placement Work closely with core team marketing the organization in general and its clothing specifically. They aim to have once a month "fashion shows" to raise proceeds. Marketing and organizational help needed for these presentations. Administrative help also needed. Be prepared for Cusco´s working culture (typical example: you may have an "appointment" to collect 2B´s fabric shipment from Lima, after confirming twice, the vender never appears…). Good opportunity to experience the Latin American working culture first-hand while assisting a very worthy, very needy organization!! Requirements Minimum Time Commitment: 4 weeks www.latinoschools.com ACADEMIA LATINOAMERICANA DE ESPAÑOL Ecuador – Perú – Bolivia info@latinoschools.com Spanish Level: Mid to High-Intermediate by the time the placement begins Schedule : to be arranged upon arrival Capacity: Maximum 1 volunteer at one time Other: An genuine interest in the overall project, its purpose and its possibilities!!! A creative person with marketing vision who is able to working independently. Important things to consider: Volunteers must have patience. New organization with small disorganized staff. This organization is severely underfunded and resources are few. Other Comments: The maximum number of volunteers that this organization accepts is 1 at a time. CUSCO WEEKLY NEWSPAPER INTERNSHIP Cusco, Peru (Internship) History/Purpose "The Cusco Weekly," a new English-language weekly magazine started by David Garrett, accomplished author, entrepreneur and local Cusco "expat." The weekly contains both local and international features, an arts and culture section as well as classifieds. The intern will assist in various areas of the newspaper: production, editing, distribution, etc. Requirements Minimum work commitment: 3 months Schedule : Monday through Friday, flexible schedule Spanish: beginner Capacity: 1 volunteer Other: Computer and Internet skills, college degree or current student, dynamic energetic personality, excellent writing skills (in English). Possibility of stipend will depend on job performance and will be discussed with intern once onsite. SOUTH AMERICAN EXPLORER´S CLUB INTERNSHIP Cusco, Peru (Cultural Internship) History/Purpose www.latinoschools.com ACADEMIA LATINOAMERICANA DE ESPAÑOL Ecuador – Perú – Bolivia info@latinoschools.com The SAEC is a non-profit, international club for travelers with clubhouses in New York, Quito, Lima and Cusco. The Cusco clubhouse helps members plan trips, has a common area for travelers to commune, posts messages, holds luggage, etc. Placement Basic office tasks plus assisting travelers would be the main duties for the volunteer. Good atmosphere, great way to meet people, great book exchange and lots more.l!! Good for Business Administration folks looking for international/intercultural experience. Requirements Minimum work commitment: 4 weeks Schedule : Flexible: Open Monday through Saturday: 8am-5:30pm - It is possible to work at the clubhouse in the afternoon while taking classes (or in the morning if you have afternoon classes). Spanish: beginner Capacity: 1 volunteer Other: Enthusiasm and a love for travel. Mostly an English-speaking placement as the clients are travelers who usually speak English as a common language. Not an intensive. ASOCIACIÓN KUYCHIWASI CASA ARCO IRIS. Inticcahuarina 354 (Inside the Qorikancha) Marketing placement History / Purpose Asociacion Kuychiwasi is a non-profit organization working for the promotion of the coca leaf and coca leaf products. It was founded by Spanish friars in 1999 to sell coca based products in the hope of persuading the coca farmers to sell their crop on a legitimate basis rather than resort to selling to cocaine producers. Virtually all funding comes from the sale of their products in the store as well as the from the sale of ceramics/ pottery produced by local youths in the coca producing areas that also comes within the aim of the organization: developing artistic ability and generating employment and a self sustaining way of life. These items are sold, along with coca based products, in their shop situated in the Qorikancha. Placement This position is for a volunteer who is interested in promoting and marketing the beneficial uses of coca products and also helping out in their shop. Coca leaves are used in a variety of products including:- teabags, biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, bread, spaghetti, shampoo, www.latinoschools.com ACADEMIA LATINOAMERICANA DE ESPAÑOL Ecuador – Perú – Bolivia info@latinoschools.com soap, etc. and emphasis is on the nutritional and beneficial value of the coca leaf, something often neglected due to the links with cocaine production. Requirement Minimum time commitment one month Spanish level medio- intermedio Schedule mon to sat (hours changeable) Capacity 1 volunteer at a time Other A genuine interest in the overall promotion of alternative coca leaf products, bringing new ideas of marketing a product which although has negative connotations, is also of great nutritional and cultural value. l CONDITIONS FOR VOLUNTEER/INTERNS a) Financing: Volunteers must pay their own expenses, including airfare to Cusco, Peru. b) Lodging: With host family or at student residence that are shared with other volunteers. Volunteer fees must be paid in advance and are non-refundable. WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF 5 NON-PERUVIAN VOLUNTEERS, A PERUVIAN PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER SUPPORTED BY ORGANIZATION. c) Health Insurance: Volunteers must have their own health insurance and need to sign a waiver to release from responsibility from any illness or injury incurred in Peru. d) Duration of internships: The minimum time limit for internships is two weeks. The maximum time limit at any of the the options is three months (exceptions can be made in special cases). A special visa is required to remain in Peru more than 90 days. e) Work Schedules: Volunteers are expected to work 4 hours a day, 20 days per month, from Monday - Friday. f) Educational Requirements: A good working use of Spanish is required to participate in most of the programs. University study is not a prerequisite to be accepted into the program. Prospective volunteers should have interest in conservation and related human issues. g) Volunteers are not tourists and are expected to work as any other employee of the program. Interns should be able to undertake strenuous, and sometimes tedious labor under primitive conditions.
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