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Five
Placement
Organisations -
Amancer
- Education, Health & Community Work
Artesania Sorata - Childcare
Fox Language Academy - Education
Fundación Luz del Mundo - Teaching & Education
Hogar
Jesus De Nazareth
- Childcare
Amanecer
is a catholic based organization but does not require volunteers
to be of the catholic faith or of any faith. Providing a
home and a new beginning for the abandoned, abused and orphaned
street children of Cochabamba since 1981.
Anyone
who loves children can be useful and given the size and
diversity of the program most skill types can be accommodated.
Volunteers
must be 21 years of age and willing to work in the program
for at least six months. (Depending on skill types shorter
terms can be arranged.) Knowledge of Spanish is essential.
Preferred backgrounds for volunteers are education, childcare,
psychology or health care.
EDUCATION
There are positions available in the formal school operated
by Amanecer that teaches kindergarten levels through grade
7. The children also require tutors for basic math, science,
geography and language. Many of the children come to the
program speaking only an indigenous dialect and must be
taught Spanish.
BUILDING
MAINTENANCE There is a great need for skilled trades people
or people not officially qualified but able to effectively
help with the maintenance of the various facilities of the
program.
CHILDCARE
The program has one facility with 120 children ages 0 to
5. (There are currently 24 babies under 6 months in residence.)
This facility has need of assistance in all operational
areas including infant care and feeding, janitorial, laundry,
plant maintenance and (most importantly) playing with and
providing affection for children without parents. MENTAL
HEALTH
Many of the children have emotional problems and can benefit
from individual attention and counseling by professionals.
(A high level of Spanish required.)
SPORTS
Sports are used to encourage healthy physical development
and teach children how to cooperate in team play. Favorite
sports are soccer, baseball and basketball. Volunteers with
abilities in this area or willingness to instruct the fundamentals
of these sports are welcome.
COMPUTERS
Amanecer has accumulated over 20 used computers of various
ages. Volunteers with basic or advanced computer skills
are needed to help maintain the computers and organize training
Room
and board will be free to volunteers.
Contact
Email:
amanecer@supernet.com.bo
Telephone:
011-591-4-4241290
Address: AMANECER CASILLA 2431 COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA
Artesania
Sorata Expands Creatively into the Community…..
Apart
from the creative energy generated through our artisans
at Artesania Sorata, we also have found ways to reach out
into the community. In 1992 we founded "Amigos Del Hogar"
a group of volunteers dedicated to helping disadvantaged
children.
A creativity
workshop was our first project at the State-run transitory
children´s home, Hogar José Soria. Since its humble beginnings,
we have helped hundreds of children to express themselves
creatively, raising self-esteem while having lots of fun.
We provide
a workspace filled with art materials and volunteers to
guide the children in their activities. Over the years the
program has expanded to also include creativity programs
at several other State homes helping children with family
problems, physical disabilities, legal problems, hearing
loss and mental disabilities.
In 2003
we created a hearing program that provides hearing aids
and transportation to a special needs school for children
with hearing loss. In 2007 we began with volunteers at this
school as well.
Hearing
professionals as well as non-professionals are very welcome.
Bolivian sign language classes can be arranged upon arrival
in La Paz for volunteers interested in this program.
Volunteers
need to have a good knowledge of Spanish, although we can
consider receiving assistant volunteers who are learning
Spanish. For volunteering in any of these homes or at the
deaf school, we need a commitment of a minimum of 2 months.
Volunteers
who can offer more time will find the experience very rewarding.
Please note that we do NOT charge any fees for volunteering
in our projects.
Contact
Website: www.artesaniasorata.com
E-mail: cnsorata@yahoo.com
Address: Artesania Sorata Casilla 4365 Calle Boqueron
1050 La Paz Bolivia
Whether
you want total fluency or just enough to help you through
your travels in South America, our school can help you achieve
your goals while helping the local community.
Giving
your time can really make a difference to the lives of the
people in Bolivia. Plus, it's also a lot of fun! We're looking
for people to teach English to small classes of local children
or adults in the afternoons or evenings at our language
academy.
Work
alongside one of our professional language teachers or tackle
a class on your own! Many tourists who learn Spanish with
us in the mornings, choose to volunteer in the evenings
(but it's not essential!). You can commit as much time as
you choose - how many hours each day and for how many weeks
is up to you.
Unlike
some other South American organisations, we don't charge
you to volunteer. All we ask is for your time and help in
ensuring our students get the best English education. We
may also be able to provide accommodation for you or help
you find it at a reasonable cost. Our students enjoy the
involvement of foreign English speakers and your help is
essential for correcting pronounciation.
Some
Spanish lanaguage skills are useful but not essential. We
work to a syllabus and our teachers will plan lessons with
you. Your input is always welcome in making the lessons
easier or more fun for the students. If you'd like to volunteer
in Sucre but don't want to teach, we can put you in touch
with nurseries, orphanages or other organisations that also
need help.
Contact
Webste: www.foxacademysucre.com
E-mail: foxlaacademy@yahoo.com
Luz
del Mundo is a home/child minding centre in Santa Cruz,
Bolivia, run by Gabriela Rojas Llave. Local children attend
and are offered English classes as well as other extra curricular
activities such as theatre, music and cultural studies.
The
main objective is to improve the infrastructure of the institution
in order to be able to offer more facilities and skills
to the children. Volunteer assistance is very much appreciated
and there are no fees or participation costs to volunteer
with us. However volunteers will need to organise and pay
for their own accommodation and support themselves financially
while working with us. A ballpark figure for living costs
in Santa Cruz is USD$70 per week.
Contact
E-mail: volunteerldm@gmail.com
Telephone: (+591 33) 608444
Address: Calle 1, Plan 3000 Barrio, 12 de Diciembre.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Volunteer
in a childrens home.
Contact
Webste: www.hogarjesusdenazareth.org
A unique
opportunity to work and live in an indigenous community
deep in one of the world's most diverse ecosystems.
Torewa
is a jungle community situated in Madidi National Park in
Bolivia. Located 3 hours upstream from Rurrenabaque on the
Beni River, Torewa is an altiplano immigrant community of
12 families who fully live off the land. Everything in Torewa
is about nature. The community is surrounded by rivers and
a pristine forest full of birds and mammals.
To
help sustain their way of life and culture, Torewa is seeking
volunteers to assist with the development of a sustainable
ecotourism project. The vision of the project is to provide
an affordable and real jungle experience for travellers
in Bolivia. Unlike other ecolodges in Madidi that cater
towards older, wealthier individuals, Torewa will provide
an authentic and affordable jungle experience, where visitors
can live among a real jungle community (anticipated project
launch date: May 2008).
Torewa
is a very warm, open and friendly community of people who
are eager to welcome volunteers to their homes and their
way of life. This is an exciting opportunity to help build
a very promising ecotourism project that will solely benefit
the inhabitants of the community in the form of improved
and much needed access to health care and education. This
is a great opportunity to live with a real jungle community
while making a difference.
The
members of the community speak very little English, and
therefore, it is important to have a basic to intermediate
(minimal) knowledge of Spanish. Also, the ability to live
without electricity or running water is a must. Lastly,
there is a 4-week minimum stay for all volunteers.
All
fees go towards the cost of your transportation to get to
Torewa and food for the duration of your stay. Transportation
costs 800 Bs (approximately US$105) and includes a roundtrip
boat ride to and from Torewa.
The
only other cost is for food, in which the community will
provide 3 meals/day of all locally grown food at the cost
of 200 Bs/week (approximately US$26). All meals are eaten
with a local family. And it is great, tasty, fresh food!
Although the community eats meat with some meals, there
are plenty of vegetarian options. Local food includes: rice,
yucca, platano, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, pork,
eggs, beans, potatoes, corn and bread.
Contact
Website: www.torewa.com
Telephone: 712-68553
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