Volunteer opportunities for the students of Academia Buenos Aires

Transcription

1 Volunteer opportunities for the students of Academia Buenos Aires Project A These are civil associations that count four homes for orphans and children, whose parents cannot care for them. Some of the children are HIV positive, others experienced mistreatment and neglect, family violence or sexual abuse. The children are between 6 months and 18 years old, live at the place and go to school half day. Volunteers who have experience in working with children are particularly needed! Compatible with classes: Province San Isidro: Three of the orphanage houses are located there. This is approx minutes by train from Retiro station, depending on which of the homes you are working in. Congreso area: approx. 10 min. by subways from the school. Take care of the children, recreational activities, create workshops for the kids and help with homework. Timetable: 10:00 hrs 14:00 hrs or 14:00 hrs 18:00 hrs. Province San Isidro: No. Congreso area: Yes. Project B This is a non-profit organization, founded by volunteers from different social institutions. The association works with community centres and other social institutions in poor areas of Buenos Aires. La Boca: There is a community centre that benefits the people in the neighbourhood, running a soup kitchen and offering computer and English lessons and educational reinforcement for the kids. Barracas: It is a community radio station that operates in a restored factory. The radio broadcasts the national and international work of social organizations and is an alternative form of communication and reflection in comparison with the information provided by reports from the mass media. Health Centers: (in combination with the medical Spanish program!): The Health Centers work together with local hospitals and provide the community with basic health care and prevention. They put special attention to women and children through their doctors and social workers. La Boca: approx. 15 minutes by bus from the Academia. Barracas: 15 minutes by bus from the Academia. Health Centers: different locations, some in Buenos Aires city and some in the outskirts, between 15 to 40 minutes. La Boca: Help in a community soup kitchen, help with recreational activities, teaching English to children or adults, children s and adults continuous education, help in a recovered factory. Barracas: Volunteers should have a profile identified with journalism, media or radio. Be involved with production work, join one of the programs that is on the air daily, check on the advertising agencies, receiving guests invited onto the program, making telephone calls, etc.. Health Centers: Shadow doctors and nurses and learn from their work and procedures, however, volunteers won t be able to practice medicine themselves unless this is approved by the professional in charge. 1

2 Timetable: Depends on the activity, 2 to 3 times a week. Maximum period: 4 weeks. The student can stay longer with the organization covering all costs himself/herself. Project C The mission of this foundation is environmental education in order to promote ecologically sound behaviour. The foundation is member of the United Nations and permanent observer of the climate change and coordinator of the Climate Change Commission for the Argentinean State Department. Besides, they inform and educate about this issue in schools and institutes, etc., so that the people become conscious of environmental issues and take them seriously. Another central objective is forestation. Indeed, the foundation has planted more than trees throughout Argentina. Barracas, about 20 minutes by bus from the Academy. Administration, investigation and formulation of projects, translation to Spanish, arrange the library, actualization of the website, etc. Spanish level: Intermediate to advanced. Project D The organisation is formed by young Argentine volunteers, who are working together with families, living in situation of extreme poverty in order to improve their standard of living through the construction of shelter homes. Several times per year there are massive constructions that take 2 days, and in which more than volunteers participate (most of them Argentine university students). In groups of 10, volunteers build the house TOGETHER with the family. The family cooks for the volunteers and they have lunch together. Generally, volunteers sleep in public schools of the neighbourhood. Costs of the construction material are divided by the volunteers. Outside of the massive construction dates it is possible to participate in other volunteer activities, depending on your skills and time availability. According to the situation and needs of each neighbourhood the volunteer can help in different areas. For example: detection work (visit the neighbourhood and talk to the people, analyse the situation of the neighbourhood), education (professional training), healthcare (basic health care centers and first aid treatment) and farming (plant a garden, garden work). Timetable: Shantytowns, in the suburbs of Bs.As. Build houses. Please consult for other activities. The massive constructions are twice per year: in May and October. Please ask for dates. You need to sign up at least one month before. Please ask if you want to help in other areas. Minimum period: A weekend (massive constructions). Please consult for minimum period of the activities. Project E This foundation receives donations in the form of food from large companies and distributes them to social institutions and soup kitchens throughout Buenos Aires. The foundation always needs volunteers, who are willing to share their time, helping to prepare the food packages. The organization supplies food to over 450 soup kitchens in the capital and many other NGOs and thus feeds hundreds of Argentinean families. 2

3 San Martín, approx. 30 minutes from Retiro station (by train and bus). Revise and control the food, prepare orders, deliver the packages to the institutions. According to Spanish level, volunteers can realize different tasks: Commercial correspondence and phone calls etc.. Compatible with course: No. Spanish level: Intermediate (depending on the task). Project F This project is a German Argentinean cooperation with the aim to create consciousness of the environment. The idea of the foundation is to share knowledge about recycling methods and incorporate a permanent behavior of waste separating in Argentinean and German- Argentinean schools, companies and provincial departments. Volunteers do not necessarily have to be native German speakers. Volunteers who have fun working with youths and who are interested in this issue are welcome. Primary and secondary school in Capital Bs.As. and Province of Bs.As., companies and provincial departments. Help the teachers to prepare material on the topic, develop waste separating systems for the schools, organize excursions, hold little presentations, help in statistic development, prepare new material, help in the office: event organisation, sponsoring, marketing, create the website, doing movie short cuts, etc.. Timetable: 2 5 times per week. Minimum period: 1 to 6 month. Project G This is a centre that receives every day adolescents between 15 and 18 years old, who live in the streets. The kids get a breakfast and have the possibility to take a shower. There are different educational and recreational workshops during the day. The kids are not living in the centre, but continue living on the street. The association tries to reintegrate them into society, showing them possibilities to get away from the live in the streets. The volunteers must be older than 22 years and will be asked to write a curriculum and a motivation letter. After having handed over these requirements and a personal interview, the persons in charge will decide whether or not the volunteer will be accepted. Please take into consideration that the kids have been living for a long time on the streets and that there could be difficult situations! 15 to 20 minutes walking from the Academy; by bus 5 minutes. Help to prepare the breakfast, recreation, realize and participate in workshops; help with the homepage is urgently needed! Timetable: Monday Friday; 8:30 13:00 and 14:00 17:00. Spanish level: Intermediate to advanced. Minimum period: 8 weeks. Project H This is a non-profit organization, that helps different community centres (homes, hospitals and soup kitchens) in socially marginalized and extremely impoverished neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and Gran Buenos Aires. The organization carries out a number of activities and programs, linked to recreation, education and health. The volunteers receive a weekly schedule , with all the activities that will take place in this week. They can decide which days they want to work or at which programs they want to participate. Those, who want to attend, all go together to the place of the activity. Different locations in Buenos Aires and Gran Buenos Aires. 3

4 Provide school support to the children, sport, games, English lessons, fundraising, work in the office. Project I This is a non-profit organisation, based on Christian principles, which works in more than 100 countries worldwide. It offers sustainable solutions to the country s considerable housing deficit. Volunteers are needed to build, renovate or improve simple housings for families who are living in unacceptable conditions. The families work together with the volunteers (national or international volunteers). Besides participating in the massive constructions (please ask for dates) you can work in the other areas within the organisation. Province of Buenos Aires (Luján, Acassuso) or Santa Fe. Help in the construction or improvement of houses. Timetable: 30 hours per week Compatible with classes: No Spanish level: Intermediate Minimum period: 7 month, starting always in February or August Project J The aim of this ONG is to support underprivileged people with less access to loans, education and continuous attendance. The organization works in different villas (slums) in Buenos Aires city. They are specialists in the field of micro-credit financing and give credits to the ones who already have a business running or want to start one. The programme is combined with courses and workshops in order to help them understand all circumstances and a responsibility a business can cause. Villa Soldati (office of the ONG) IT-work, investigation work, public relation (organizing events/party s), being in contact with the media, help creating a newsletter, financing work (analysis of interest loans). Timetable: at least 3 times a week. Compatible with classes: No. Spanish level: Intermediate Minimum period: 3 months Project K This organization was founded in the 1930 s with the aim of receiving and integrating Jewish immigrants into Argentine society. Over the years the institution has widened its objectives and now focuses on improving quality of life for the elderly, of all origins. The main operation today is a home for the elderly where about 200 staff (administrative, assistance, medical, etc) care for 190 elderly people. The organization currently has an office in Buenos Aires, but the home is in the province of Buenos Aires, 30 minutes from the city center, reachable through a shuttle service. Volunteers are welcome in different areas, ranging from caretaker and social activities for the elderly to administrative tasks of all kinds, depending on the specialty of the volunteer. Medical professions are also welcome. Province of Buenos Aires, 30 minutes from centre. Caretaking: working in direct contact with the elderly people, establishing close links, accompanying the elderly, transport, socializing, activities with the elderly. Administrative: information systems, graphic design, marketing, event planning, other activities related to the skills of the volunteer. 4

5 Timetable: Compatible with classes: Spanish level: Minimum period: Medical: physicians, nurses of all specialties. Geriatric specialists, rehabilitation, kinesiology, etc. Depending on the area of activity. Caretaking is a regular activity which requires daily presence (4 to 8 hours) over longer periods. Administrative activities can be more punctual and may not require daily presence or can be limited to certain hours. yes. intermediate. consult for administrative and medical activities, 6 months for caretaking and social activities. Additional volunteer opportunities outside Buenos Aires There are two organizations that are located in the province of Jujuy and in Mendoza who work in the agricultural sector. Both places are around 20 km away from the next village which makes you experience a different time volunteering in Argentina s nature. They provide a place to stay during your time volunteering, as well as food (for a small money charged to the volunteer). Minimum period: Jujuy: 1 week Mendoza: 1 month Distance from Buenos Aires: Jujuy: ca. 1654km Mendoza: ca. 1037km 5