Bring Fun, Support, and New Skills to Disadvantaged Children!
Colombia is a fascinatingly diverse country filled with incredibly welcoming people and stunning landscapes, which is rapidly growing more developed. However, there is still great scope for social improvement in many areas, particularly in the provision of stimulating after-school activities for children. We need YOUR help to provide these things so that the new generation of Colombia can reach the heights they aspire to.
This project is part of our Colombia Volunteer Circle, in which you can combine up to four projects located in the same region into one comprehensive program.
Volunteer Responsibilities
Volunteer duties will vary according to your skill set and knowledge, as well as the specific needs of each attendee and the resources available to the center staff.
Volunteer duties:
- Supporting current center staff with their existing activities, events, and tasks.
- Running errands for the center.
- Teaching the children musical instruments, dance, art, sports and/or theatre – if you would like to begin some kind of theatre, dance or art project you are very welcome!
- Playing games with and generally entertaining the children.
- Helping the children with their homework.
- Teaching IT skills.
- Teaching your native language (preference is given to English).
- Using games and play to introduce the children to new concepts or subjects.
- Teaching the children about new cultures and ways of life.
- Educating the older children about contraception, safe sex and family planning; substance abuse; and how to prevent and combat verbal or physical abuse.
- Providing psychological care or emotional guidance for all attendees.
- Generally, encouraging all of the children to be independent, to make sensible and informed decisions, to develop their skills and interests, and to be proud of themselves.
- Project monitoring and reporting.
There is also the option, for trained and competent volunteers ONLY, to assist the center in supporting its special needs attendees. In addition to generally supporting the existing staff, this could also include teaching sign language, improving their written, spoken, and social skills, and providing specialized therapy. Please contact us for more information if this is of interest to you.
The exact tasks you will be asked to carry out will depend on the current needs and priorities of the project as determined by the project organizer and Volungo Abroad management. The tasks stated here are therefore examples of some of the possible types of activities you will be asked to do.
Work hours:
The centre is open between the hours of 8am and 6pm from Monday to Friday, with a lunch break between 12pm and 2pm; your exact timetable can be negotiated with your project organizer, but you will be expected to work for around 5 – 6 hours a day. As the center is advertised as an after-school youth center, it is most likely that you will be working in the hours before and after school.
Location
The center is located in a large town two hours from Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, half an hour from the village where your accommodation is. The town has shops, internet cafes, restaurants, ATMs, and night life.
Transportation
Buses from the village to the town leave frequently throughout the day and cost around COP $2500 per trip, taking about 30 minutes (not included in the project fee). There are also plenty of taxis (including mototaxis). In all cases the project leader can offer their own transport, a car for a total of five people, for a small fee. There are also very frequent buses to Bogotá, run by a handful of companies, and to several nearby towns and villages.
Accommodation and Food
You will stay in the house of the project organizer. The area is fairly rural but all basic amenities are available. The house is split into two, with the project organizer and their family living in the main house and the volunteers sharing the bungalow (including 2 bathrooms). There is also a garden and outside sitting/dining area. If there are more than 4 volunteers private rooms will not be available.
The internet can be very slow, although if you need to you can take the short bus ride into town to use the internet cafes there.
You will be provided with 3 meals a day from Monday to Friday. On a Saturday you will be given one meal (all of these meals are shared with the family). None will be provided on a Sunday. The project organizer is very happy to provide for any special dietary requirements (vegetarians and vegans, celiacs, any allergies or intolerances, etc.) if advised before you arrive. You are welcome to use the kitchen to prepare your own meals, as long as you keep it clean and tidy, or to eat in the restaurants in the village or town. If you choose to eat any meals not provided by the project organizer these will be at your own cost.
Prerequisites
Professional requirements:
In general,all that is required of you is to be enthusiastic, willing, and prepared to learn new skills, displaying a hardworking attitude and respect towards the local community and those you will be living and working with.
Any experience in teaching or working with children would be fantastic! A generally patient attitude and ability to communicate well with children is required. The project would also really appreciate help from anyone with formal training in psychology, play therapy, behavioural or cognitive therapy, Makaton, special needs care and speech or physiotherapy. Volunteers for this project in particular need to have a can-do attitude and a well-developed ability to work autonomously and take the initiative, as, due to the lack of sufficient staff, they will not always be well supported.
Generally, you should be ready to respond to changes and be able to deal with the unexpected for any work or travel in South America. For this program in particular, you should be willing to live and work in areas where the standard of living is much lower than that in the EU or US.
Language requirements:
You must have at least a conversational level of Spanish for all of these projects, as few local people speak any more than basic English, if any English at all. However, the project organizer has a very good level of English, having lived in England for several years, and can help you if you have any problems. Having said that, there would be little point in volunteering in another country if you could not communicate with the people you live and work with. Therefore, it is advisable to have at least an intermediate level of Spanish – and we can help you with this! After all, the better the Spanish you speak or learn before you arrive the more you can bring of yourself to the project, the more you can communicate and understand, and the more you will get out of your volunteering experience. In any case, you will be amazed how much Spanish you will learn by simply living and working in another country. We can help you with this! We offer a wide array courses suited to your level, including specialized courses, for as many course weeks as you require.
Additional Information and Specials
Minimum age:
18 years
Start dates:
1st or 3rd Sunday each month.
(Individual arrival dates possible, surplus applies).
Length of stay:
Beginning at 4 weeks.
Immunizations:
It is absolutely necessary that you have current immunizations. This includes, among others: yellow fever (certified), tetanus, typhoid, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, and rabies. You’ll receive exact information pertaining to immunizations needed in Colombia, as well as your personal preliminary documentation, following your successful application with us.
You can inquire in advance concerning immunization requirements by consulting medical authorities in your country of origin, e.g. in the US, check with the Center for Disease Control and Protection
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/ecuador.
Please make sure that you have up-to-date vaccinations for all of these diseases. Volungo Abroad cannot be held responsible for the provision of vaccinations for their volunteers. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to ensure that they have followed up-to-date medical advice.
Included services:
- Accommodation including bedding.
- Three meals a day (Mon-Fri; one meal on a Saturday and none on a Sunday).
- Pickup and transport from airport.
- Pre-arrival welcome pack.
- Welcome Dinner.
- 24 hour support.
- Certificate of successful volunteer participation on your project.
Excluded services:
- Daily transport to and from your project site.
- Weekend or non-organized activities.
- Snacks and non-mealtime drinks.
- Travel insurance.
- Personal spending.
- Any additional items not listed in the ‘Included Services’ list.
Special Conditions:
In general, you must bear in mind that you will be representing Volungo Abroad to communities and project partners and are therefore required to demonstrate a professional attitude. Lightweight long sleeves and trousers are recommended for the area, as it can get very hot and there are mosquitoes.
Tidy and clean presentation is essential, so please keep your clothes clean, wear your hair up, keep your nails short and unpolished, and remove all piercings and jewellery.
You will need to provide a criminal background check, medical records, proof of travel and medical insurance and any professional certificates or proof of vocational qualifications that you may have.
During this program, you will be in contact with a lot of people. However, you might also be the only volunteer working with local staff at times, so be prepared for variety in the people you will meet and work with.
