Kids Activities in Community Center

location
4 - 50 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Brilliant 4.7  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate


Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+

About the program

We develop programs aimed at social development, the prevention of violence, the protection and defense of children who are victims of violence.

About the Program

We work every afternoon from Monday to Friday in two community centers 15min by car from the center of Cochabamba provided by the local communities. In each location, we have access to two classrooms, an outdoor parc and a sports field. We always have one educator who is supervising ...

About the program

About the Program

We work every afternoon from Monday to Friday in two community centers 15min by car from the center of Cochabamba provided by the local communities. In each location, we have access to two classrooms, an outdoor parc and a sports field. We always have one educator who is supervising all activities accompanied by 3 to 7 local and international volunteers to carry out the activities. We have up to 40 children and adolescents in each site, aged between 2 and 17 years old. We divide the children into two groups: the small children (pre-school), from 2 to 7 years old and the older ones.

Each day we offer a program of activities that are both educational and fun for the different age groups. The activities go from teaching English, helping with homework, doing sports, creative projects around art (theatre, music, painting, drawing, etc.), community projects, health and nutrition.

Being present every day in these two communities prevent the children from being left alone in the streets and at risk of being victims from different kinds of violence. Indeed, their parents have to work long hours and are often not able to take care of their children, nor to support them in their formal education.

As some of the children are living in "favelas" types of home with no access to electricity and water, we provide each child each day with a healthy snack and drinking water. We also put the emphasis on hygiene as they have to wash their hands and brush their teeth with us.

Your Role as a Volunteer

As we have to manage a big group of children and only have one educator per location, we need volunteers to be able to run our activities. Furthermore, volunteers bring new and innovative ideas for activities and are therefore an added-value for the children. We expect volunteers to help the educator on-site every day with the activities for the children, to follow Bolivia Digna's rules, to represent the association towards the children and their families. We also expect the volunteers to come up with ideas for activities, discuss them with the educators and prepare them.

Volunteers will always be supported by the Volunteer Coordinator for any issues or concerns or to prepare its activities for the children. He/she will be supervised by an educator and/or the Volunteer Coordinator and will never be alone with a classroom.

We generally work 5 days a week (from Monday to Friday) and mainly in the afternoons so weekends are free to explore the city or travel farther afield to experience all that Bolivia has to offer.

Our Support

We support the volunteers before, during and after their volunteering:

Before the volunteering: we always schedule a Skype call with the volunteer to get to know each other, to explain a bit more about our projects and activities and to answer any question (s)he may have. We then help the volunteer with practical matters if necessary (visa, vaccinations, flights, etc.). Before (s)he arrives, we send him/her our volunteering guide with information about the NGO, our work, tips on working with children, but also about the city and country.

During the volunteering: we welcome the volunteer at the aiport, make a tour of the house and go through the volunteering guide. We also make a tour of the city, Cochabamba, meet the team and other volunteers and then organise a training on how to work with children and interculturality. For long-term volunteers we follow-up on its work, define its objectives before starting and regularly see how it goes. We are always present in case of issues 24h/7d.

Volunteers are always under the supervision of an educator and are never alone with the children. They are either accompanied by one of our educators, the volunteer coordinator or a long-term local/international volunteer.

At the end of the volunteering: Airport drop-off. Evaluation and Certificate. We keep contact!



Typical day

Monday and Friday mornings: Team meetings from 10.30 to 11.30. From time to time extra meetings are organized as well, you will be notified.

Timetable :

10.30 Volunteers meet at the Volunteers House

10.30 - 12.00 Preparation of the afternoon activities at the Volunteers House

12.00 – 14.30 Lunch ...

Typical day

Monday and Friday mornings: Team meetings from 10.30 to 11.30. From time to time extra meetings are organized as well, you will be notified.

Timetable :

10.30 Volunteers meet at the Volunteers House

10.30 - 12.00 Preparation of the afternoon activities at the Volunteers House

12.00 – 14.30 Lunch break

14.30 Departure for the projects

15.00 - 17.00 Projects 

17.30 Arrival at the Volunteer House from the projects 


Free-time activities

Volunteers' schedule is flexible in the mornings and they are free in the week-ends. The volunteer coordinator will always give them advice of what to do during the week in Cochabamba and in the week-end closeby or in the country.

The volunteers house is located right in front a nice square which is ...

Free-time activities

Volunteers' schedule is flexible in the mornings and they are free in the week-ends. The volunteer coordinator will always give them advice of what to do during the week in Cochabamba and in the week-end closeby or in the country.

The volunteers house is located right in front a nice square which is also a park (Plaza Cobija) where they can relax. In the city, they shouldn't miss the Christ which is the second highest in the world (higher than the one in Rio), the main square where there is also the biggest cathedral of the city, the Santa Theresa Convent where you have a nice view over the city, not to forget the biggest market of the country (La Cancha).

Bolivia is a country where volunteers can do a lot of sight-seing with beautiful landscapes such as the Salar de Uyuni, the biggest salt desert in the world, or the famous Titicaca Lake. 

They can also go hiking, up to 5000m at the Pico Tunari, just outside Cochabamba, or go into the jungle only 4h aways of the city at Villa Tunari. They can go hiking in the numerous national parks, Toro Toro being the closest from Cochabamba.

In addition, there are other cities to visit such as the highest capital of the world La Paz, the constitutional capital of the country Sucre and its colonial architecture and rich history, the mines of Potosi, the warm weather of Santa Cruz, or the wineries of Tarija. Cochabamba being central in the country and with an aiport and all buses connections, it is easy to travel.

Finally, Bolivia is close to other countries for those planning to go to Peru to visit Machu Pichu, to Argentina to see Buenos Aires and/or the Iguazu falls, or to Chile. 


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level) or Spanish (basic level)

Education Requirements

at High School level

Criminal Background Check

required

Required Documents

CV

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

Basic Spanish desirable but not mandatory Experience with children desirable but not mandatory We need a flexible and open-minded person!

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:30 - 17:30

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Bolivia Digna

Fee for a shared room: 443§ per month (stated as above)

Fee for a private room: 500€ per month

Fee for host family 520€ per month

The fees above include:
  • Accomodation (either shared or private room depending on the price)
  • Breakfast and lunch from Monday to Friday
  • Airport pick up and drop off
  • Internet access 24h/7d
  • Emergency contact 24h/7d
  • Training: a short training on volunteering, your motivations, working with children and interculturality
  • A certificate at the end of the volunteering (if requested)

Airport Pickup at J Wilsterman Airport

We pick you up at the aiport in Cochabamba any time, any day.

Accommodation

Possibility to have a private room or a shared room in our volunteer house, situated in a central, residential and safe area of Cochabamba. 

Shared rooms are usually shared with one or two persons from the same sex and you'll each have a single bed, a night table and enough space in the wardrobe for your clothes. The shared rooms are approximately 40m². 

Single rooms are approximately 20m² and you'll have a double bed, a night table, a wardrobe and a desk.

There are shared bathrooms in the volunteers house. In addition, at the house, you have access to internet, washing machine, drinkable water 24h/7d, access to the kitchen in the evenings and week-end.

You also have the possibility to stay in the host family where you will have your own room and shared bathroom. Such as at the volunteers house you will have access to internet, washing machine, drinkable water and access to the kitchen.

Food & Beverages

Volunteers get breakfast and lunch from Monday to Friday. 

Breakfast: bread with butter and/or jam, with coffee and tea.

Lunch: typical Bolivian food cooked by our cook. It usually consists in rice, potatoes, meat and vegetables, with some variations possible (soups, pastas). We are able to adapt to persons with special dietary requirements.

Volunteers get access to bottled water 24h/7d. They also have access to the kitchen, which means they have coffee/tea all the time and can cook in the evenings and during the week-ends. If they don't want to cook, they can go out as the house is located in a central area next to restaurants.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is J Wilsterman Airport (CBB) in Cochabamba. We assist you to find cheap flights to Bolivia. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Bolivia provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Bolivia you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Bolivia. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

We need volunteers all year long to be able to work in our projects as we need at least 4 people per project to run it properly.
Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

4 weeks (min. stay) 442€
12 weeks 1,326€
24 weeks 2,651€
50 weeks (max. stay) 5,303€
Average fees 108€/week

Program fees

108€ per week 4 - 50 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

4 - 50 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Bolivia Digna during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Bolivia Digna

Brilliant 4.7 rating (6 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2006

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Alvaro Dante

Spoken languages: English, French, Spanish

About the project

Since 2006, we have been developing programs aimed at social development, the prevention of violence, the protection and defense of children who are victims of violence.

Meet your organization

Bolivia Digna is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Cochabamba, Bolivia and founded in 2006. Its objective is to promote and defend the rights of infants, children, adolescents, senior citizens and other vulnerable social groups living in exclusion and poverty, in some of the poorest communities in Latin America. 

We are a team of 4 people to run up the association and to ensure efficiency and stability in our project: the Director, two educators (one per site) and the Volunteer Coordinator.

We work in two poor communities in the outskirts of Cochabamba and we have centers provided by these communities. Typically, in each location, a team of 4 to 8 staff and volunteers will work with a group of up to 40 infants, children and adolescents aged between 2 and 17. Although we have rules and the day has some structure, this is not a traditional school environment. The children participate on a voluntary basis. 

Cochabamba is a pretty safe city but any volunteers should be careful with personal items and not walk alone in the streets at night. In the project, volunteers are always under the supervision of one of our educators and we always go to the communities by taxi all together.

Since 2006, Bolivia Digna provides informal eduaction to children living in disadvantaged communities. We believe that the best way to support these communities and alleviate poverty is to invest in the formal and informal education of the young people. All people, and especially children, should have adequate living conditions and should have the opportunity to fully exercise their rights.Through educational and social assistance programs, we promote better living conditions and create more opportunities for advancement for people, particularly young people, living in poor or marginal conditions. To augment the existing system, we provide integrated educational assistance to pre-school children and children of school age, and run other projects that benefit their families, their community and the environment in which they live.

The children we work with suffer from a lack of attention and of positive role models as their families are unable to assist with their formal education. Children and adolescents are often required to work and many are left to fend for themselves or are expected to care for younger siblings. These children are at risk of becoming victims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse and human trafficking. They lack support to escape the poverty trap.

Therefore, the primary goals of all of our projects are:

  • To provide a safe environment for at least a part of the day;
  • To remove some of the burden of responsibility and allow kids to be kids;
  • To teach and demonstrate values that are at the core of a healthy society;
  • To teach children hygiene habits such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth;
  • To assist with and augment formal education to improve future prospects.
We are looking for motivated, passionate and flexible volunteers to help us out with the children, but also to increase the visibility of Bolivia Digna. We could not do the work with do without the volunteers who support our activities, give an added-value to our work by bringing new ideas, new skills and a different culture to share and learn from.

We run several projects and, each of them, while assisting the target group, also has the aim of promoting and instilling a culture of volunteering. To this end, as of early 2015, more than 50 Bolivians and close to 40 international volunteers have been part of our program for periods of between one month and over a year at a time. We have developed a tailor-made programme for volunteers including orientation and a training about their motivations, working with children and the notion of interculturality before their start.

Volunteering at Bolivia Digna, you can learn a lot about how an NGO in the development and education sectors work by getting field experience (working directly with the children every day) as well as seing the ins and outs of the administration, funding and communication of an NGO. As we are a small team, there's always room for initiatives, proactiveness and new ideas!

6 reviews · rating4.7

Estitxu Eraña Anzola rating5

2023 at Kids Activities in Community Center

Elegir Bolivia Digna para realizar una estancia de un mes en Bolivia ha sido todo un acierto. Compartir el día a día con gente de otros países, pero también con propios voluntarios locales es una gran oportunidad para conocer las culturas de primera mano y sentirte como en casa desde el primer ...
Google Translation: We work in two neighborhoods accompanying in school support, art, sports, environment ... family support ... Quality proposals, designed with educational sense. Nice work team. Learning every day with local and international volunteers. Orignial: Centros de Atención ...
Faustine-Louise Blanco Poisson rating4.8

2019 at Kids Activities in Community Center

Translated: This volunteer is a practice for my studies and Bolivia Digna allows to put into practice everything I have learned in college. It is an experience that I recommend to everyone. - - - - - - Original: Casa de los Niños Este volountario es una practica para mis estudios y ...
Marc St-Louis rating4.8

2019 at Kids Activities in Community Center

In an internship agreed between the university and the foundation I'm in charge of the renovation of the Mercado Campesino project. Planting trees Building a garden patch Placing a water tank Placing solar hovens Placing ...
Blandine Doutreleau rating4.2

2019 at Kids Activities in Community Center

Bolivia Digna is an NGO that supports both these volunteers and trainees in the discovery of their missions. The atmosphere is always joyful and the people very welcoming. I strongly recommend to everyone to come and discover this wonderful organization. ..
Francesco Morelli rating4.2

2019 at Kids Activities in Community Center

The organization is well organized, the best as possible and the Director and the Coordinator are always there to help you. Working with children is very important to give them an informal education and a sense in everything they do in the projects. All the process of activities planning is very ...

Location

Americas > South America > Bolivia > Cochabamba

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