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Outreach to Mentally and Physically Disabled
Peru Volunteer Placement
Options
- Full-time volunteer
- Internship
- Part-time volunteer
- Volunteer Only
A clinic run by a religious order and offers free treatment to mentally and physically disabled children (or treatment for a symbolic fee such as a bag of rice or corn). Due to the present economic situation in Peru, the clinic has been cut off from government funding. The institute is self-sufficient (they grow corn, and vegetables, in greenhouses) and have animals on-site that they keep for consumption. Facts about the Clinica: 52 children living at the hogar, 40 come for or daily therapy, 72 children attend the school, 4 teachers, 3 nurses in the morning and 2 in the afternoon work there, 3 therapists, they receive little or no funding from the government and are trying to become self-sustaining.
Help is needed in the infirmary which includes: washing, dressing, feeding, and playing with children. Professionals trained in physical therapy and speech therapy can assist in these areas.
Work Schedule: Varies. Full-time Monday through Friday, (often includes nights and/or weekends).
Location of Placements: Cusco
Lodging: Shared apartment. Homestay available at extra cost.
Requirements:
- Minimum age: 18 years.
- Minimum commitment: 4 weeks.
- Minimum Spanish level: Low-Intermediate
- Experience with disabled children (especially in physical or speech therapy).
- Volunteers at this site MUST be self motivators
- Volunteers MUST take the initiative and ask about tasks!
- A person who really wants to help
- Volunteers must have extreme patience.
Important Things to Consider:
- The clinic is SEVERELY understaffed, and often the nurses do not have time to tell volunteers what to do.
- Spanish used to communicate with staff, but is not intensive with disabled, hearing/speech impaired patients.
- This is an underfunded organization.
Other Comments:
The maximum number of volunteers that this organization accepts is 4.
(note: that we don’t know if positions are available until you apply).
**The institute only has a budget for 2 months in advance. Fund-raising is another possibility for volunteers.
Program Fees:
click here to return to Peru Summary page with program fees
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