Description

In all 3 structures, there will be running the following programmes:

1. Shelter for people suffering from HIV-AIDS
This program tries to offer a fitting place, a warm home and a family for those people of both sexes, drug addicts, HIV-positives, people suffering from AIDS, as well as other terminal diseases, and due to the advanced stage of the diseases they have no other alternative than dying in prison, in the hospital or on the street.

Therefore we try:
* To assist the sick people in recovering their personal worth, increasing the level of their self-esteem and valuation.
* To offer suitable medical and health care to them for the state of their disease.
* To offer, in the cases where it is possible, a social reintegration to them using an individualized way of planning that guarantees them the possibility of an introduction to the socio-professional and familial environment.

2. Disintoxication centre and program of social action
The Rehabilitation centre aimed at cohabitation, provisional accommodation, the social attention of drug addicts, whose activity is orientated to the recovery and social reintegration of its users. By means of the different working, cultural, and educative activities we try:

* To help the residents recover their personal worth, increasing the level of their own esteem and valuation.
* To assist their rehabilitation and social reintegration. Helping them discontinue using opiate and psychotropic substances.
* Assist them in the acquisition of some social skills and relationships by means of psychological therapy and monitoring.
* To provide medical-health care with the administration of prescribed treatments and suitable therapy.

3. Information, prevention, and advising
This program tries to provide and diffuse rigorous data which contribute to clarifying and demythologising AIDS. In this way, it will be able to undertake direct and effective preventative work to stop the progressive increase of AIDS cases and to avoid further spread of the disease.

4. Volunteer Training
This program allows for the education of professional and non-professional people so that in an altruist way, they can cope with all situations posed by the disease of AIDS and drug addiction in general.

Theoretical courses:

* Psychological aspects of the volunteer.
* Legal aspects.
* Social aspects of the volunteer.
* Human education.
* Presentation of BASIDA and other associations.

Practical activities:

* Participation in the program "Shelter for AIDS-HIV people".
* Participation in the program "Centre and Program of Social Action".

5. Social reintegration
This program has as its objectives, the social insertion and reintegration depending on the cases of those residents who have carried out their disintoxication and rehabilitation program and those who have HIV and AIDS but are able thanks to the new treatments, by means of:

* Impelling measures which make it easier to access the training and labour integration (course of occupational training,...).
* Developing and supporting institutional and social measures directed at improving the social image of the drug addict.
* Developing and promoting attention to their social needs.
* Intervening in the social and familiar environment of every resident to get the participation and the involvement of the family in this program.
* In the last years the fruit of the preceding formative work has been collected, with the contribution of those people whose have ended the program, and been incorporated into the cooperative of associated work "Base of Madrid Cooperative."

For development, the programme names count on the following departments:
Department of Social Labour: It carries out negotiations with Town Halls, NEI (National Employment Institute), finantial institutions, Social Security, NISS (National Institute for Social Services), Municipal Registry of births, marriages and deaths, Police Stations, Finance Office, and other institutions.

Educative Department: It carries out the residents´ literacy workshop, reading workshop, and out-of-school lessons for the centre children.

Health Department: It takes care of the evolution and medical examination. It carries out clinical history, planned medical consultations, tests appointments and consultations, plan and analysis extraction, attends to the patients for admissions and consultations, administration of treatments, infirmary cures and terminal care for the resident patients.

Legal Department: (One lawyer, the same for the three houses). He/she is in charge of negotiations with courts and police stations, with Legal Secretaries appointed by trade, and Public Administration for grants and authorizations.

Psychological Department: It takes care of the evaluation, evolution and psychological observation of the residents by means of individual interviews and group therapies. It carries out psychological history.

Directive and Management Department: It takes care of the coordination among all departments and the negotiations at associaton level.

Social and Labour Training Department: It is one of the pillars in which three main programs feature: "Welcome program to HIV-AIDS people, drug addicts and ex-prisoners", "Disintoxication Centre. Program of Social Action" and "Program of Social Action for ex-drug addicts and HIV-AIDS people".

The life and the developed activities of our organization in the different departments in which they are organized and the workshops imparted, are thanks to the group and team work among volunteers, and their dedication.

the staff feeds completely on the voluntary enlistment, that participates in the developed activities in the different departments (management tasks, carrying out negotiations of social labour, seeing the doctor, participating in psychological therapies,...), labour workshops (collaborating in carpintery, laundery, cooking works, ..), cultural (magazine, theatre,..)or free time (sport, skills, and cognitive development), attendance to sick people,.. depending on their preferences, abilities and availability.

Qualifications

* People over 18 years old.
* A certain level of maturity, sensitivity and interest in knowing the problems generated by HIV-AIDS and drug dependency.
* A willingness to learn about the experience of people with HIV-AIDS and a drug dependency, and who have the additional motivation to learn and self-improve.
* A self-belief in their capabilities as well as an engagement with the activities they take part in and a desire to work as part of a team
* Capable of actively listening and showing empathy- people that like to listen and are capable of seeing things from the perspective of the users to whom they are talking.
* Tolerant and flexible
* An interest in the Spanish language and the desire to learn about the Spanish culture.
* Willing to complement the dynamics of the group and abide by the rules of co-habitation (they will not be able to consume any drugs, including tobaco and alcohol).
* Willing to live in Community.

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Cost in US$:

Please Contact Us for information.

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction
• Registration fees

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

over 18 years old

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Dormitory

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently

Application Process Involves

• Resume
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

1-2 months

AFAIJ's Mission Statement

AFAIJ reach its goals:
* Stimulating national and international voluntary service of youth in the social, civil and cultural field.
* Organizing intercultural activities like training courses, seminars, national and international youth meetings, fair tourism trips.
* By promoting and spreading studies related to problems and the reality of youngsters.

Year Founded

1999

AFAIJ is a catholic (we are open to all religions) based organization. We do not require our participants to be of the same faith. Our volunteers will not be involved in religious proselytizing.