Description

As a volunteer with a Wawa Wasi day care you would assist with a number of day to day tasks which may include: help to spoon feed the children; help prepare them for nap time; play and dance with them; cuddle and provide comfort to them when they are upset; prepare basic meals and wash dishes; diaper changing is optional!

A typical day may look like this: You would arrive at 9:00 am and play and/or dance with the children while the daycare teacher is busy greeting other children as they arrive for the day. For the next couple of hours, you would help the teacher in numerous ways: hand out colouring sheets, bottle feed the youngest ones, perhaps take some of them outside to play with balls and at the same time, provide gentle supervision and warm comfort to those in need.

The teacher will prepare some children for a nap at around 11:00 am, and while she does this you would be attending to the needs of those who stay up. At 1:00 pm, you would help hand out milk and lunch to each of the toddlers, and spoon feed where necessary. You would also help the teacher by cleaning up spills and wiping the children's hands before and after eating.

There may be another nap time after lunch, and again you would stay with the children that remain awake while the teacher is occupied preparing the others for sleep. There is more free play and music time in the afternoon, until parents arrive at around 4:00 pm to pick up their little ones. While parents are arriving, you would assist the teacher by helping to put coats on the children or continue to play with the toddlers whose parents have not yet arrived.
Throughout the day you would help with general tasks, such as, tidying-up. After the children have left for the day, you would help the teacher to wipe down tables and sweep the floor.

Volunteers at this placement would also be asked to help with cleaning and tidying the daycare. This includes sweeping, mopping, and cleaning toys.

Highlights

Ministerio de Mujeres y Desarrollo Social (MIMDES), meaning Ministry of Women and Social Development, is a government program of social development for vulnerable populations that suffer exclusion. This organizations works to guarantee the exercising of their rights and improving the quality of life for people living in poor and marginalized conditions. The mission of the ministry is to promote decentralization and contribute to the eradication of poverty, inequality, and exclusion. There focus is on comprehensive human development, equality, and to generate equal opportunity between men and women.

Many of the children in the poor areas of San Juan de Miraflores begin school with developmental problems/delays, mainly due to a lack of early education, stimulation, and nutrition. The necessity of spending long days away from home to work in the streets as vendors or performing other informal work, means that many parents are forced to take their children with them or leave them at home alone during the day. Both situations are risky for young children and do not contribute to healthy development.

The Wawa Wasi day cares throughout San Juan de Miraflores are a great option for parents. It enables their children to have a healthier, safer way to spend their days while their parents are at work. These day cares provide the children with the education, stimulation and attention they need to help in the positive development of their early years.

Each of these day care locations look after eight children between the ages of one to three years old. There is one woman in charge of all eight toddlers, so her time is usually restricted to taking care of their immediate needs. Volunteers are extremely welcome and would provide much needed assistance to both the teacher and the children; thus this extra help would hopefully create a little time for the toddlers to receive much needed individual attention and some playful interaction which is nearly impossible to do with a staff of one.

Qualifications

A volunteer in this placeent should have experience working with toddlers and knowledge of early childhood development.

Minimum Education

High School

Intern Types

• Education

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

USD 3,245 for 8 weeks; USD 250 each additional wk.

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Upon arrival in country our staff will pick you up at the airport and return you to our Orientation Center for a safety briefing and general country orientation. For this program you are required to complete one - 4 weeks of language training and orientation which is included in the cost of the program. At the end of that week you will transfer to your placement to begin volunteering. Our staff are available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week should you require help of any kind.

Experience Required

yes

People that enjoy caring for and attending to the many needs of small children would enjoy this placement. You should have lots of energy as every day is very busy. Also, sensitivity to the requirements of children that come from poverty and dysfunctional families is important.

Volunteer Types

• Childcare/children
• Education
• English Teaching
• Teaching

Typical Volunteer

We believe everyone can contribute by volunteering. Recent graduates from high school, college or university, professionals taking a career break, recent retirees, individuals or groups who are interested in a change and the chance to enrich their own life and the lives of others. If you are 18 years or older you can apply for any of the placements available. If you are from 16-18 years old you may apply for placements near our Volunteer Abroad Office and Residence, so that we are able to give you more support. Both students and professionals are needed for placements in all our countries.

Age Range

18+

This Program is open to

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

Typical Living Arrangements

• Dormitory
• Group living
• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of Depends on the placement

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume

Typically The Application Process Time is

24-48 hrs

Basecamp International Centers's Mission Statement

We believe international volunteering promotes cross-cultural learning that helps create global awareness, understanding between cultures and provides the platform for positive change. Our volunteers have taught in schools, provided disaster relief support for the International Red Cross, conducted essential research to improve the management strategies of threatened environments, built homes for impoverished people, provided vocational training and programs for street kids and have worked in co-operation with hundreds of local organizations to distribute aid and improve the quality of life for people throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Year Founded

1998