Description

Your primary responsibilities will be researching potential sources of funding, both locally and internationally, and applying for available grants. You will work in the administrative office alongside the staff members, using the internet to identify grants and donors. You will then write applications to apply for each grant that AIDENICA is eligible for, according to each donor's application specifications. While doing so, you would create a list of identified donors for the staff to follow up on in the future. You may also be asked to educate the staff in your basic grant writing skills so that they have the tools and resources themselves once your placement is over.

Volunteers to seek potential local and international donors to supply computers so that AIDENICA can reach its goal of opening a public internet cafe within its premises in order to raise more revenue.

Additionally, you will hold meetings with the staff and boys to brainstorm and organize fund-raising ideas in the community. These can include bake sales, raffles, information sessions for neighbours, and business drives, amongst many others. Your role will be to motivate the boys to take part in these ventures, provide ideas, and delegate tasks to each youth in order to organize and implement each of these fundraising activities.

Volunteers will probably have the opportunity to socialize and play with the kids during downtime, and also help them with their homework and chores.

Highlights

AIDENICA, or Asociacion para la Atencion Integral de Niños de la Calle (Association for the Comprehensive Care of Street Children), is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of street children. They run a home, called Casa Hogar AIDENICA, which has accommodations for up to forty children. While on the streets, most of these boys were involved with drugs and delinquent behaviour. The boys live at the house and do chores, attend high school, get help with their homework, learn vocational skills, and ideally by the age of 18 the boys will have learned enough to become self-sufficient.

AIDENICA was founded in 1996 by three street educators with many years of experience working with street children. They began by providing food to the boys and doing some educational work with them in the streets. The youth workers then received a donation of a house from a local lawyer and were able to house the boys in this building.

The Association for the Comprehensive Care of Street Children provides these former street boys an education, daily meals, clothing, vocational training, and a safe place to live. In the first few months at the home, the primary goal is social and psychological rehabilitation of the boys, as well as assistance to give up drugs. They attempt to reconcile the boys with their families so they can return home, but if that is not possible due to extreme poverty or past abuse, the boys remain at AIDENICA.

There are many thousands of street children in Lima, most of whom are boys. They end up on the streets mainly as a result of poverty in their homes, with parents unable to provide for them, and sometimes to escape family violence, neglect, or abuse. In the streets they often must work to earn very little money, missing out on the opportunity to attend school, or end up in gangs for protection. The Peruvian government does run programs to care for such children and youth, but the funding is very limited, leaving a large gap for private organizations to fill. AIDENICA is one such organization that is trying to provide for the needs of children that live and work in the streets.

In all of Peru, there are about three million children working in the streets. They are usually driven there by poverty and/or to escape family violence forcing them to help themselves and/or their families earn a living by selling and begging. Once in the streets, they are often subject to abuse from older children and also usually forced to drop out of school. Some end up in gangs and/or become addicted to sniffing glue in order to survive the streets.

This organization needs adequate and consistent funding in order to sustain its work and services for these boys. Currently, they are extremely under-funded and under-resourced. Someone who could devote their time to researching and developing ways and means to secure funds for this extremely important organization would be greatly appreciate. AIDENICA's finances are often stretched to the limit just taking care of basic expenses such as electricity and food. They receive funding from Rotary International, and local churches, but not enough to sustain and expand their operation. Recently, AIDENICA had to down-size,(due to lack of funds),to caring for only fifteen boys, whereas, they previously cared for forty and they have the physical capacity for forty to fifty.

A volunteer would help AIDENICA continue to care for the boys by promoting the organization in numerous ways as well as seeking and securing new sources of funding. The ultimate goal: to increase the boys, being helped in the home, to full capacity --"FIFTY".

Qualifications

Volunteers with experience in fund-raising, applying for grants and strong organizational skills would be greatly appreciated at this placement. Excellent writing skills are required.

Minimum Education

High School

Intern Types

• Accounting
• Business Admin, Management
• Creative Writing
• Economics

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

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.

Volunteer Types

• Business
• Economic Development
• Professional Services
• Writing

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