Description

During this placement you will prepare and implement sports camps such as soccer, basketball, football, or ultimate frisbee, according to your athletic skills and knowledge. You may organize a four week camp of one single sport, or one- or two-week camps of a variety of sports.

You will likely spend the first part of each day at your placement planning the day´s sports lesson. This will include gathering your materials and figuring out which particular skill you want to teach that day (soccer dribbling drills, for example). In the afternoon, when all the boys are home from school, you will hold your sports lesson, which should be about an hour and a half in length. The sports camps will be split into two age groups, one session for younger kids and one session for the teens, so you will be running two sessions back to back.

During the boys' free time, when you are not teaching sports, you will usually have an opportunity to play sports and other physical activities on a casual basis, like shooting hoops with the teens or playing tag with the younger ones.
Volunteers on this placement may also spend time playing and," hanging out", with the boys; helping them with their homework and chores, thus providing a positive role model to them by example.

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 Peru, there are about three million children who are 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 on 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.

AIDENICA, has a very small staff and few resources. The boys at AIDENICA, need and would greatly benefit by having more," hands on", interactive attention to assist in their rehabilitation and development. There are numerous ways to pursue this goal -- various sport activities, is a great one. It is a super and enjoyable approach in the process of teaching the children to lead an improved more healthy, active life, off of the streets.

The boys at AIDENICA, have not had the opportunity to lead normal, healthy lives like most other children and teenagers. Instead of playing with their friends, they begged, stole, and worked, missing out on a proper childhood. Now that they are safe at AIDENICA, opportunities for play and sports are an integral avenue in helping the boys regain their lost childhoods.

The sports instructor volunteer will play a key role in helping the boys build their self-confidence and self-esteem by encouraging their athletic strengths and teaching them new skills. Sports is an inherently social process and the boys will learn cooperation and team work by playing together. This should carry over into other aspects of their lives, to help them to develop into well-adjusted individuals with strong social and life skills.

Sports and physical activity promote and help develop mental and physical health. For youth that previously lived very unhealthy lifestyles and may still suffer the effects of those lifestyles, this can be a key ingredient in improving their health and teaching them to make better lifestyle choices. A volunteer dedicated to helping the boys achieve these effects through sports will make an invaluable, long-lasting impact on their lives.

Qualifications

Athletic abilities are essential, as is knowledge of the rules and skill sets required for specific sports. Experience in coaching would also be very helpful.

Minimum Education

High School

Intern Types

• Education
• Sports

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

You should be willing and prepared to deal with sensitive issues like abuse and drugs. You should also be an organized person who is capable of planning and organizing the sports camps in advance. Flexibility is another important trait, as the camps or the boys´ motivational efforts may not always go smoothly.

Volunteer Types

• Childcare/children
• Education
• Sports
• Youth Development

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