Description

Social Care placements with Project Trust range hugely which is a reflection of the field of social work itself. If dedicating your time to underprivileged young people appeals but working as a teacher does not, a social care placement could be for you. A social care placement could see you helping some of societies most vulnerable people to lead a full and rewarding life.

Throughout the world there are vast numbers of children who are orphaned or neglected and in need of love, care and affection. Working with this group can be tough but also rewarding. Many of the children you will find in social care projects have arrived in their situation because of abuse or neglect and have been let down by adults continuously throughout their life. Your role in a social care setting is to act as a reliable, warm and enthusiastic role model for the children you come into contact with.

Getting involved in the day-to-day running of orphanages and care homes- ensuring the children are fed, washed and dressed can be an extremely rewarding experience. With conditions being basic and staff often being overworked, your extra pair of hands are invaluable in this setting. There is a lot of scope for any talents or interests you have to be utilized such as arts and crafts and sports and games as well as focusing on education- set up a homework club, teach English or push to improve literacy. You'll have an eager audience and lots of room to make a real difference.

Highlights

As well as opportunities to work as carers, volunteers can also work in community initiatives and cutting edge social work. Make a sustainable change by providing training within your community in areas such as teaching, childminding and engineering. Act as a big brother or sister for young people making the wrong choices, introduce a disabled child to main stream education, run a soup kitchen in a neighboring community. The difference that you can make with time, dedication and patience to another persons life is immeasurable.

Opportunities also exist to get involved in medical care overseas which can be precious work experience if you are hoping to get involved in this field upon your return home. Working in a hospital in South Africa, administering medicine on the streets of Bolivia or getting involved in the physiotherapy of children with severe disabilities in care homes. Several placements, though not purely medical, have this aspect involved in day-to-day care- volunteers in the Dominican Republic spend some of their year working with American medical teams and some volunteers use their free time to work in AIDS/HIV clinics or to raise awareness of this issue overseas.

Our volunteers come back from these placements and move on to degrees in the area from a privileged position of having a much better idea of the practical skills needed to get involved in medicine, pharmacy and similar occupations. Many of our volunteers also use their own initiative to get involved in local health clinics, maternity wards or hospitals and working with deaf and blind children.

Qualifications

anyone who's willing to dedicate their time to underprivileged young people.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

Please inquire for more details

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

18 and above

This Program is open to

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

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays
• Other

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Post Services Include

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Project Trust's Mission Statement

Our four main objectives are as follows: *To give young people the opportunity to learn about a wider community than that in which they have lived so far, in a country with a different culture to their own, and for a length of time which enables them to appreciate the complete cycle of the seasons. * To let them learn to use their imagination and skills by undertaking work which they may never have done before, to take up new interests and to utilize their initiative and resourcefulness to help others. * To return with an objective appreciation of both the community they lived in overseas and their home community, to use their newly learned skills to benefit others and to have a clearer picture of what they want to achieve in the future. * To help others at home to understand the culture of countries outside their normal experience.

Year Founded

1968