Description

Background:
Infante was founded in September 1987 with the principal aims of assisting women and their families who are victims of abuse and domestic violence, and protecting young people at risk of trafficking and abuse.

Throughout the 1990s, Infante developed projects supporting youth who were at risk of abandonment, devising adoption schemes, and implementing a national campaign against traffic and abuse of children and adolescents. The 'Camino a la Alegría' project, introduced in 2006, works for the prevention and protection of victims of sexual violence.

Objectives:
Infante's main goal is to support victims of domestic and sexual violence. The organization aims to defend the rights of those violated and to raise community awareness. Infante provides a safe location for victims, as well as psychological support and workshops to help them reintegrate back into society. Infante has played a key role in the promotion of new local and national policies and laws to retain victims' rights.

Who does Infante help?
The Infante staff of thirty-eight professionals works to help those who are victims of abuse (sexual, physical or psychological). Many are young children and adolescents who fall prey to intra-familial violence and many come from marginalized communities.

Infante provides assistance to individuals and families interested in participating in the temporary foster home program.

It has also recently started a scheme to sell hand-made artisanal products in order to generate income for the victims receiving support and their families.

How to get there:
The main office of Infante is located in the northern zone of Cochabamba, ten minutes from the center by public transport.

Infante Programs:

The Women's Shelter:
The shelter provides women and child victims of abuse with a safe space and support, which includes professional counseling.

Volunteer/ internship opportunities include:

* Provide support for victims
* Raise community awareness
* Monitor/evaluate shelters
* Provide educational workshops/activities
* Assist in violence prevention workshops
* Work with other organizations to build a nationwide network

Camino a la Alegria:
Camino a la Alegria is a shelter that focuses its attention on adolescent victims of sexual assault and abuse. The shelter has provided support and counseling to over 200 victims since 2006.

Volunteer/ internship opportunities include:

* Provide support/help staff
* Design and run educational workshops
* Raise awareness in the community
* Work with institutions such as the local Committee Against Child & Adolescent Sexual Abuse
* Support victims in finding education/career opportunities

Qualifications

* Upper-intermediate Spanish
* Some knowledge/experience in education, counseling or psychology is preferred
* Interest in working with young women who have been victims of abuse
* Confidentiality with participants
* Due to the sensitive nature of some projects female volunteers over the age of 21 are preferred
* A minimum commitment period of four months

Intern Types

Languages

• Spanish

Cost in US$:

450

Program Fees Include:

Long Term Volunteers/ Interns (Monthly Prices)
Shared Room = USD300 a month
Private Room = USD400 a month
Family Home Stay = USD500 a month

Short Term Volunteers/ Interns (Weekly Prices)
Shared Room = USD100 a week
Private Room = USD125 a week
Family Home Stay = USD150 a week

Experience Required

no

This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume

Sustainable Bolivia's Mission Statement

Sustainable Bolivia is a developmental institution headquartered in Cochabamba, Bolivia. With projects in the Andean highlands and the Amazonian lowlands, our primary objective is to assist local communities in the development of environmentally, socially and fiscally sustainable ecotourism programs. Through the promotion of sustainable tourism, language studies and volunteer placement, our mission is to provide the conscientious traveler a way to experience the immense natural and cultural wealth of Bolivia in a way that is non-intrusive and environmentally, socially and fiscally sustainable.