ARI013 - Assisting a social service organisation

Duration: Min 4 weeks, Max 12 months
Dates: Available all year round
Location: Bahia Blanca, Province of Buenos Aires
Background Information: The district has a population of approximately 860 families, of which 28 % are living in poverty and 72 % in unfavourable conditions. The principal characteristics of the area are the high percentages of births, and a significant part of the population is living from illegal work and inclusion in governmental projects.
Arrival Airport: Buenos Aires
Project Aims: The organisation hosts a centre for children from 0 to 5 years old in vulnerable social situations, and concentrates on the following characteristics: unsatisfied basic needs, large families, single mothers or fathers, unemployment of parents and violence in families. There is also an intergration centre which is open for 6 hours per day, Ooffering food support two times a day ( breakfast and lunch or lunch and snack) The organisations goal (among many others) is to encourage the development of the recreation, and its relationship with the social areas of education, health, and the services of tourism.
Project Tasks: Volunteers will assist with the following and more: -offer food support in the Integrated Attention centre.
- promote the participation of the families in order to plan the appropriate actions according to the needs they present.
- Create an environment which the children consider as their own, in order to feel free, creative and responsible.
-support the learning process and the school/ nursery-school programs, preventing situations of non-attendance in the schools.
-promote the formation of family-groups in order to offer them a space for participation, for exchanging ideas, searching for solutions together for the problems they are facing with in relation with the children-raising, and family- community-relationships.
Who Can Participate?: IVP. Anyone with an interest in social service and community development. Volunteers must be able to make connections with children, young people and be willing to work with people from under-privillaged back-grounds.
Volunteers will need to have a basic knowledge of Spanish, or be willing to take a week of Spanish lessons in Buenos Aires on arrival.
Placement Costs: 150 Euros per month for food and accommodation, and a 150 Euros admin fee to the host organisation to be paid on arrival
Meals: All meals will be provided.
Accommodation: The accommodation is in a house that has been recently renovated and it has private rooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, and soon it will have telephone and internet as well.
The accommodation is on a recreational complex which belongs to the organisation in an urban area. The complex has a large park,with soccer and basketball fields and a small swimming pool for summer use.
At the main office, volunteers will have access to internet and Wi-Fi (wireless).
Transportation: It is about 20 minutes of travel by bus from the accommodation to the nursery-school, and 30 monis from the central office of the organisation. Volunteers need to pay for their own transport each day and this will cost AU$1 per day.
Hours of Activity: At least 5 hours per day and occasionally participation on the weekend on special occasions: The day of the Family, The Day of the Child, Friendship day etc.
Visa Requirements: It is the volunteers responsibility to arrange their own visas, but IVI can assist with information.
Note: All volunteers going to Argentina must be willing to take Spanish lessons on arrival if no prior Spanish is known. Volunteers must also be able to obtain a current police clearance.