Boomers Abroad

Description

Whether you work in the rehabilitation clinic for disabled children, in a boarding school, in a psychiatric institution or with an equine therapy program, you will find the experience gratifying!

In the rehabilitation clinic for children there are doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who take care of the children. Their aim is to support the patients, always being compassionate, understanding, and friendly and having a big smile. In this institution physiotherapists are desperately needed!

Volunteers who work at the boarding school will help the children in the school with their homework. Volunteers organize educational activities and games and practice sports with the children.
The equine therapy is a new rehabilitation program! Currently they have two horses at the medical center that are used to carry out therapies with the children!

For those who are interested in medicine, working at the psychiatric clinic is an excellent opportunity! Currently there are 400 patients as well as a team of doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists and Bolivian medical students. In the psychiatric clinic there are also many elderly people who need help moving around in their wheelchairs, reading newspapers, washing and eating.

All these institutions are placed in and around Sucre, a city which is located in the southern part of Bolivia at an average elevation of 2,750 meters above sea level. Up until 1899 Sucre was Bolivia's capital city before it was relocated. It is now the country's judicial capital. Sucre is famous for its cultural richness which is especially highlighted by its colonial architecture.

Your tasks include:

- Take care of the children and patients
- Organize educational activities and games
- Help with homework and exercises
- Strengthen self-confidence
- Practice sports with children (horse therapy)
- Assist therapist, doctors and nurses

During your volunteer program you will have the opportunity to either work in a rehabilitation clinic for disabled children, in a boarding school, in a psychiatric institution or with an equine therapy program. It's up to you to decide which of these programs best matches your interests! In these programs you will find yourself working with handicapped children, elderly people, people with medical conditions, or with children that lack the care and attention of their families.

For example, in one of the health institutions, approximately 170 disabled children ages 1 to 17 years old currently live. All of the children have poor family backgrounds, either with parents that lack the necessary resources to care for their disabilities or without parents at all. Because of their disabilities, these children are not accepted in orphanages because they have to be taken care of in special institutions. You will participate in caring for the patients by supporting the work of the doctors and nurses.

In any of the volunteer institutions, you will assist in organizing activities and games such as singing songs, dancing, drawing pictures and doing crafts. Additionally, you will help the children with homework and other exercises helping to build their self-confidence. It is ideal that you are creative, open-minded and tolerant. You should also be flexible since you might be asked to help wherever your assistance is most needed to a given moment.

Please keep in mind that these kinds of projects are relatively poor and do not have modern equipped institutions or well-furnished buildings. It is best to be modest, friendly, compassionate and warm-hearted so that you bring a smile on the children's faces.