Guest Natalia22 Posted July 15, 2004 Report Share Posted July 15, 2004 I would like to volunteer abroad for about 1 month next summer (preferably in South America). Does anyone know of any good agencies/organizations which I could go through in order to do this, especially if you, or someone you know, has already organized a trip through them and knows them to be good. I looked up the CIDA website, but all of their internships are at least 6 months long and I unfortunately don't have that much time. Thanks, Nat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clinicalchief Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 I recently returned from Costa Rica through a 3 week volunteer mission through "Volunteer Abroad" (http://www.volunteerabroad.ca). It is run by the Canadian Federation of Students and they have some good programs ranging from 2 weeks to a few months. I would recommend this group. Check out the website, and if you are considering it, PM me so I can give you some more details. Also, I've heard that http://www.cfhi.org is another good option. Good luck! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kellyl20 Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 you have to pay to volunteer there right? What did you get to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tirisa Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 Hi Natalia, What ClinicalChief mentioned is a great idea, but I think you do have to pay to "volunteer" with them. He can confirm that. One other idea, however, is to contact different organizations directly from here. If you have a bit of an idea of where you want to go, then try sending some emails to different local and international NGOs, and particularly Canadian ones if possible. My brother went to Guatemala to work on his Spanish while waiting to start a new job, and he sent his CV along with a great email that explained his interest in volunteering with XXX organization, and got several replies. Who doesn't want free labour? But in fact, he ended up getting a three month paid position with the UN. So try organizations like CECI.ca WUSC.ca which are both Canadian university organizations... see where they work first and if it is a place you'd be interested in visiting, then contact them. Don't be shy about contacting the UN organizations, like UNICEF, UNFPA, and UNDP. The first two do a lot of work in reproductive health and maternal mortality, and all three work in HIV/AIDS. The typical organizations that use volunteers, like MSF, CARE, Save the Children, and Red Cross may be a bit more difficult to work for short term, since they have more complicated "volunteer" application and recruitment processes. If you're not against working for a faith-based organization, then checking out some church organizations may open up some doors for you. And better yet, if you speak Spanish, then try to check out the local NGOs in the country and local networks of NGOs (Redes). I work in HIV/AIDS and many countries have a Red (network) of organizations of People living with HIV/AIDS. I'm sure that you could contact some of them via the internet and offer your help for a month. Anyway, I'm rambling. Let me know if you have other questions. Or, if you know a specific country you want to go to, let us know as well. I'm sure that I and many others on this forum can point you to some contact people or organizations. Cheers, Tiri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PGmed Posted July 16, 2004 Report Share Posted July 16, 2004 I did a four month student elective in Bolivia with SIM. These electives can be as short as just a couple of weeks I believe. You only get credit if you are a med student (which I wasn’t). SIM is probably the largest missionary organization in South America. They have projects in most every area. An easier option might be to avoid all the paper work and contact a medical missionary directly. It is quite a process getting on with large groups such as SIM and Mercy ships, and working with the bigger groups tends to be more restrictive, as there are usually a surplus of medical personal. I spent a summer working with Hearts For the Children Medical Clinic in Guatemala (http://www.hftcm.org). It was far easier to get involved with, and I did and saw a lot more in that clinic. Another good idea is to hook up with north American doctors who are going down for a short aid project. They tend to teach a lot more (to them it’s a medical vacation), and they speak English. Try Faith in Practice (www.faithinpractice.org/) . Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Natalia22 Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 Thank you everyone for your replies. I have been looking up some of the suggested sites, and although I knew that it would cost me money, I didn't realize that it would be so expensive. Do you think it is possible to volunteer in South America (I would like to go somewhere there since I speak both Spanish & Portuguese, and I have already been to Central America) for a month for about $2500 (incl. everything)? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ror Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 PGmed, What did the SIM application involve? Did you apply through a church? What sort of stuff did you do while in Bolivia? How big was the group you went with? What were the costs involved for a four month trip? Sorry that this entire post consists of questions, Thanks -Ror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PGmed Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Hey Ror, I believe the SIM application involved a short autobiographical essay, about two pages of paragraph response questions mostly regarding your religious views and experiences, a couple of reference letters and small amount of incidental paper work. I applied directly to the head office near Toronto. However they do have SIM representatives in other areas of the country including Vancouver. I went to Bolivia by myself. For the first month or so I stayed with an Australian Doctor who was starting a family practice/paediatric clinic on the out skirts of the capital Sucre. His clinic was targeting the thousands of families/agricultural refugees who were migrating from the countryside to the city in search of work. For the most part, this was a teaching experience, I shadowed the doctor, and he would explain each case. I would help with paper work, weighing and handling children, administering shots etc. For the second half of my stay I traveled to the highlands and stayed with an American Physician who had an extremely remote medical practice in the mountains near Potosi. He and his family lived in a remote village of about 800 or so farmers. He had a small three bed clinic which he ran like a small hospital, and his practice consisted of visiting the surrounding villages and making house calls. Again this was mainly a teaching experience. A large chuck of my time was spent travelling on dry river beds between villages, making emergency house calls etc. Being in such a remote area, there was much more opportunity to assist in procedures such as trauma, and child delivery. SIM prefers if you go through their fundraising program. However I opted out and used my own resources. I covered my plane tickets and offered each host $20 a day to cover my room and board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest caper81 Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Hi Tirisa, I was reading your response post and you mentioned that your brother went on a 3 months position with the UN. Can you give me some more info about this because I seem to be interested in it... Was this like an internship? What kind of work did he do? How did he apply? When was it? Thanks for your response in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tirisa Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 First off, Natalia, you could definitely make it to SA with 2500 for a month, including your flight. The key is inquiring with several NGOs and IOs now and finding out if you can volunteer and if they can help you find a place to stay while you volunteer. Flights will cost between $1000 and 1500 depending on where you go. Brazil and Argentina are still inexpensive, and Brazil certainly has lots of opportunities. I volunteered at BEMFAM for several weeks when I was in Salvador, Bahia... it's a very large family planning and well-child organization with offices and clinics all over the country. Bolivia is also very inexpensive, although maybe more expensive to fly there. Anyway, opportunities abound... it's just a matter of writing lots of emails (or a few key ones) and investing some time. And Caper81... my brother is evaluating food security pilot projects with FAO. And he simply got the job since he was in Guate at the time, and he sent his CV around to several NGOs and Intl agencies in the area, offering to volunteer, and voila... several contacted him. And FAO is actually paying him too. (clearly, he has the background and experience they were looking for... so you need to obviously be realistic in what you can potentially do for whatever organization... particularly if you expect to be paid.) Anyway, he is still there now, finishing off his consultancy. Hope that helps. Cheers, T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rms1081 Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Hello, the information everyone has provided is so useful, thanks so much, I always had so many questions and never new where to start my search. I have been thinking about volunteering somewhere in South America, however, one thing I feel may hold me back is the communication barrier I may face since I only speak english. Should this in fact be a concern or is it not really a major issue? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ss80 Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Many organizations that will offer language classes either before you leave or after you arrive. This may only allow a little understanding of the language. Check out the organization and the language requirements, most require that you be able to read/communicate in English. Alsom, you may want to check out the Canadian International Development Agency which has internships all over the world and doesn't require so much monetary commitment. Hope this helps. s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rms1081 Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 Thanks ss80, your information was helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.