A Guide to Volunteering Abroad with Children
There is always have a high demand for volunteers who are able to contribute some time and effort toward our child-care placement projects. On One World 365 you can find a variety of organizations that support children who are considered vulnerable within the local context of development.
Volunteers will be placed with organizations that promote education, vocational training, cultural activities, and general care. There is also a focus on teaching life-skills and trades so that all children can be self-sufficient, and able to attain their basic human rights with dignity. You may be placed with a youth center, school, community centre and there are also orphanage volunteer programs available.
Your role will depend on your background and the needs of the organization you are placed with at the time you go abroad. Activities may include caring for orphaned and abandonded children, arranging extra-curricular activities, focusing on education projects for street children, teaching trades, and playing games.
Popular Places to Apply
You can find most placements in Africa, Asia and Latin America. There are thousands of children aged between 0 and 13 who have been abandoned, orphaned due to HIV / AIDS or have been living on the streets. Volunteers are needed in countries like Benin, Cameroon and Ghana to help provide children a brighter future, you can work in outreach teams and in schools, orphanages and community centres.
In Latin America volunteers are usually placed at non profit charitable institutions which provide a community service where all funds go to benefit abandoned children in countries like Brazil and Bolivia. Some organisations are operated under the protection of the Catholic Church Administration. Vocational work is done in an open way to provide a fair, equal and prosperous society.
The objective of some village programs is to provide a community service for the problems of abandoned children. Most organisations have no political affiliations or profit making aims. Children's villages consist of individual family units, each housing a mixed gender group of 10-12 children of various ages. Each house is headed by a foster mother who manages the household independently. All live in harmony like a traditional family with mother and siblings. Siblings of blood are kept together. The children grow up in the children's villages and are being raised at home and in school on strong moral and religious principles.
Once they have reached age 15-16 and completed middle school, they live in separate boys' and girls' residences. Most of them will go on to study a technical or professional career, and a few will even continue higher education at the University. Each child makes their own career decision based on his or her individual talents and intellect. The children remain in the residences until they are able to lead an independent life outside. Once their mission is accomplished, they integrate our youth into the society from which they came as respectable and educated persons. The project placements are located in cities throughout the continent and usually most volunteer placements are located within 15 - 30 minutes away from accommodation. Volunteers use local transportation such as mini bus or taxis for their commuting.
In Asia education is extremely underfunded and lots of children and young people are not given the care they need at the start of their lives. In countries like Thailand and Cambodia there is a shocking rate of homeless street children living in real poverty but local volunteer organizations try to help by removing the children from the streets and take them to safer places. Childcare volunteer programs give you the chance to get involved and make a real difference to the lives of children and give service. Usually you will need to stay for a minimum of 4 weeks and sometimes you might need to be aged 21+ and have relevant experience.
Tasks
Tasks can include caring, counseling, cooking, cleaning, planning and leading fun activities and help children with homework. Sometimes you might work with children affected by illness or disability. These placements can be very emotional and so you might want to research before joining, it will be the most rewarding experience on your life.
Testimonials
"Working with kids is the best experience one could ever acquire. It has help in the development of my socializing skill. It also help me develop a special bond with kids." - Ramonia
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