With assistance from GSL school, while studying in the GSL Weekly Program.

Volunteering Options

I - The “Caracolito” Pre-School Granada-Nicaragua

II - The Center for Young People

III - The Women Group

IV - The Orphanage

V - The Penitentiary System of Granada-Nicaragua

The “Caracolito” Pre-School Granada-Nicaragua

Location: 1 kilometer West of Granada City

OVERVIEW
This pre-school center was founded in 1980 under to provide initial schooling to kids living in one of the most unprivileged neighborhood in Granada, Nicaragua. The center holds about 40 to 60 kids and helps working mother to be able to study or work while kids are at the school. The center is run by the community leadership and receives some support from the local government and donations.

MISSION
To help working mothers with their kids, preparing them for elementary school enrollment by providing with training to raise artistic abilities, such as dancing, drawing and, lot of games.

VOLUNTEER TASKS
- Teach English
- Teach Spanish
- Arts: dancing, drawing
- Foster women leadership and organizational efforts in the neighborhood, particularly, leadership skill building, negotiation and conflict resolution techniques
- For other students or professionals areas of work include counseling on health, dentistry, nutrition, nursing, women rights counseling, education, and others.

REQUIREMENTS
- Be able to work with pre-school kids

- Be sensible to very underprivileged environment

- Graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College of any major on psychology, counseling, or similar career.

- Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 2 - 4 weeks.

-Hablar bien el  Español (tener al menos un nivel intermedio o avanzado)

-Pay placement fee before the first volunteer activity

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The Center for Young People

Location: Granada Nicaragua

OVERVIEW
This center began as a kids dinning room in 2001 -since then it has served more than 200,000 meals- but evolved into a center for studying and learning a vocational occupation for all Young People. At this school both kids and teenagers have great fun practicing sport and learning to play musicals instruments and receiving medical services.

At this center children attending primary and secondary school can do their homework, bibliography research and receive assistance from teachers and borrow books. The center is open for all, focusing on children who need help to continuing studying or learning a vocational occupation. The center provides children with food, education, work, health and many other community services.

MISSION
To provide professional education with moral and cultural values forming kids with leadership capacity, providing them materials and knowledge so they develop a sustenance way for the future.

VOLUNTEER TASKS
Volunteers support the staff in a range of tasks, from observation to direct assistance, like the following: (amount of time invested in each activity will depend on the center necessities).

• Assist the youth center coordinator in visiting agencies resources
• Conduct training and support teen’s projects.
• Attend trainings of trainers and become a trainer.
• Train kids and teens—ideas on how to develop plans for creating income-generating activities and saving money
• Participate in food distribution
• Help children with homework
• Join everyday tasks at the center to help, including teaching English.

REQUIREMENTS:
-Be a graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College of any major medical science career (such as medicine, dentistry, nutrition, etc).

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 2 - 4weeks.

-Hablar bien el   Español (tener al menos un nivel intermedio o avanzado)

-Pay placement fee before the first volunteer activity.

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The Women Group

OVERVIEW
This women group organizes on the principle that all the human beings are born free and equal in dignity and have the rights to be not discriminated against for any reasons, including sex, race, religion, ethnic group and political stage.

MISSION
The main objectives of the group are to fight against any form of discrimination and oppression against the women by promoting the organization of women. Additionally, the group seeks partnership to build projects that can contribute to improve the economic condition of Nicaraguan women.

VOLUNTEER TASKS
Volunteers support the staff in a range of tasks, from observation to direct assistance, like the following: (amount of time invested in each activity will depend on the center necessities).

• Organize activities with women counselors
• Provide inputs for current project proposal and help with negotiation and presentation of projects with potential cooperation agencies
• Help with innovative approaches to organize women to support each-other in a very poor neighborhood so they can negotiate with local government water supply and other basic services.
• Participate and assist staff in the preparation and conduction of workshop to empower women to make sexual and reproductive decision (for instance, which family planning method to take).
• Participate in the administration of family planning methods (condoms, regular contraceptive pills, morning-after-pills).
• Participate during counseling and legal advice to women suffering from abuse, and/or sexual harassment.

REQUIREMENTS:
-Be a graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College of any major medical science career (such as medicine, dentistry, nutrition, etc).

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 3 - 4 weeks.

-Hablar bien el   Español (tener al menos un nivel intermedio o avanzado)

-Pay placement fee before the first volunteer activity.

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The Orphanage

OVERVIEW
The orphanage is run by a Catholic Religious Order made up by women only: They are Misioneras de la Caridad. The orphanage provides services to an average number of 50 children girls. Misioneras work with young girls in issues related to social needs but also on healing psychological trauma and spiritual salvation.

MISSION
Sanctification and salvation

VOLUNTEER TAKS
Volunteer working with orphan girls and work and help them overcome their traumas from physical, emotional abuses, create a friendly environment and grow the girls’ self-esteem. Volunteers support local Nuns, nurses and care providers; tasks range from observation to assistance. – Monday trough Friday, from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM, the volunteer will:
- help young girls to learn hygienic routines, like personal cleanliness,
- participate and conduct pre-school games
- Review homework assignments
- Teach English
- Teach dancing, cooking or other abilities to teenager girls
- Bring ideas to the orphanage for fund raising
- Integrate with the orphanage staff

Requirements
-Female volunteers only

- Be a graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College of any major on psychology, counseling, or similar career.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 3 - 4 weeks.

-Hablar bien el   Español (tener al menos un nivel intermedio o avanzado)

-Pay placement fee before the first volunteer activity.

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The Penitentiary System of Granada-Nicaragua

Location: 3 kilometers south of Granada City

OVERVIEW
The Penitentiary Center of Granada, known also as “La Granja”, was founded in 1980 under a new revolutionary vision of what prisons should be in terms of human development and social re-integration efforts. The Penitentiary Center holds about 450 to 500 inmates. About 20% of prisoners are women and a group of adolescents.

MISSION
To prepare inmates with alternative ways of life to be able to return to their communities after ending prison term. This means providing inmates with schooling both elementary and secondary schools, artistic and vocational training,

VOLUNTEER TASKS
- Help prisoners with psychological, medical and dental care. There is great need of professionals to provide women with information on sexual health and rights. Students of gynecology, nurses, psychology, and social work are very welcome.
- Teach English
- Teach Spanish for non literate people
- Sport instructors
- Vocational work: Areas of work include weaving, cooking, dancing, drawing, jewelry and other arts and crafts.
- For other students or professionals areas of work include agriculture, eco-tourism, health, dentistry, nutrition, nursing, women counseling, education and others.

REQUIREMENTS
- Female volunteers to work with female inmates

- Male volunteers to work with male inmates

- Be a graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College of any major on psychology, counseling, or similar career.

- Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 2 - 4 weeks.

-Hablar bien el   Español (tener al menos un nivel intermedio o avanzado)

-Pay placement fee before the first volunteer activity.

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