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Dear Steve,
We appreciate your interest in our cause and volunteer work as well
as your patience for our reply. Let me introduce our organization to
you.
We are L.I.F.E. Luchemos para una Infancia Feliz y con Esperanza, a
non profit, family run organization working in socially impoverished
neighborhoods, mainly in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Our objective is to raise the children’s standard of living and
their environment, giving them new opportunities that will allow
them to develop better.
We don’t have rented staff;
everyone works as a volunteer without a salary including the
permanent staff of about 6 people who also work and study aside from
volunteering and running L.I.F.E.
We have a high rotation of volunteers since most are foreigners who
are studying, traveling or doing an internship and stay for 2 months
approx, sometimes a few weeks or even several months. You decide for
how long you want to volunteer according to your availability and
the duration of your stay.
We have agreements with universities and different organizations for
volunteer and work placements as well as internships for students
from all over the world. If you’re interested in assuming
responsibilities and contributing to development in various area,
please contact us specifically about this stating your area of
interest, skills and length of stay.
Housing: We have rooms for rent, currently at U$S 350 aprox. to
offer our volunteers in the nicest and safest neighborhoods in town.
These funds contribute to LIFE projects!! If you’re interested
please confirm and send us your arrival date and duration of stay so
we can book a room for you and also send you further details about
the options available.
Language skills: you don’t need to speak perfect Spanish in order to
volunteer with us. There are usually other volunteers who can help
you communicate even if your Spanish is basic. By the way, we also
offer Spanish lessons at very convenient rates in case you need
them.
Our different programs cover the following areas: Literacy,
Recreation, Sports, Health and Hygiene, Nutrition, Primary Medical
Assistance, HIV/AIDS and other STI’s prevention Civic and Social
Rights, Human Rights, Women and Children's Rights, Responsible
Family Planning, Accident Prevention, Micro Commercial Initiatives,
Humanitarian Assistance, Counselling and Advice as well as
Vocational Orientation.
Most volunteer activities take place Monday through Saturday in the
afternoon and twice a week during the morning. Volunteers work in
community centers/soup kitchens and hospitals in socially excluded
areas of Buenos Aires City and the surrounding suburbs.
The office is an administrative site where all volunteers meet and
collectively travel to volunteer sites. For afternoon activities
meeting time is at 3:00 p.m. aprox. and return usually before 8.
Getting started: All volunteers must have an orientation and
interview in order to get started. The information included in this
letter will be explained in further detail. If you are not on weekly
mailing list yet and would like to get started right away
please confirm you would like to receive the volunteer
schedule so you can sign up for activities accordingly.
Weekly Volunteer Schedule: Every weekend volunteers will receive
the Weekly Volunteer Schedule listing the activities for the
following week. They will need to sign up by e-mail confirming
which activities they will be participating in during the upcoming
week. Please pay attention to special announcements and read
through the whole e-mail. Changes and special requests will be
posted on the same e-mail. Please confirm you would like to receive
the volunteer schedule and sign up accordingly. When you leave BA,
we remove you from the weekly mailing list upon request. There is a
general mailing list though for general information and updates on
LIFE if you’re still interested, if not just let us know.
Weekly Activities currently taking place:
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Juegoteca: This playroom is a recreational environment designed
to foster creativity and help children discover their own
identities and resist the negative forces they might encounter in
their daily environment through a positive alternative that helps
elevate self confidence and self esteem through healthy,
responsible recreation. Juegoteca takes place twice a week in
different locations and has four components: outdoor games,
board/table games, handicrafts, and story reading. Volunteers are
also encouraged to bring in their own skills and develop
activities (teaching singing, origami, theatre games, etc).
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Birthday parties: We celebrate all the birthdays of the month at
each community center on a different week. LIFE created this
program to give happiness and entertainment to disadvantaged
children. We carry out this event in different community centers
and soup kitchens for kids. Volunteer work consists of putting up
decorations with balloons and party ornaments, entertainment with
clowns, music, games and dancing, a snack, birthday cake with
candles for all (as well as previous preparation), birthday
presents and photo souvenirs, often the only photo they will have
of themselves.
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School support. The objective of this program is to help the
children review what they learned in school, or to newly learn
what perhaps they should have learned in school. There are often
40-45 students per teacher in their schools and the teachers are
underpaid and often without patience necessary to teach so many
children. The children that live in these neighborhoods are often
undernourished and as a result have a shorter attention span and
find learning and retention more difficult. Volunteers will look
to see if students can read and do math appropriately for their
age. They will also do what they can to encourage kids to keep
coming to school support. Throughout the year, different numbers
of kids will come: when it’s exam time more kids come and when
there weather isn’t nice, there will be less.
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English classes: The main goal here is not that the students leave
speaking fluent English. If they learn even some English, that is
super. But again, this is a program to provide them with a safe
space where learning is encouraged and where they are getting
attention and support and positive reinforcement is given. Don´t
worry if you don’t know how to teach English. If you have your
own lesson plans or want to develop them, great. But if not, you
can work with another volunteer who has more experience.
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Hospital visits: These take place twice a week in the morning.
Meeting time is at 7:30 a.m. aprox coming back at around 1:00
p.m. This program works with children who have serious or chronic
health problems and attempts to create a happy relationship where
their suffering can be alleviated. To do this we carry out
different personalized activities with the patients that range
from reading a story, coloring, ballooning (creating figures with
balloons), and playing board games, to a puppet show, magic tricks
and songs. The main purpose of this project is to assist these
kids physically and spiritually, as well as to accompany them
during their treatments when required. We carry out these visits
once or twice a week in the nephrology area where children must
undergo dialysis because they need a kidney transplant and once a
month in the general wards of public hospitals in the suburbs of
Buenos Aires. During these visits we also distribute donated toys
to the kids who are hospitalized. In addition to the kids that
are frequently patients at the hospitals, there are also some kids
that live in the hospitals and often we are the only people that
visit them. They count on us and we go with consistency.
ü
Transportation fees. We travel by cab to most of the programs for
security and time reasons. LIFE cannot afford to pay for the
transportation of volunteers so we ask that each volunteer
contribute to a taxi-fund. (If you come with a program that
organizes work with LIFE, this is likely included in the fee you
already paid them) Volunteers only pay for transportation to
activities that they sign but for but to make things easier in the
office, we charge the cab fare weekly and in advance. We require a
$50 pesos weekly deposit in advance that must be renewed week by
week. The sum of each cab fare will be discounted from the $50
pesos deposit. We need previous night notice to cancel attendance,
or before
10 a.m.
the same day!! Otherwise, the cab fare will still be discounted from
your deposit because we book the vehicles in advance according to
your confirmation. LIFE cannot afford to pay for attendance canceled
at the last moment when the cabs or van have already been ordered.
When you finish volunteering with us we will return whatever money
you did not use. Note: In the weekly volunteer newsletter taxi
costs to volunteer sites will be listed. It will also note if it is
round trip or one-way. If it is one-way then the volunteer will
need to bring change for the bus or rail, as it is not included in
the price listed in the newsletter.
ü
Weekly Activity Coordinators: To give each program more consistency,
we always request volunteers who will be staying for several months
to assume responsibility as a coordinator by being present every
time the activity takes place. They will be familiar with the
details of the program and will orient new volunteers as to what
must be done, when, where and how, as well as keep records and
report progress and needs to LIFE.
ü
Internships: There are also longer term positions available that
imply a different level of commitment and responsibilities within
our organization for administration, finances, research,
development, projects, etc.
ü
Monthly Activities:
§
1st Tuesday of the month there is a reunion of volunteers
to give everyone a chance to meet one another, learn about what is
happening with all of LIFE’s projects, and to provide a space to
solicit volunteer suggestions for program improvement.
§
Once a month we do a humanitarian brigade to an Indigenous Guarani
community in the province of Misiones which is 1.500 kms away from
Buenos Aires. There are nearly 90 families (around 500 people) in
the indigenous village that we visit. We bring food, clothing and
other needed items. We do recreational activities, hygiene projects
(clip nails, check for lice), HIV and other STD prevention
activities, collect trash, cook food, etc. The cost is U$S 300 and
covers transportation, lodging, food and contributes to buying the
needed supplies. Volunteers have the option of visiting the Iguazu
Falls at the end of the brigade
or returning to BA right after the village trip.
Either way, the information requested when confirming is full name,
nationality and passport number, confirmation for full trip or
village only and specifications for dietary requirements if any.
Before the trip there is a meeting where we explain the tasks and
assignments as well as how everything works, what to expect, do and
not do, why and so forth.
ü
Volunteer rules of conduct:
§
All volunteers need to read the LIFE code of conduct and Program
descriptions thoroughly in which you will find a more detailed
description of what LIFE expects of volunteers. You will also need
to fill out the volunteer questionnaire with your personal
information.
§
Among other things, volunteers are here to serve as positive role
models for the children. Often in these communities there is a lack
of positive adult role models and so we would like volunteers to
provide an example for the children. We ask that volunteers do not
smoke when visible to the children, that they do not curse, and that
overall, they act in a positive, respectful manner—while still
having fun!
§
We ask that volunteers phrase things positively instead of
negatively. For example, if someone is doing something they should
not be doing, don’t tell them not to do it, but rather suggest more
positive things they could be doing instead. Similarly, say things
generally instead of directly aimed at an individual. An example
would be, instead of saying “Roberto, stop breaking toys” we could
say to the whole group “lets treat the toys nicely.” As a
volunteer, your main role is not to reprimand the children.
§
Do not ask about parents. 50% of the kids do not live with their
father and 20% do not live their mother. If you need to, ask which
adults they live with.
§
Do not ask about school. Some kids do not go to school because
their parents do not send them and might feel uncomfortable or
embarrassed if asked and will lie or pretend to be a student.
§
Do not promise anything! Not to kids, parents, adults who come to
pick up kids, soup kitchen workers or anyone. Lots of times
volunteers see kids without shoes or diapers and are very motivated
to help and make promises to bring things, and then do not and then
LIFE has to keep these promises and it often ends up costing a lot
of money. Also, if we give something to someone, everyone is going
to ask that we give them the same thing. Please do not give your
email or phone number either because people will not hesitate to
call and e-mail asking you for things. If you have a donation and
would like to help a child, family, center or project please direct
it through LIFE. Contributions and fundraising initiatives welcome!
ü
Photos and Filming:
§
It’s ok to take pictures, please ask program coordinator when it’s
appropiate and respect children or parents who don’t want them
taken.
§
Please share the photos you take with us so that we can use them to
show our supporters the work being done!
§
For filming: please request LIFE authorization in advance, explain
purpose and provide copy for LIFE.
ü
Safety Measures:
§
we travel altogether by cab to the different places
§
a coordinator who has been to the activity before and knows the
place will go with the group
§
do not carry values
§
dress simple
§
keep low profile
§
stay with group
§
don’t wander or explore on your own
§
wear LIFE t-shirt
Ø
Volunteers need to buy and wear a LIFE t-shirt. The cost is 15
argentine pesos. (if you come with a program that organizes work
with LIFE, this is likely included in the fee you already paid
them) Wearing a t-shirt will identify you are a volunteer, as
opposed to a lost tourist, journalist, social assistant, etc. This
is a safety measure. Another reason is that when photos are taken
it is important that volunteers are seen as such to show what we are
doing.
Ø
Feedback: Please provide us details on progress, problems,
inconveniences, situations, ideas, suggestions, comments, opinions,
misunderstandings, inquiries.
Ø
We promote and encourage: personal initiatives, contributions in all
areas and fields, development, organization, fundraising, campaigns,
follow-up.
Ø
Your work and time enables us to provide and teach:
§
opportunities, possibilities and resources to keep the children off
the street
§
academic instruction and formation
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entertainment
§
attention
§
affection
§
dedication
§
good habits
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improvement in different areas
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manners
§
vocabulary
§
culture
§
wear LIFE t-shirt
Ø
We provide certificates for all our volunteers at the end of their
stay. Please request yours before leaving Argentina.
If you have not yet arrived and would like to start helping us from
where you are now, it would be very useful if you could collect
clothes, shoes, etc. (for children and/or grown-ups too) to bring
along with you. Another idea whether you are here or not, is to
invite friends, family, colleagues, community, acquaintances, etc.
to make a contribution to help fund LIFE projects. Donations are
welcome in cash, cheques, bank transfers, online, offline,
credit/debit card etc. We can provide details upon request. Small
donors, such as former volunteers back at home now, are our main
funding and support source.
Please let us know if you have further questions
and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
If you are already in Buenos Aires you’re welcome to get started
right away. All you need to do is request to be put on the weekly
mailing list, arrange to have an orientation meeting and confirm
your attendance to our activities by e-mail. Thanks again and
welcome to LIFE.
God bless and keep you.
Looking forward to your soonest reply.
All the best from BA, LIFE Staff
L.I.F.E. Argentina
www.lifeargentina.org
info@lifeargentina.org
Peña
2121 C1116ABB - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Of. +54-11-4806-0640 Cel. +54-911-6359-2330/2260 / Cel. local 156
359 2330/2260
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