During your volunteer program in Bolivia, you either work in a center for disabled children and adolescents or in a psychiatric ward. Regarding your preferences, you are welcome to express your expectations.
The Center for Disabled Children and Adolescents is a non-profit organization and helps both the children and their often very poor families. A special concern of the organization is to support single mothers of disabled children. Most of the children who benefit from the center come from the rural areas around Sucre. The goal of the doctors, nurses and physiotherapists is taking care of the children and to help the little patients wherever they can. They are understanding, friendly and always have a smile on their faces. In these institutions volunteers of all kinds are needed, but especially physiotherapists!
Volunteers have the opportunity to work in the following areas: in the boarding school, with therapy sessions, in the day care center or in the own school project.
If you prefer to work in the medical sector, psychiatric work is a potential alternative to working in the center. At the moment doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists and medical students are taking care of about 400 patients (number may change). There is also a ward dedicated to elderly patients. There you would help the patient with the food intake, walk them with their wheelchairs or walkers, read from the newspaper, help with washing, etc.
Each of these institutions is located in the city of Sucre or in the surrounding area. Sucre is located in the south of Bolivia, about 2800 meters above sea level and is both the capital and the judicial headquarters of the country. Sucre is known for its unique cultural wealth, which is particularly reflected in its colonial architecture.
