Volunteer at a local, public elementary school or day school for HIV-infected children on the Caribbean island of Roatan. The location can be chosen by the volunteer. In case of a longer stay, both locations can be combined. Help children learn and develop creatively by teaching them language, communication and other basic skills.
On Roatan, all children must attend school. However, the quality of education for the poorest remains largely substandard. Public schools often lack the necessary financial support from the government to provide a free and good education, especially for children from poor backgrounds. The group or class size in the public schools is sometimes large. Individual help for the children is therefore hardly possible. In addition, many children come from families with problems such as poverty, abuse, illiteracy and unemployment. As a result, students lack attendance, have behavioral problems, and are malnourished and unable to concentrate in class.
The School for HIV-infected Children aims to provide access to education for these children (often excluded by society) and to combat literacy rates. Classes are conducted bilingually. Roatan is a Caribbean island and thrives on tourism. Speaking English is a requirement for many of the jobs. After class, which is mainly in the mornings, all of the students are actively involved in recycling projects, community projects, and animal welfare projects. Many of the students come from impoverished and often very stressful backgrounds, so the school addresses this in many ways. The day school provides free breakfast and lunch to all students. Because the day school provides the meals for the students and also involves the students in preparing them, they are also taught healthy, low-cost nutrition.
The local children are warm and loving and would rather spend their time playing than learning! Get the kids excited about learning and support them through the day-to-day challenges of school. The children will be happy to see you.
Volunteers bring energy and new experiences to the classroom. They help local teachers maintain order in the classroom and give students more individual attention, especially those who fall behind in class. They share their culture and skills and help children learn about new ideas.
Volunteers are expected to have a big heart for children and a lot of patience. On the other hand, the volunteers will gain many new experiences in a new culture and will receive a lot of attention and affection from the children.
The aim of this project is to support children on Roatan in their school education and to open their eyes to cultural diversity.
