• Volunteer with children
• Volunteer with disabled persons
• Volunteer with adults in shelters
• Community development
• Health promotion
• Micro enterprising - Micro loans
• Eco-voluntary work
• Professional support to non profits

• To bear in mind

Important: not all the opportunities of voluntary work are available all the year round. Consult for more information.
 

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Volunteer with children

In the aftermath of Argentina's economic meltdown of the late 90s, a large number of non profits were created to feed and take care of children in very poor neighborhoods whose parents cannot otherwise provide for their basic needs such as food, education, clothing and health. At present, these nonprofits provide meals and after school programs to support to many children and adolescents from 4 to 16 yeas old, usually more than 40-50 per location.

Role of the volunteer
• Recreation: organization of recreational and educational activities such as crafts, sports, music or others.

• School support: tutoring children in their assignments and understanding the educational content learned in elementary or high school.

• Teaching English: Language teaching to children between 6 and 16 years old, with no knowledge of it. Volunteers should have previous training such as TEFL or similar.

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Volunteer with disabled persons

With the aim to collaborate with the social and labour integration of disabled persons, Foundation AFOS works with diverse NGOs that offer educational, therapeutic, working and recreative services to persons with different capacities.

Through education, training and teaching of trades these NGOs try to offer disabled persons valid tools for their active development in the midst of their families and then in the nearby community, stimulating independence and integration.

To work with disabled persons can be an emotional challenge for volunteers, as well as very comforting work. Volunteers can apply their knowledge, skills and time to make a worth while contribution to the future of these persons.

Some of the possible activities to carry out are:
• Collaboration with the tasks carried out in the workshops or classes.
• Organization of events.
• Educational or recreative manual workshops (handicrafts, painting).
• Support with the therapeutic activities.
• General support to the organization in management tasks.

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Volunteer with adults in shelters

The difficulties to have access to work or housing, the break of family or social bonds, or other lacks, cause that day after day there are more people getting to extreme situations of helplessness in the streets of Córdoba.

AFOS Foundation collaborates with homeless adult’s shelters which provide temporary shelter to needy or socially excluded adults, who lack the basic needs such as food, health care, affection, family care. They are men and women from 30 to the age of 60, as well as elderly adults.

These shelters are coordinated and supervised by an interdisciplinary staff of professionals in areas like Psychology, Nutrition, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, etc. By means of different treatments, recreative workshops and education, they seek to overcome individual as well as social problems in order to achieve the human promotion and social reinsertion of these persons.

This type of organizations is supported by government contributions and by individual donations, but their needs always exceed resources.

Some of the possible activities to be carried out are:

• Recreative workshops: weekly activities that offer recreation and training, e.g. theatre, music, crafts, dancing, films, sports, gender topics, and others. Cultural exchange is also important to widen people’s vision. Volunteers will be able to report their life experiences from their place of origin.

• Micro enterprises: training in trades for micro enterprises. Additionally, it is possible to qualify in micro enterprising operative matters (management, advertising, others).

• Treatment of addictions: help in the treatment of addictions carried out in the institution, mainly drug addiction and alcoholism. For this task some previous experience in the activity is preferably requested.

• Therapeutic accompaniment: it involves professional services in psychology, physical therapy and others, as well as tasks of accompanying the persons when they attend an appointment with the doctor or medical practices must be performed, dealing with proceedings and formalities at health institutions or health insurance services offices. For this task, some previous experience in the activity is preferably requested.

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Community development

The socio-economic limitations of certain social groups in Argentina and Cordoba prevent to a great extent the local development of the communities, which is achievable through the improvement of its cultural, educational, social and working possibilities. This is a notorious reality in our country due to the lack of working opportunities and lack of government support towards the community, among other issues.

Community development becomes, in this way, a possible option for the strengthening of the communities. By means of the joint action of the families that belong to each community and the social organizations ready to help, it is possible to give way to initiatives to better the quality of life and the future possibilities of these people.

The same communities are the first ones to be interested in promoting their own development and generating initiatives, encouraging the participation of all the members, added to the contributions that the organizations and external persons could make, always respecting the decisions of the community.

Foundation AFOS collaborates with the strengthening of diverse local communities by means of different activities oriented to their development:

• School Support, teaching of English and computer studies.
• Community Cinema for children and adults.
• Art and trades Workshops.
• Micro enterprises.
• Community Radio and neighbourhood magazine.
• Support to community activities and organization.

 
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Health promotion

The volunteers with experience in this area can carry out activities that try to foment the health in the individuals and in the communities, promoting and educating on different health topics, with the aim that these persons may reach a major well-being and improve the quality of life.

Pro-activity and self initiative of the volunteers are extremely necessary since the communities lack instruments to generate this type of activities. But the work is carried out in close contact with the community, since its active participation is necessary in the definition of priorities, plans of action, decision making and in the execution of the promotion activities. In this way, aspiring to the effective participation of the population and favouring self-help, the persons are encouraged to find their way of promoting the health of their own communities.

Some of the possible activities to be carried out are:
Educational workshops: aimed at reporting on topics of general relevance, like hygiene, a healthy diet, vaccination, personal care, etc., and also oriented to contraception, the prevention of diseases, addictions, eating disorders, etc.

Physical activities: it is possible to carry out outdoor activities, sports, recreation, championships, disciplines oriented to general well-being, etc., focused on the promotion of health.

Actions oriented to improving the environment of the community: education and promotion on care and cleanliness in the area of the community, optimization of resources, implementation of strategies and change of habits, etc.

Diffusion and communication: promote health by means of awareness and conscience-raising campaigns using communication strategies, as for example information leaflets, posters, audio-visuals, etc.

For this task it is recommended to develop a program of activities or a specific proposal previous to the arrival of the volunteer, since, in general, there are not structures enough in the community to meet these needs. Previous coordination with AFOS with regard to the tasks and activities to be carried out will make it possible to develop more satisfactory voluntary work.

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Micro enterprising - Micro loans

One of the most important problems in Argentina today is unemployment and lack of working opportunities, especially for the persons of low resources. Their multiple consequences affect the weakest sectors of society, as the elders, children and unemployed parents whose basic needs remain unsatisfied.

By means of collective and joint work these families and communities find a possible option to improve their socio-economic situation. The possibility of generating a productive micro enterprise constitutes an alternative for development of self employment.

Nowadays there exist numerous community and social micro enterprises in the city of Córdoba that, due to the lack of expertise of their members and capital shortage, are unable to become either consolidated or sustainable. On the other hand, the communities that possess the potential to generate a micro enterprise do not manage to do it since they need assessment and training in administrative, marketing and management matters.

Through AFOS Foundation, the volunteers who have experience in micro enterprising can offer the organizations and local communities actions of assessment and accompaniment to achieve the strengthening of these initiatives.

Having previous experience in the micro loans area, it is also possible to work hand in hand with micro enterprises, on topics related to financing, management and administration assessment, and therefore achieve the long-term profitability of the micro enterprises.

To this purpose, it is advisable a stay of more than 3 months, and a reasonable level of Spanish.

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Eco-voluntary work

Through Foundation AFOS you can, as an eco-volunteer, do ecological voluntary work in Córdoba, Argentina. These activities are oriented to the environmental protection and conservation, and to the conservation of the native flora and fauna. Your work in these areas will allow you to collaborate with ecological and conservation projects as well as help improve the natural areas of Córdoba.

Volunteers are to work jointly with ecological and environmental organizations whose fundamental task consists of the care of animals and plants, especially those species in danger of extinction. Likewise, by means of ecological voluntary work we seek to diminish human impact in our planet, to restore the current damages and to promote the protection and care of the natural areas and environment.

Some of the possible tasks to be carried out are:
• Care and feeding of native animals in nature reserves (with previous training).
• Vet assistance to animals (with previous training).
• Maintenance and cleaning of the habitat of the animals.
• Conservation and enrichment of the environment.
• Reforestation and care of autochthonous plants.
• Environmental promotion and attention to tourists.

To carry out this voluntary work you must bear in mind that you will live in a rural environment, without the typical city comforts, but with the basic needs (housing and food) covered. In addition, the environmental organizations in Argentina are, in general, small and work in an informal way, without structure, so it is expected that volunteers be patient, enthusiastic and have self initiative.

To have access to this voluntary work you must have a reasonable level of Spanish, preferably intermediate. In addition you should have health insurance that covers work with animals and vaccine against rabies. You can fulfil these requirements with the help of Foundation AFOS when you arrive in Córdoba.

It is possible to combine this voluntary work with classes of Spanish and with other activities of voluntary work, before or after fulfilling eco-volunteering / green volunteering. Get more information for these options when you request your application.

Important: This program of voluntary work can have costs different from the published ones in this web page. Consult for more information.

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Professional support to non profits

If you do not have any special preference for any social area, you can choose to apply your professional knowledge or your personal capacities to any non profit that needs help.

In general, non profits in Argentina lack a wide structure to allow them to carry out other tasks additional to their main aim and thereby they are limited in their development. The tasks of project management, communication, promotion and advertising, volunteers' summons, search of financing resources and so many others are relegated for lack of human resources, knowledge, available time or other factors.

Any help provided by volunteers is valuable, being orientated to strengthen the fundamental goal of the non profit, or giving solidity to the same one from other important areas of development.

Some examples of professional support are:

Communication Area (orientated to promotion and advertising, graphic and web design, social communication, journalism and the like.) Development and implementation of internal and external communication strategies of the non profits. Design and implementation of web sites, promotion, and traditional and digital advertising, photographic and audio-visual productions, etc.

Management and Administration Area (orientated to administration, economics and the like) Development or adjustment of administrative and management tools to strengthen the organization, its social insertion and links with public or private organizations.

Project management Area (orientated to social sciences, social work and the like). Identification of the social problems of the areas where the organization develops its activities and to implement actions related to the same end.

Human Resources Area (orientated to HHRR, sociology, psychology and the like) Development of strategies for the incorporation of volunteers and collaborators for the non profit. Activities of social integration, motivation, cultural exchange, etc.

Public Relations Area (orientated to PPRR, political sciences, international cooperation and related areas) Development of links of the social organizations with the community and with national and international spaces for cooperation. Search of financing and collection of funds with individuals / companies.

The previous areas, not exclusive examples, are orientated to offer you the chance of putting forward what you want to carry out in a social organization. Have in mind also, that you will have the possibility of working at one or several non profits if the need arises. What you propose may be useful for several organizations.

When you send your application of voluntary work remember to detail the task/s that you want to carry out.
 

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To bear in mind

AFOS Foundation collaborates in the strengthening of non profits that deal with different problems of society, not only with the help of volunteers, but also with technical assistance in the different areas of work.

It is important that the candidates have a clear idea of the task they will carry out. To that purpose, they can communicate with AFOS Foundation in case of any requirement or doubt that may arise. The candidates must bear in mind that, as soon as they have known and got acquainted with the organization they will work with, in some cases they will have to submit a proposal of the task they want to carry out and / or the task goals.

Download here the general requirements for voluntary work or internship.

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