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Care Projects in Guatemala

Care for children and adults suffering from mental disabilities and physical illness.

This project will allow you to gain experience in care, or simply to challenge yourself in a friendly environment where your assistance is really needed. This is a challenging and rewarding project.

You don't need any care qualifications to take part in this project, but we do recommend that you have intermediate Spanish skills. See below or talk to us for options if you'd like to do this project, but don't feel that your Spanish is up to scratch - we can help!

Return to the Guatemala Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Guatemala

ABOUT THE CARE CENTRE

The centre looks after children and adults in various conditions who all need higher care than they could or would receive at home. The organization is run by youngsters and adults who have dedicated themselves to helping others.

People arrive at the organization from all walks of life… From families with few means at their disposal, who with the best will in the world do not have the time or the skills required to take care of their loved ones.  Some arrive at the centre after being abandoned by their families… Others have simply grown old and require more assistance than their families can provide. Some are sick or are simply patients requiring rest and are unable to stay in a normal hospital.

The centre is based in an absolutely beautiful traditional Guatemalan building in Antigua.

Areas of the Hospital… What are they and how do they work?

Center For Recovering From Malnutrition: With the help of the volunteers the centre cares for children with varying degrees of malnutrition. The centre also cares for children who are waiting for operations for childhood diseases. The centre is also devoted to work caring and treating children suffering from cleft palates. The children need to be given medicine for stomach problems, receive check-ups and to receive the kind of stimulation that any young child needs to develop their motor skills and cognition.  The centre also provides education to the mothers teaching them how to care for their child’s needs.

Centre For Handicapped Children: Care is provided for children with Down’s syndrome, quadriplegics, hydrophiliacs, spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and asphyxias perinatal.  The children receive attention from medics, Psychologists, paediatrics, physiotherapists, neurologists, and specially trained teachers at the school. Volunteers help to stimulate the children to help with their development. These children need lots of care and love they receive physiotherapy, speech therapy, stimulation, play, daily care, and through the help of everyone involved they get to experience constant interaction and movement. Wheelchairs amongst other things are provided to keep them mobile as much as possible. .

"Mente Sana" - for Adults and "Special" Youngsters: They take care of men and women with permanent incapacity, both physical and mental; the frequent diagnostics is setback in mental development, following convulsive syndrome, aggressive behaviour and schizophrenia.  Most of the patients need round the clock care.

Centre for “Incapable People”: This works just the same as ‘Mente Sana’, in that they take care of men and women with permanent incapacity, both physical and mental; the frequent diagnostics is setback in mental development, following convulsive syndrome, aggressivity and schizophrenia.  Most of the patients need round the clock care.

Centre for Elderly Men: Here the men suffer from conditions and afflictions commonly found in men of an older age.  They suffer from a range of dysfunctions they need the same love, care and attention as anyone else. They are provided with activities to keep their minds strong and active amongst other things.

Centre for Elderly Women: Primarily the centre works to accommodate women in their later years who don’t have anywhere to live. They may also suffer from conditions and afflictions commonly found in old age.  They are provided the same love, care and attention as anyone else. Again activities are organised to keep their minds strong and active amongst other things.

Recovery Area: Here they take care for all kinds of general illnesses.  Patients are provided with care and treatments necessary for their condition to ensure that they are spirited back to full health as soon as possible.

Special School: The school teaches the children who live in the hospital.  They give them the education directly suited to their level of understanding, providing the materials necessary for the lessons and of course bringing bucket loads of dedication. The school is very aware of making the lessons fun and interactive and ensuring that they have fun while they learn. Being stuck in a hospital isn’t much fun for anyone so the school makes sure that they know how to show them a good time as well teaching them.

Kindergarten: Just like any other crèche/kindergarten they take care of the younger children who are too young to go to school. Many of the children’s mothers go to work in the market.

Manual Work & Craft School: All kinds of crafts work is taught here at the centre. It really is fabulous to see. Everything that’s made is sold to bring in funding.

You will need to have a good level of Spanish, at least A-Level or equivalent to participate in this project. As medical terminology is likely to be used at the centre, it is also highly recommended that you take some extra specific Spanish lessons before starting your project, even if you’re already confident in general Spanish. We can arrange these specific lessons, where you’ll learn medical terminology, which will not only be useful to you on the project but perhaps also in your future career.

If you have a low level of Spanish or no Spanish at all, you are still welcome to come on the project, but it is a requirement that you spend some time learning Spanish at our language schools before starting work at the care centre. It usually takes between 4-8 weeks to reach the required standard of Spanish. If you were comfortable with languages at school and feel confident about languages in general, you should be at the lower end of the scale.

It is also possible to arrange Spanish lessons for you during your volunteering if you have a lower level of Spanish but would like to brush up on your skills. Please speak to your Project Co-Ordinator about your level of Spanish so that we can discuss the option that’s best for you.

You also need to have an interest/qualification or some knowledge about care work to take part in this project, as the work is quite specific and can sometimes be quite trying. No formal qualifications are required, but you must either be studying a related subject, qualified in a related subject or intending to peruse a related subject as a career or as study. Please talk to us about acceptance criteria, as we can usually be very flexible if your intent is there 

Food will be provided and will consist mostly of local dishes. One of the most enjoyable aspects of living and working in a foreign country and culture is to enjoy the local cuisine, and in Central America the food is very interesting and sometimes quite exotic.

"My days up until now have been 7.10 breakfast (cereal, pancakes, fruit, etc., it changes), classes 8- 12. Lunch is at 12.45 (chicken, soup, beans, pizza, tortillia, etc.). In the afternoon there are activities to do or it is free time till dinner at 6.40, then go out to a bar or to bed early as it is an exhausting life." Rebecca Tilley 

As with all our destinations, the Guatemalan culture and heritage is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in mind. 

Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity! 

Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very detailed Guatemala Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide - both of these will help to make your stay in Guatemala one that you will never forget!

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.

You'll be met at the airport by Lilian, our Guatemala Organiser, or one of her staff. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation and introduced to everyone. Within the next couple of days you'll be taken to the school and she will ensure that you are well settled in.

VISAS:. In countries where visas or immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and information and make the process very easy for you.

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!

To see the Prices of this project and all our other projects in Guatemala, please click here

• Food & accommodation while on your project,
• 2 T-shirts, if required for your project
• All support and backup during your programme
• Meeting you at the nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.

Return to the Guatemala Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Guatemala

TO APPLY FOR A PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE