Explore and Serve in the Bolivian Andes
Overview
You will stay in or near Cochabamba, Bolivia (third largest city, encircled by the breathtaking Andes Mountains); work with children or the elderly, or help a rural community build classrooms; and explore the culture through recreational activities and community events. Your volunteer service immerses you in the local community and offers you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the region’s most vulnerable people.
Location
Cochabamba is located in a highland plateau and boasts a perfect climate with a daytime seasonal average of 72 F with no humidity. Cochabamba is a bustling city of 400,000 people, home to many beautiful plazas, fountains, churches, and the largest open-air market in the Americas. Despite the beautiful scenery and perfect climate, Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in all of the Americas and faces a variety of social and economic challenges.
Serve with Amizade’s Partner Organizations
For more than ten years, Amizade has partnered with several effective community-based organizations, each working specifically to improve the well-being of people in the region. We try to match volunteers’ interests with community needs.
Ceoli provides education and healthcare to low-income children with disabilities and works with those children to develop self-sufficiency. Many Ceoli employees speak some English, so volunteers may begin serving immediately after arrival. Volunteers work in a number of areas, including health-related care, school administration, and student art projects.
Millennium is a nonprofit volunteer organization created by doctors and psychologists. They provide health care to children in orphanages and transitional homes in Cochabamba city. Volunteers take care of groups of children, reading and playing games. Volunteers with some medical training assist with health care. Basic Spanish knowledge is required to ensure effective communication with the children.
Asilo de Ancianos “Buen Pastor”
Asilo de Ancianos "Buen Pastor" is a nursing home for men and women run by Roman Catholic nuns. In collaboration with many institutions and individuals, the sisters build small stores to rent to generate income to cover the costs of the residents’ care. Volunteers help care for the residents, and read and converse with them. They also help with construction. Basic Spanish skills are required to communicate with residents.
Viloma High School
Viloma is a rural community outside of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The current school is a small converted cow stable. Local masons supervise and teach both the Amizade volunteers and local community members during every part of the construction project. No special skills are needed to work on this project. A basic understanding of Spanish is helpful but not necessary in order to communicate with local workers and residents. Amizade volunteers have helped add several classrooms to the school building.