Safety Week

In order to maintain their continued high level of attention to health, safety and security, Amizade employees, site directors, and participants will participate in Amizade Safety Week from June 13th through June 20th. Throughout this week, stakeholders will be retrained on important safety topics, and individuals will be recognized for outstanding safety achievements around the world.

Here at Amizade, we take a number of precautions before sending participants to our sites abroad. Each site and home stay family is closely evaluated. Amizade cooperates closely with site directors who are well respected in their communities and who know where the best available emergency services lie. Participants in home stays are in clear communication with Amizade site directors who are also in continuous communication with Amizade back in the United States. Amizade closely monitor global events, state department, and embassy information to ensure that there are no travel or safety restrictions, and insures all of its international participants with emergency trip protection as well as health and evacuation insurance. Amizade volunteers have the opportunity to experience many aspects of service and learning in each of our 11 sites, while feeling confident in the measures which are implemented for the good of both the volunteers and community members. We are dedicated to these commitments and view each program participant, whatever his or her age, as someone’s family member: a parent, brother, sister, son, or daughter.

Amizade is also aligned with local organizations in its partner sites to work towards a safer environment for the local community. In Petersfield, Jamaica Amizade was saddened to hear the tragic news that a young boy, Nicholas Hamiliton, was killed as a result of playing on unsafe equipment. In the absence of a proper facility, local children predictably went in search for an alternative place to play. In response, Amizade and its partners are fundraising for a playground, which will be open to all children in the memory of young Nicholas Hamilton, while improving the welfare of his peers so that there will not be a recurrence of this tragedy.

In accordance with the installment of Safety Week, Amizade would like to highlight its impressive 17 year safety record and encourage all prospective volunteers and their families to rest assured in anticipation of their placements abroad. We take pride in the quality of our volunteers and we continuously take measures to ensure that their participation enriches the lives of themselves and those living in the host communities, all without having to worrying about safety concerns.