Quick Facts
Program code
CL-VOL100
Category
Volunteer Work, Child Care, Teaching / Education
Country
Chile
Location
Santiago de Chile
Program start
flexible start and end dates all year-round
Minimum duration
4 weeks
Minimum age
17 years
Contact us
Happy to help you
(+1) 954 762 7607
(+56) 9 7516 9816
(+49) 7735 425 339
skype: chileinside
8 am - 4 pm EST
Program details
In Chile, wealth is unfortunately very unevenly distributed and many children and young people grow up in very difficult circumstances. Public and private institutions such as children's homes, day care centers or social kindergartens try to counteract this and do incredibly valuable work. There, children in need are taken care of, get medical and psychological assistance and, in many cases, experience affection and recognition for the first time.
However, public institutions in Chile often suffer from a lack of adequate funding. Children's homes, day care centers, or other similar establishments, often lack staff and financial resources and are dependent on the help of volunteers. To protect the already disadvantaged children from further cutbacks having to do with their living conditions, nurses and the so-called "tías" give their best every day to take the children away from the worries of everyday life. Unfortunately, they too are subject to personal limits at some point and are grateful for every helping hand. Especially distressing is the large number of children who grow up without parents because they have been thrown out of their families. Others have parents that are deceased, absent, in prison, or have simply failed in their parental duty of care. Without local day care centers, these children would end up living on the street.
On a brighter note, there are charities and orphanages that serve as a welcoming shelter and advice center for these children and families in Santiago and surrounding areas.
Take on responsibility and show educational support as a beacon of hope by helping in one of various social projects that give new perspectives on children and families from disadvantaged social groups in Chile. If you decide to do your volunteer work with children or teenagers, you can choose between different projects and institutions. Here, you care for:
- Children or teenagers in daycares or kindergartens
- Children with behavioral issues
- Children with disabilities
- Children's homes
After successfully placing the program in one of our children's projects, we will send you the job description with information about your voluntary service and the tasks. This way you will know exactly in which institution your volunteer program will take place before you book the program and before you travel to Chile.
Tasks
Depending on which of our partners you are placed with, there are different tasks. But it is all about putting a smile on children's faces and helping them out. The local staff often only has time for the most necessary tasks, so it is the volunteers who bring variety to everyday life and distract the children from their worries.
The following are examples of possible tasks:
- Supporting the training and care staff with their daily tasks
- Supervising and caring for the children and youth
- Motivating children to participate in basic games, singing, creative craft work, painting, and pottery
- Planning work projects (create vegetable garden, repair playground equipment, etc.)
- Help within the facilities (cooking, feeding small kids, wash dishes, etc.)
- Organizing activities, including small excursions to the surrounding areas
- Tutoring and assisting with homework
Although there is no special knowledge required to work with children, you should be dedicated and able to take on work responsibilities independently. Do not forget that you will be a role model, and you must be aware of the responsibility that you take on when caring for the children. The activities of the volunteers vary and depend on the placement and needs of the children.
The working time is approx. 30 - 40 hours per week, but depends on the program position.
Half-day positions combined with a Spanish course in Santiago de Chile are also available.
Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as number of volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, as well as self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these tasks.
Accommodation
During your volunteer work in Chile, you will be accommodated in a local homestay. You will have a single room and share common areas with your house mates. Our homestays are of different size, some only rent one room others rent several rooms. Half-board (breakfast + dinner) can be added upon request.
We carefully select the accommodations and make sure that they are located in nice and safe neighborhoods with good infrastructure and public means of transportation. Typically, you can find supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and shopping centers nearby. Internet access is available at 100% of our accommodations.
Note: Only our premium package includes the accommodation.
Location
Santiago de Chile is located almost exactly in the middle of Chile, halfway between the north and south and also about half way between the Argentine border and the ocean.
The capital of Chile is an amazing city and one of the few metropolises in the world where you can actually ask yourself the question: "Going to the sea today and skiing tomorrow, or would you prefer the other way around?" since beautiful beaches are at the same distance like world-class ski slopes (and trekking routes during summer) in the Andes Mountains. Santiago de Chile divides Chile into the fertile south and the dry, mineral-rich north.
And the city itself has something for everyone: there are beautiful places to relax, old colonial buildings and a lively urban culture with museums, street artists, theaters and more; small craft markets and green meadows, countless restaurants and pubs in beautiful nightlife districts and a lively student life.
Valparaíso is located about 115 km west of Santiago on the Pacific. The time between the two locations is about 1.5 hours by bus. The city is also called "the pearl of the Pacific" and is Chile's most important port city. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Valparaíso was a Chilean melting pot of cultures and is still considered the most interesting and charming city in Chile. Art and culture flourish here like hardly any other place and on every corner in the labyrinth of alleys and squares there is a small gallery, an artist café, a studio or a street art project to discover.
Upper and lower town are connected by countless stairs - so the residents of the port city complete their fitness program every day ... but since this is very tedious in the long run, numerous inclined lifts were built around 1900, which effortlessly take you from bottom to top and back again. They are still doing their job and are an absolute highlight for tourists.
Surrounded by beaches and small fishing bays, the colorful city also offers a culturally unique ambience and a great nightlife thanks to several universities. Students from all over Chile, language students, volunteers, work & travelers and tourists mingle with locals in the many bars at night and turn night into day.
Viña del Mar is the "twin city" of Valparaíso, both are almost fused together and connected by a common subway. Viña del Mar is less colorful, but it is a modern and popular seaside resort with a casino, coastal promenade and sandy beach, lined with apartment buildings with a beach view. In summer it feels like half Santiago and a good part of Argentina is on the beaches of Viña del Mar and the neighboring resorts of Reñaca and Concon. During the other months, the residents themselves enjoy their “garden city”, as Viña del Mar is also called because of the many parks and green areas, such as the botanical garden.
Language skills
Spanish at communication level. For optimal preparation for your volunteer work in Chile, we advise you to take a Spanish course before the program starts. This gives you the opportunity to slowly get used to the language, culture and mentality.
You can book your Spanish course in Chile directly with us!
Requirements
- Spanish skills (book your Spanish course in Chile!)
- Minimum age 17 years
- Application at least 4 weeks before the desired start of the program. Read more about our application process here.
- Completion of a foreign travel health insurance (get your travel insurance here!)
- Please submit a criminal record check
Pre-departure and in-country support
Before arrival, our experienced team will be at your disposal to assist you throughout the booking process and travel planning. With the booking confirmation you will receive our 24-hour emergency number, so that you can reach us 24/7 in case of emergency.
In addition to the assistance given by our office in Santiago de Chile you will be supported by an on-site volunteer coordinator.
Costs & Services
Volunteer Work Basic includes:
- On-going support via WhatsApp, phone or mail
- Elaboration of your application profile in Spanish
- Your placement in the volunteer project
- Pre-departure information
- Packing list
- Country handbook
- Intercultural guide
- On-site volunteer coordinator
- 24/7 emergency number
- Advice on travel insurance
- Certificate of participation
Application fee: US$ 150
Placement fee: US$ 250 (minimum duration 4 weeks)
Extra week: US$ 10
Additionally, you can book:
Volunteer Work Premium includes:
- Single room in homestay
- Internet access at homestay
- Airport pick-up in Santiago
- On-going support via WhatsApp, phone or mail
- Elaboration of your application profile in Spanish
- Your placement in the volunteer project
- Pre-departure information
- Packing list
- Country handbook
- Intercultural guide
- On-site volunteer coordinator
- 24/7 emergency number
- Advice on travel insurance
- Certificate of participation
Application fee: US$ 150
Placement fee: US$ 955 (minimum duration 4 weeks)
Extra week: US$ 175
Additionally, you can book:
- US$ 75/week for half-board suplement (breakfast & dinner)
- Spanish courses in Chile
- Spanish courses in Latin America
- Travel Health Insurance
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Volunteer Guide
Find valuable information about volunteering abroad in our program guides. Find out about all the benefits, possibilities and challenges, that a stay abroad offers you. Read more about the great opportunities that South America Inside has at your disposal.
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