Name: Assistance Center, San Juan Diego, in the city of Huancayo

Area: Assistance, Social, Medical, Emotional

Who We Help: Children between the years of 3 and 12 years carrying AIDS

We need volunteers.

• For the special attention of these children we need professionals or students in different specialties of the health sciences.

• If you desire to help develop the recreational and educational activities of this program it is not necessary that you have some specialty or profession

Objectives:

• To offer special attention to the children that live and are attended to in the house of San Juan Diego of Huancayo through moments of happiness and joy by sharing recreational and educational activities.

• Provide San Juan Diego with a qualified staff in different areas of  the health arena

Description:

• San Juan Diego is an important institution of social assistance. Children and families carrying the AIDS virus live and are attended to here.

• It offers a place where children can sleep and eat while also receiving care from a personal and qualified staff member.

• Location: The center of San Juan Diego is located in the city of Huancayo in the Junín region about 300 kilometers (6.5 hours) from the city of Lima in the Andean mountain range of Peru.

• The center provides families with outpatient children the necessary medicines, medical help, workshops, and emotional support.

Volunteer Activities:

• Through your volunteer activites, you can develop the work in many different ways. There are many possibilities. All we require is your interest to help and a lot of creativity.

• These children live in a very difficult environment because of their disease. This makes the emotional aspect of your work very important. Volunteers play a large role in the development of their personal care, tenderness, and self-esteem.

• Volunteers give attention to the boys and girls in their everyday activities around the house such personal hygiene, diet, etc.

• Education is an important part of this program. Volunteers help with homework and encourage good study habits.

• The children need to know their rights and volunteers help them understand moral values like respect, tolerance, honesty, and punctuality, among others.  

• In order to develop the children’s skills and talents, the children learn sports, the arts (painting, dancing, music, singing), languages, recreational games, etc.

Special Activities:

Due to the nature of the disease, the children need special attention that is very difficult to find in Peru. If you have a specialization or are studying one, you are very useful. We need:

• Pediatricians

• Dermatologists

• Dentists

• Nurses

• Gastroenterologists

• Etc. Etc.

Additional Volunteer Workshops:

• Language and writing

• Art: painting, drawing, etc.

• Singing, music, and dance

Necessary Characteristics of a Volunteer:

Volunteers are characterized by their spirit of service, creativity, sensitivity to human pain, high moral values, a social conscience, the practice of solidarity, leadership, responsibility, good interpersonal relationships, ability to work on a team, discipline, good communication skills, and concern for the development of self and others.

Important:

All volunteers receive assistance, work materials, accreditation, and certification from our organization.

Requirements:

• Passport

• Minimum age of 18 years old

• Application

• Digital Photograph

Dates: All months

Minimum Length of volunteer work: One month

Work Schedule:  At least 4 hours per day

Finances: 

The San Juan Diego house is financed by donations from various organizations and people.

Free Time:

Volunteers work Monday through Friday and have weekends free to rest, read, visit different tourist attractions in the area, go on excursions, or take one of the curses organized by Expand Peru. Confusing.

If you would like to donate to this program, please see our donations page under “Helping from Home”.

NOTE: TO PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF THE CHILDREN OF SAN JUAN DIEGO WE ARE UNABLE TO USE PHOTOS OF THE CHILDREN ON OUR WEBSITE