working with handicapped

Camino Especial is a centre for physical and mental handicapped people. The centre started because there is still not enough social and labor integration for young people and adults with any kind of handicap. Camino Especial organizes days for handicapped people, so that they can be taken out of their sometimes miserable circumstances and integrate in social life. These days are also organized for poor children en poor old people. Besides that Camino Especial has a centre where handicapped people can paint and make other creative products. These products will be sold so the handicapped people can receive a little income.

Description of the activities for volunteers :
- Help with the ´special days´ (go swimming, visit to the Zoo, Mitad del Mundo, etc.)
- Help in the centre and assist in the painting place
- Help in the working place for helping aids and help the handicapped people and their parents how to use the helping aid (occupational/physical therapist)

The centre is quite new so it isn’t still a fulltime job for a volunteer. You either can make a combination of it with another project or if you find it interesting you can help the founders of the foundation with other organization tasks. A lot of own initiative is more than welcome!

Basic information:
Minimum:                    1 month
Spanish:                     Basic - reasonable
Working hours:           Monday till Friday from 8 am to 12.30
Traveling time:            15 minutes

Foundation “Reina de Quito” is a daycare center that accommodates about 74 children with the Down syndrome. There are 7 groups with children in the age of 2 till 7. Every group has its own physiotherapist to teach them. As a volunteer you’ll be introduced to all groups after which you’ll decide, together with the director (Alba) in what group you’ll be working during your time at the project. You’ll never be alone with the group, but always helping the therapist. Often, there are other volunteers at the project.

What can you do as a volunteer at Reina de Quito?
- Helping the therapist with the courses of the day
- Cooking, serving meals and most of all: helping the children to eat
- Sports, music, etc
- Knitting, making postcards, painting, etc
- Horseback riding or swimming

Basic information:
Minimum:                2 months
Spanish:                Reasonable - good
Working hours:      From 8.30 till 16.00 (Monday–Thursday) 8.30- 13.00 Friday
Traveling time:       20 minutes

The daycare centre ‘Casa de Los Angeles Daniele Po’ is part of the ‘Fundación Con Cristo’ and is open since 2002 and is meant for disabled children. It’s located in the South of Quito. The majority of the children are multiple disabled (don’t speak) and need a wheelchair. The children are from poor families, who can’t offer the care that the children need. The parents have to work and they leave the children at home alone with a big risk, because these children can’t take care of themselves.

At this moment there are 13 children in de daycare centre: 9 of them have cerebral palsy, one has autism, one is deaf, one has problems with her eyes and one is mentally retarded. There are 4 people working in the daycare centre: the coordinator, a cook and 2 women who work with the children. At this moment there are 2 volunteers from Holland; a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. Mercedes prepares a very balanced and good meal for the children and for the employees every day. Maria Elena works in the daycare centre since the beginning and she takes care of the children, cleans the centre and helps the therapists together with the other Maria, also mother of one of the disabled children. Every Wednesday a doctor visits the centre to check all the children to prevent medical problems.

What can you do as a volunteer?
- Help the children with the daily care of the children
- Changing diapers and clothes, feeding them, brushing their teeth, etc.
- You can also give therapy, depending on your study. For example: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, musical therapy, etc
- Organizing activities for the children, because the children can’t entertain themselves and therefore need help. There is a lot of space to realize your own ideas and to take initiatives.

Basic information:
Minimum:               4 weeks
Spanish:                Reasonable - good
Working hours:      From 8.30 till 16.00