I´ve been volunteering at a fantastic organisation working with young people in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Often there are intermediary organisations who want you to pay money to do volunteer work. This is an opportuntiy to deal directly with this youth-organisation and arrange to volunteer. Below is a few details if you´re keen to do some really worthwhile volunteer work.

CAICC is a type of community centre – it provides food, some education, sport and especially love and attention to young people with backgrounds of varying degrees of difficulty. Many have had their parents leave overseas in search of work and are in need a place they can go before or after school to learn, eat and receive a bit of love and guidance. There are two premises; one with 1-5 year-olds and the other up to 17 year-olds.

They need all the help they can get here: people who have skills such as an auto-mechanic (to help fix the struggling bus), computer-skills to help establish a web-page, people with talents at music, art, languages or sports. Just as important though are people with time and energy who can maybe help the young people with their english-homework, or just spend a bit of time talking with them, helping to do a bit of cleaning or playing football.

There is no minimum amount of time, and no money you need to pay. Many people pay lots of money to an intermediary organisation – you don´t need to do this. You can get in contact with CAICC directly and then if you do have any money you want to contribute (by no means an obligation) it can go directly towards paying for food and education materials for the young people themselves.

The email for CAICC is – centrocaicc@hotmail.com

Feel free to email me though if you have any questions and I´d be happy to answer them ( maxbro (at) gmail.com ). A small amount of Spanish-speaking ability would be an advantage but not necessary; it´s also a nice volunteer job to have while taking spanish classes in Cochabamba. The bottom line though is these young people need time and energy from kind people; if you have a bit of time believe me, it will be an experience to remember.