Therapy Day Center - ATENDI

ATENDI is a day care centre for special needs children and youth in Cochabamba/Bolivia, offering physiotherapy, early stimulation, special education, psychotherapy and other therapies. Internships and volunteering opportunities are available at this center.

What is your placement organization doing?

Many children at ATENDI are from poor families that cannot otherwise afford any special treatment or education for their children. In Bolivia, it is not rare that parents abandon, abuse, or lock away their disabled children. The services of ATENDI have the aim to prevent this.

There are 25-35 girls and boys at the centre, from newborns to an age of around 15 years, separated by age into different classes. The aim is to prepare them for integration into the regular public school system, and facilitating them the successful participation in Bolivian society.

The children and youth are at the centre every day from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. They are brought and picked up by their parents. Besides pre-school and primary school special education, they also receive therapies.

Besides the full-day children, there are also some children that just attend the centre on certain hours to receive special therapies. These therapies include physiotherapy/hydrotherapy (Bobath therapy, sensory-integrative therapy, psychomotorics, masotherapy, kinesiotherapy, horse therapy, occupational therapy), early stimulation (fine and gross motor skills, speech development, multi-sensorial stimulation, music therapy, social development), education (extra lessons, mental and motoric development, grapho-legasthenia, social skills, everyday skills), psychology (psychotherapy, behavioural disorders, nocturnal enoresis, depression), phoniatrics (deaf-muteness, speech anomalies, delays in speech development, legasthenia), and nutrition consultation.

Besides the director, the centre employs two physiotherapists, a psychologist, a psychopedagogue, 2 nurses and a cook.

The centre can make use of good installations and equipments for the services being offered. However, there is still a lack of funds to guarantee food supplies for the children and youth.

How can you get involved?

Volunteers and interns must have completed their studies/professional training or must be at least third or fourth year students. They must stay for at least 1 month, they should have intermediate Spanish skills and must show a criminal record certificate.

There is particular interest in participants with knowledge of early stimulation, physiotherapy, psychology and aidology. Interns/volunteers work Monday to Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 1.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Info Box

Ort: Cochabamba, Bolivien
Verfügbarkeit: ganzjährig, Start flexibel
Mindestdauer: 2 Wochen

Maximaldauer: 6 Monate
Sprachkenntnisse: Mittlere Spanischkenntnisse
Unterbringung:
WG, Zimmer bei Gastfamilie

Betreuung möglich: Ja
Qualifikation Betreuer/in: Allgmeinmediziner, Fachärzte, Pfleger, Therapeuten
Minimale Qualifikation Praktikant(in):
in passendem Studium oder Ausbildung befindlich
Weiterer Beitrag ans Projekt: Nein

Volunteering möglich: Ja
Erwartete Qualifikationen Freiwillige(r): Fachkraft Medizin/Pflege/Therapien
Weiterer Beitrag ans Projekt: Nein
Es wird erwartet:
Professionelles Arbeiten, die "richtige" Einstellung

Accommodation

Accommodation in Cochabamba

Shared Accommodation:

Shared House

The shared house in the center of Cochabamba offers seven rooms, a fully equipped kitchen with the necessary cooking utensils and electrical appliances as well as two bathrooms, shared by the residents. There is also a washing machine and WiFi. Both kitchen and one of the bathrooms are on the ground floor, next to the office of the owner. The owners organise and conduct outdoor extreme sports activities.

The price of the room, which include daily expenses such as water, electricity, weekly cleaning of common rooms, linen and internet, varies according to size of the room. For room reservation, a deposit must be paid (one month's rent), which will be refunded when you move out.

Hostel at Plaza Colón

The Hostel is located in front of Plaza Colón in central Cochabamba. On two floors, the inn has four rooms for individuals or couples and two more beds for six and seven people with shared bathrooms. There are several areas for social gatherings and a furnished terrace with beautiful views over the city. Food can be cooked in one of the two fully equipped kitchens. Wifi is available at no cost; there laundry service at an extra charge.

Host Family:

Rooms of Average Standards with Host Families

A stay with a Bolivian family gives insight into their life and creates the opportunity to practice and expand your Spanish language skills. The rooms usually have a bed with bedside table and lamp, a storage space for clothes and a desk with chair. The family serves three meals a day (breakfast, lunch - the main meal in Bolivia, dinner), cleans the rooms and does laundry. WiFi is not available at every host family. <

Rates

I. World Unite! Service Package

Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.

		up to 31 Days	32-60 Days	61-90 Days	91-120 Days	5 Months or longer
	1 Person	450 EUR	600 EUR	700 EUR	750 EUR	850 EUR
	2-4 Persons (Rate per Person)	400 EUR	500 EUR	600 EUR	650 EUR	700 EUR

Convert rates to USD, GBP, CAD, AUD and other currencies

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
Assistance with visa extension in Bolivia or arrangement of visa (depending on duration of stay) and other official permits (if required), but not the official government fees for it/them
Pick-up and Transfers from/to Cochabamba Airport (CBB) on arrival and departure
Assistance with the booking of domestic connection flights within Bolivia if you arrive in La Paz or ViruViru
Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
Orientation and Introduction in Cochabamba
Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
24 Hours emergency support by local support team
50 USD Contribution to your project
Local SIM Card with 60 Bs. air time
Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro

The Rates do NOT include:

Accommodation and Meals (see below)
Travel to/from Bolivia (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
Official fees for Visa (see below)
Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
Personal Expenses
Vaccinations
Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
Please note that for supervised/mentored internships, some organizations charge further contributions. You find this information in the "Info Box" below the respective internship description.

II. Accommodation Costs

You can choose between the following options:

Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.

Rates in US-Dollar! Convert Currency		Short-time stay (1-31 Days)	Long-time stay (32-365 Days) (You pay proportionally per day)
Shared House or Hostel
House shared with other participants	1 Person (Single Room)	8 USD/Day	200-250 USD/Month
House shared with other participants	2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room)	8 USD/Day	120-140 USD/Month
Hostel at Plaza Colon, Dorm bed	per person	8 USD/Day	240 USD/Month

Host Family
Host Family of Middle Standard on Full Board	1 Person (Single Room)	15 USD/Day	15 USD/Day
Host Family of Middle Standard on Full Board	2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room)	15 USD/Day	15 USD/Day

For incomplete months you will pay the exact amount proportionally per day.
In case of 3-4 person: Same rate as in case of 2 Persons. 5 or more persons: Contact us for group rates.

Overview of other costs:

For most citizens except US Citizens, no Visa fee for a stay of a maximum of 90 days per calendar year. Any time you stay in excess of 90 days within a calendar year, 20 Bs. fee per day. US Citizens pay currentyl 135 USD Visa fee.
If meals are not included: around 70-150 EUR /100-180 USD)/month
Small local expenses (e.g. Internet, local transport): around 30-50 USD/Month (Estimate)
Insurances around 30-50 USD/Month

How do I pay?

Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.

The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.

Extras

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more! Check out our other listings in the areas of "World Learner" and "Active Travel" at your travel destination to make your stay even more interesting.

Spanish language or indigenous language lessons

In Cochabamba, you can attend Spanish language lessons at a language school. The school has been teaching for more than 20 years, using the communicative method. The teaching is active and requires intensive participation. The language is taught at all levels, from beginner to advanced, with all intermediate stages.

The school also offers instruction in the indigenous languages, Quechua and Aymara. For volunteering and internships in rural areas of Bolivia with indigenous communities, knowledge of the respective language is of great advantage.

For 40 hours of private lessons: 330 EUR.

In the registration form, tick "Language Training Required" and the required number of hours (minimum 40 hours).

Travel Health Insurance

We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.

Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.

Cochabamba

With 700,000 inhabitants, Cochabamba is Bolivia's fourth largest city. Today, it merges in the west with Quillacollo, which itself has some 150,000 people. Both cities are nested in the densely populated Valley of Cochabamba, at an altitude of around 2560 meters (8700 feet) above sea level. The fertile valley has a flat bottom, expanding around 25x10 km (15x6 miles), while the framing mountains reach heights of some 5000 meters (16,400 feet). The Valley of Cochabamba enjoys a protected, sunny and moderate climate. The daytime maximums during the whole year are around 23-26 degrees C (73-79 degrees F), while the nighttime minimum oscillates between 13 degrees from October to March and 3 degrees in June and July. Rainy season is from December to March, whereas, there is almost no rain during the rest of the year.

Cochabamba is a city with a lot of youth. In downtown Cochabamba, you find the "Prado", "Plaza Colon" and the botanical garden, modern, green and clean. Cochabamba is home to "La Cancha", one of the largest markets in South America and is overlooked by the "Cristo de la Concordia", the second highest statue of Christ in the world.

Due to its central location in Bolivia, Cochabamba itself is a convenient destination for excursions into the country.

Coordinator in Cochabamba

Our supervisor in Cochabamba is Mauge. Mauge comes from Cochabamba, is an intercultural trainer, and has studied in the US. She speaks fluent English and Spanish.

Recreational Activities in Cochabamba

In Cochabamba, there is an active youth life with bars, clubs, cinemas, etc. because of the 14 universities present.

The city of Oruro can be relatively easily reached by bus. You can visit Oruro's historic mines and the city's famous Carnival, every year in February. During the whole year, there are numerous Christian and indigenous festivals in many villages and cities that you can visit, such as Intiwatana on the 21st of June (Andean midwinter) and Urqupiña in August.

From Cochabamba, we arrange affordable small group excursions, including:

* Day trip to Tunari Nationalpark and climbing Cerro Tunari (5035 m/16,500 feet).
* Day visit of the Inca ruins at Incallajta
* Day trekking trip in the subtropical misty forest of Incachaca
* 3 day trip to Catavi mining area (has socio-historical importance) on the Altiplano highland
* 3 day trip to Chapare into the tropical lowland of Cochabamba - swimming in rivers and hiking in the rain forest
* 3 day trip to Torotoro Nationalpark, including a visit to the Inca ruins and climbing Cerro Tunari

Getting There

Getting To Cochabamba

You fly to Cochabamba (CBB), where you will be picked up and taken to your accommodation. Often, there are cheaper international flights to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (ViruViru Airport, VVI) or to La Paz El Alto (LPB). In that case, you can fly there and then take a connecting flight to Cochabamba, booking separately with Aerosur or BoA. The tickets between these cities are quite low (30-50 EUR / 38-63 USD), but you cannot pay by credit card from overseas. We can buy you a ticket in Bolivia.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are there fixed start dates for the project, which I must adhere to?

No, you can arrive at any date and you can hence, plan your trip according to your availability and the prices of flights. We can pick you up from the Cochabamba airport at any time. Certain projects cannot be started during holidays, of which we will inform you in advance.

Can I stay longer at my accommodation after my volunteering/internship or arrive earlier?

Yes, this is possible and we will give you our best rates. Just let us know when you arrive and leave and we will let you know the costs.

During my stay, can I travel around the country?

Of course, you can do this - most of our participants do so. However, when the travel destination is too far away, it may not be possible over a weekend; these, we would recommend you keep for before the projects begins or after the completion. You could even plan these out during holidays (e.g. Semana Santa). We will notify you of the destinations and the recommended time to visit.

Is it safe to travel in Nicaragua alone as a single female traveller?

About 80 percent of our participants are women and many of them 18 to 24 years old. Not a single instance of any serious security issue has been reported. Our supervisors on site will advise you on how you should conduct yourself in order to avoid problems - issues such as clothing style, carrying valuables, and in dealing with machismo and patriarchal societies. Our preparation material brings attention to these issues. It is very important to follow these basic rules, that are just as applicable to many other places, in order to reduce risk as much as possible.

Will I be the only volunteer/intern in the project or in Bolivia?

The total number of participants that participate simultaneously with an organization depends on the size and activity of the organization and responsibilities of volunteers/interns. We try to avoid too many volunteers/interns in an organization at the same time. It may be that you are alone in your work site, but usually there are, throughout the year, other participants in Cochabamba, who you can meet in your spare time, if you desire so. In addition, there are also many tourists on the road, whom you can easily meet at bars, shops, etc. Cochabamba being a University town, it it easy to meet Bolivian and foreign students there too.

What vaccinations do I need?

Our Info - PDF that you get as a participant, gives detailed information on health care. Also refer to Recommended Vaccinations

Where will I live?

In the tab "Accommodation", you will see the various accommodation options.

Can I choose the accommodation myself?

Please share us with your request, so that we can organize your accommodation accordingly. Some organizations offer accommodation themselves. In such cases, that is the only accommodation option you have.

How free or bound am I in my accommodation with the host family?

While you will have your privacy, in Bolivia, it is customary to let your host family know when you will leave or return to the house so that the doors can be unlocked, due to safety reasons. It is unacceptable to have casual acquaintances visit you. The level of closeness or privacy with the family can differ.

Does my accommodation have internet facilities?

The shared accommodations in Cochabamba and in Sopocachi/La Paz have internet, as does the hostel in Cochabamba. As for the host families, Internet is not always available, and the same applies to the lodgings that are rented for some projects/internships. You can find information about the availability in the tabs "Accommodation". If there is no wifi internet, you can buy yourself a stick or surf the Internet with your smartphone.

How can I do my laundry?

In general, clothes are hand washed in Bolivia. Many households have someone employed for the purpose, while others have washing machines. There are also laundromats.

Can I cook in the accommodation ?

Yes, the families allow the use of the kitchen, but may charge a small monthly fee for additional consumption of electricity and gas. The families also offer meals for you, if you want to eat with them. This, you can decide when you arrive. Details are in the tab "Accommodation".

I am a vegetarian. Can I get vegetarian food?

Yes, host families are familiar with vegetarian meals and allergies or food intolerances can be considered. It is also possible to buy vegetarian food.

What language skills do I need?

In Bolivia, Spanish, as well as indigenous languages such as Aymara or Quechua are spoken. If you have little or no knowledge of Spanish, we recommend that you begin your stay with a Spanish language course. We can also organize Skype Spanish lessons with a Bolivian language teacher. The majority of the volunteering/ internships expect basic to medium level of Spanish at the start of the activity. That is, you should be able to communicate and express yourself during your stay, at a basic level. Please let us know what you level of knowledge of Spanish is, so that we make sure we organise your stay/project accordingly.

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