Specific Volunteer Positions
Specific Volunteer Positions
Nurses and assistants:
Fundamental hygiene practices are needed to survive under basic conditions. Teaching efficient water usage, basic treatments and preventative measures would be a huge benefit for the people of Muñoz. Providing medical assistance to people in immediate need is another badly needed service. There is a possibility to work at the Community Center (centro sanitario).
Educators or teachers:
In Muñoz, there is one primary school plus another for Haitians with no papers. Children attend only half a day of school. Another group comes in the afternoon.
Self-sufficiencyTeaching helpful trades and skills like sewing, cooking, carpentry, etc. Basic etiquette education such as saying “thank you” and “please”Hygiene at a very basic level, starting with washing hands and general sanitation.Language skills:
The best gift we can offer immediately is to teach them a second language. As Muñoz is located right across from a massive tourist area, English and then French are the priority. With these skills they can obtain steady income which can then be used to improve their life at home. It is also a stepping stone to bigger and better things for their family and community. They will have an opportunity to travel and expand their horizons and business opportunities. This is key to their independence and self-reliance, so they can have more of a chance to determine their own future.
Budget:
Monetary education is an important skill that many of us take for granted and could share. The people of Muñoz need to be shown how to handle a budget, even a small one. Things like buying bulk and preservation methods (cold, canned, etc.), would save them enormous amounts of money. Currently, they often buy little by little and end up paying double or triple the value of goods.
Ecology:
There is a big problem with garbage. The benefits of compost are not widely known. Knowledge of how to separate the garbage that can be burned, etc. would also help.
Churches and missionary work:
People have faith in God, they are really open minded to all spiritual messages. The existing churches are also very welcoming to visitors or missionaries.
Sports and physical activities:
There is a big baseball and soccer field in the village. They have no equipment and no coach. They have a lot of talent and love for games and athletics.There is a big river that forms a natural pool, where we can teach the people how to swim.They would love to have Karate class or other martial arts lessons.Many games and physical activities would make a pleasant occupation for them. They are an active, outdoor-oriented group.
Construction and development:
Many houses do not have running water. There are no septic tanks.
Many houses get wet inside when it is raining. These are the sorts of basic improvements that would make such a huge difference in their day to day lives. Knowledge of building maintenance, construction and renovation that could be passed on and shared would be invaluable.
Resources:
As far as natural resources are concerned we have everything. All the tools are there, we just need to motivate the people to become more organized: For example, set up clothes-lines instead of using the cactus trees, which put holes in their garments. There are lots of natural leaves (jagua), which could be used to build shelters or prevent the rain from getting into the houses.
Nature:
The government has lots of land, they just need the tools to plant the food needed for survival; plantains, fruits, vegetables, and other renewable crops. General expansion of agriculture into food, not just exports like sugar cane. While this is an important export for the country economically, they need to provide for themselves as well.
Needs to be fulfilled:
Food: Many people are left without food in a day.
Clothes: Finding and producing clothes for children who don’t have any.
We could organize some crafts to help the people provide food and clothing as well as a possible source of income. Working together on a common gardening, farming and general food production initiative would benefit everyone. This could also lead to developing a trade and products that the people could take into the city.
No specialization required!
Please email Diane Pellerin with any questions about this Volunteer Project!
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