.Bruce
Peru: 'La Molina'
Children's Centre (Tarapoto,
Peru)
A school
for externally poor children, in the La Molina - our first school in jungle
area.
Staffing:(as
from 13 Aug.2008)
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Introduction..........................See Photo Album ( last Updated 18 August 2008 )
La Molina CHILDREN'S CENTRE is part of the NGO Bruce Organisation, operating in the city of Tarapoto, Peru (also throuout Peru and some other Latin America countries), with the aim of giving aid and support to children from impoverished backgrounds living in and around the area. A team of Peruvian professionals and volunteers provide food, classes and activities to children who would otherwise be in the streets - our mission is to get them educated.
Bruce Peru (La
Molina ) works at getting all children to attend school and helps with
the provision of school materials; it also fosters good relations within
the community.
In La Molina itself, a group of professionals, a part time social worker and a Peruvian teacher work at the project every week day. Children come in daily for lessons and lunch, remaining at the centre until they are brought up to the standard of education appropriate to their age, and we have them registered in the national curriculum.
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Many children
do not attend school in La Molina, due one or more of three reasons:
extreme poverty (even attending free school in Peru costs about
$200 a year), abandonment or parental abuse (children of poor parents
often are made to work instead of attending school)
Our primary goal is to get as many children into school as possible,
and this involves encouraging learning, talking to parents and in
some cases purchassing uniforms and school books. We have the more
general aim of providing children aged between 6 and 12 with fun
activities to do in the morning, to keep them occupied, together
and away from the streets, and to give extra help to those struggling
in school and with learning difficulties. |
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(When enough volunteers
have applied to serve in Tarapoto, we will open a volunteer centre
What to expect as a Volunteer:Your Job at La Molina will involve:
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and the following will apply):
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Finding out-of-school childrenBesides these activities, we welcome new ideas to make our project most effective for the children. Volunteering at La Molina can be a tiring but immensely rewarding experience. You should be able to cope with big groups of street children demanding a lot of attention and enthusiasm. You will have to be a team worker, working together with Peruvian and international volunteers. In the centre you will be a representative of the project and are expected to be responsible and behave as an example for the children. What you do in your free time outside the centre is up to you.
Volunteering with La Molina is a fantastic way of getting to know Peru, of improving your Spanish, and above all, of interacting with the community and with the children of the city in a positive and helpful way.
The Region:
Tarapoto is
a city of 50,000 inhabitants, In the "Selva" or Jungle area. east
of the Andes .[more]Tarapoto is the largest city in the Department of San Martin (capital Moyobamba) in Peru at approximately 350 metres above sea level and has a hot tropical climate.
Ideal for entertainment and adventure, the department of San Martin is one of the best places in Peru for both natural and archeological tourist attractions. With the city of Tarapoto as your "operating center", you will be able to visit Moyobamba, Rioja, Lamas and even the pre-Inca citadel of Kuelap.
The Programme:
Our
centre is located in the section of north Tarapoto, and is comprised of
an open plan adobe building, separated into fhree tables - for children
of differing learning skills.. Children attend the centre from between
8:30 AM and 12:30 PM, (ending with lunch). And one day a week from 3 to
5ÑPM. During the children's time in the centre staff and/or volunteers
organise a range of workshops and activities, including art, music, with
the main emphasisbeing on reading, writing and maths. Groups are divided
up according to age or ability. None of these children go to school, so
an important part of our program is teaching them group discipline and
study habits. We regularly plan trips outside the centre, to play football
and other games. Our international Volunteers, when they come, will not
live in the La Molina centre, but rather in our Tarapoto homestay accommodation,
which is located in a nice part of Tarapoto.. La Molina is a 10 minute
moto-taxi ride from the cemtre of Tarapoto.
