Intern or Volunteer with a Grassroots Women's Empowerment Organization in Argentina

  Argentina

• All Other Regions of Argentina: 
La Plata

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Trimester, Winter 
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: See FSD Website

Description: Examples of how you can support Women's Empowerment issues in Argentina:

* Offer trainings and workshops to marginalized women so that they may successfully integrate with the working community and find steady employment.

* Assist teaching of handicraft skills to unemployed women for the production of popular goods sold in local markets.

* Continue an FSD project that offers bread-making training to the directors and cooks of local shelters, as well as to local unemployed women who in turn receive government aid for their community service. Pizzas, desserts, and jams are made to sell at local markets and to feed participant families.

* Support trainings that provide mothers with appropriate child raising techniques and how to address the legal conflicts that these children frequently encounter.

* Offer legal counsel and emotional support for women suffering from intra-familial abuse and mistreatment.

* Continue an FSD sewing project for mothers to learn a marketable trade, produce towels, curtains, and aprons for sale, and clothe their families.

* Assist in the development and implementation of workshops that educate vulnerable adolescents and women about violence prevention.

For more women's empowerment opportunities in Argentina, visit our website or contact us directly.

About FSD

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 to support underserved, international communities in a collaborative and sustainable manner. Our model incorporates three overlapping programs:

1. Sustainable Development Training Programs for Interns and Volunteers
FSD provides comprehensive training and immersion programs for interns and volunteers seeking hands-on experience in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program participants come from countless professions and more than 300 universities worldwide to collaborate with our partner organizations on community-driven projects that reflect sustainable practices.

2. Grantmaking to Projects and Initiatives Led by Our Partner Organizations
Donations and grants given to FSD are used to support projects and initiatives implemented by our partner organizations, site teams, interns, and volunteers.

3. Sustainable Development of Community-Based Organizations
Our professional field staff, consultants, and program participants provide on-site technical training and capacity building to more than 200 community-based organizations.

Highlights: Development Issues Addressed by FSD in Argentina
Argentina has a history of female leaders, as well as internationally recognized images that symbolize the heavy participation of women in the political, social, and domestic fields. These range from the beloved Eva Peron, the most remembered and influential Argentine First Lady, to the more recent Madres de la Plaza de Mayo - a weekly reunion of hundreds of mothers who protest against the unaccountable disappearances and murders of their children during the dirty war. However, despite their inclusion in politics and business, Argentinean women are still shadowed by the historically traditional, Catholic influence and "machismo" culture.

The rise of social movements resulting from the people's protest against the harsh conditions of the 2001 economic crisis and the "dirty war," contributed to the rise of solidarity between women. With the disappearances of thousands of men, women stepped up in response and defended their families. Similarly, the loss of income due to the 2001 crisis required both men and women to contribute to the family resources. Both these factors motivated women to take leadership roles in many of the grassroots movements igniting throughout the country.

FSD seeks to promote this coalition and solidarity movement of women by giving these groups the resources and skills they need to exponentially grow. Most women's groups need capacity building activities, organization assistance, technical assistance, aid in promotion and marketing, and encouragement through solidarity with international women's support mechanisms.

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Depends on Program Selected; See FSD Website

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: FSD supports participants who boldly wish to initiate the change they believe is necessary in the developing world. Interns are passionate about sharing their practical knowledge, heart-felt enthusiasm, and economic resources with communities abroad that suffer unnecessary hardship. They wish to gain hands-on, grassroots development experience because they believe change is most powerfully cultivated on a community level. The aim is to experientially learn how their work can empower the community toward applying sustainable development solutions, rather than increasing reliance on foreign aid. Participants choose FSD because the program structure enables them to design and implement their own sustainable projects in collaboration with their host organization and the FSD Site Team. They are able to test their ideas and theories in the most direct way possible, giving them the experience and knowledge they seek. The flexibility of the host organizations allows for participants at all stages and levels of experience in international development to participate, thus opening the programs to a diverse group of capable applicants.

Age Range: 18-75

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Argentina Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 3-10

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Foundation for Sustainable Development's Mission Statement: FSD supports the efforts of grassroots organizations in the developing world that are working to better their communities, environments, and the economic opportunities around them. We believe community development is only sustainable if it empowers the people to effectively use and cultivate their own resources in a conscious manner. Through our programs, we aim to raise international awareness of the economic challenges in developing countries and to support cross-cultural communities in finding more effective solutions to development issues.

Year Founded: 1995