Maternity Health in Argentina

  Argentina

• All Other Regions of Argentina: 
Posadas

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: Get a first-hand look at the public healthcare system in northeast Argentina when you volunteer with our Maternity Health Program in Misiones.

Volunteers with the Maternity Health Program in Argentina will be working in a clinic in Posadas, a beautiful subtropical city framed by exuberant vegetation and reddish land. The capital of the province of Misiones in Argentina, Posadas is a port on the upper Paraná River bordering Paraguay. The lovely architecture of Posadas' old buildings take you back to the time of the Jesuit Missions, and the river coast provides an ideal place to relax.

Despite all of its natural beauty, Posadas faces many problems due to extreme poverty and a lack of resources. The healthcare system in Misiones is less sophisticated than in most developed countries, and less advanced even than in the urban parts of Argentina. There are very few hospitals in Misiones, and those that do exist are overcrowded and understaffed. Local families often travel to Buenos Aires for routine care and operations. But despite its challenges, the Posadas clinic continues to give the best possible service. The doctors and nurses are caring and intelligent, and do whatever it takes to ensure their patients are treated properly. Many local women get pregnant unexpectedly and lack the resources--money, clothing and the education--to support a new child. A significant number of babies are also born underweight, and need a place where they can be fed until their mothers recover from giving birth.

As a volunteer with our Maternity Health Program, you will have the option to work with doctors and nurses in a state-operated clinic, assisting in their program, "Dar A Luz" (To Give Birth). You can also work with the mothers who will give birth and take care of the babies in the feeding room. Volunteers may also put together nutrition, health, hygiene, and/or motherhood workshops for the mothers during their hospital stay. The Maternity Health Program in Misiones is an ideal program for medical students, professionals, or anyone with a strong interest in public health.

Highlights:
As a volunteer you can:
* Assist healthcare professionals as they make medical calls and conduct check-ups for new mothers and their babies
* Deliver workshops to underprivileged mothers concerning motherhood, hygiene, and healthcare
* Shadow doctors and nurses, and assist them in the maternity room
* Help doctors and nurses in the feeding room to ensure babies gain the weight necessary to be stable enough to go home with their mothers

Qualifications:
* Project accepts women volunteers only.
* Intermediate level of Spanish required.

Cost in US$: See website

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Volunteer Adventures makes it easy to live your dream of volunteering. Anyone can volunteer, as long as you have the desire to help others and an open mind.

Age Range: 18 and older

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Argentina Independently

Volunteer Adventures's Mission Statement: The mission of Volunteer Adventures is to create and promote volunteer opportunities that improve the lives of others and the environment in which we live. We seek to achieve this goal by connecting worthy local projects with volunteers around the world. Many local organizations are doing great work in their communities, but don't have the resources required to recruit international volunteers. Volunteer Adventures serves as the link between these organizations and the volunteers needed to make these projects a success. All volunteer programs depend on the skilled coordination of a variety of elements: enthusiastic volunteers, meaningful work, organized projects, and supportive staff. It is our goal at Volunteer Adventures to orchestrate this process for you. We use our global experience and resources to provide volunteer experiences that bring pride and satisfaction to everyone involved.