AYUDA Volunteer Program

  Bolivia

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

  Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo

  Ecuador

• Quito: 
Quito

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: inquire for program dates

Description: AYUDA volunteers work with children from low income communities in the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, or Ecuador, many of whom suffer from alienation and preventable complications as a result of their diabetes. AYUDA helps bring these children and families support in the form of medical resources, emotional and peer support, and education so that these children may grow into happy, healthy leaders in their own communities.

Many of these children come from extremely poor communities and have few medical resources. It is typical to find kids without the necessary resources to afford insulin, eat regularly or receive adequate medical attention. Thus, all volunteers must be prepared for the often trying conditions in which AYUDA operates. AYUDA volunteers engage in diabetes education and an empowerment camp for kids, Campo Amigo, youth leadership training, rural community outreach projects and family workshops.

Highlights: AYUDA has three primary three week long programs in Ecaudor, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic which include diabetes camps, youth empowerment and leadership training, and outreach. Our smaller field programs focus only on youth empowerment and leadership training as well as outreach.

Qualifications: AYUDA seeks out-going, responsible leaders who are excited about working with kids in a friendly, challenging, and dynamic environment. Teamwork is a critical element to the program's success, so all volunteers must be cooperative and natural leaders. All applicants must be proficient in Spanish. No prior diabetes experience required.

Cost in US$: Volunteers fundraise for these programs.

Credit Available: yes

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17 and 28

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

Participants Travel Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 15 - 20

Application Process Involves:

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

AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad, Inc.)'s Mission Statement: AYUDA is a non profit organization whose mission is to empower youth to serve as agents of change in diabetes communities around the world. AYUDA operates under two guiding philosophies: youth can serve as agents of change and a lack of education is just as dangerous as a lack of insulin. By investing in our volunteers and employing a youth-to-youth empowerment model, our programs provide young leaders the opportunity to transform themselves as leaders of social change in the international diabetes community. Their mission is to travel to developing countries where they carry out programs to educate and empower children and adolescents living with diabetes so that they may live happy, healthy, and long lives, and in turn become leaders in their own local communities. AYUDA carries out programs in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Belize and Bermuda, where volunteers help create and administer national camps for children with type 1 diabetes to provide life-saving education on nutrition, exercise and bloodsugar control to teach critical skills and empower children as they connect with others just like them.

Year Founded: 1996