Creative Volunteers - Volunteer at a Children's Home in Southern Philippines

  Philippines

• Mindanao: 
Davao

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: 9-12 weeks

Description: Kids Worldwide currently supports two orphanages in Davao: Pag-Amoma and Field of Dreams.

Pag-Amoma
We provide a nurturing home for 20 "lumad" (indigenous) children who have been orphaned, abandoned, neglected or victim of a violent home. All the children in our care are aged under 12 years.

Pag-Amoma Children's Place is unique compared to other orphanages here in Davao because we are the only ones who are caring for the indigenous children of Davao. Lumads are often discriminated against in our society. All of our children who stay here come from different tribes living in the mountains of Marilog, 27-30 km hike from the city. There are no proper roads to these places.

Lisa, the project director is very much into music and dance. Only Female Volunteers can apply please. This is because all the staff at the project are women, and you will be living in close proximity with them.

Field of Dreams
We are a very young organisation - we started operating in April 2007. Our organisation comprises of two sister charities based in the U.K. (Child Hope) and the Philippines (Field of Dreams). Our objective is to provide a haven for homeless children.

We are located in Tugbok, Davao and currently look after 27 boys ranging in age from 3 - 18 years. We cater exclusively for boys, as there is already a girls home in Tugbok, run by Polish nuns.

We need volunteers, male or female who have love for children, who can assist us with some of the following activities:

- Website design
- Fundraising
- Tutorials
- Gardening and farm management
- Skills enhancement: dancing, drawing, voice lessons, musical instruments, karate etc.
- Assist in kitchen, laundry and help the house mother / father.

***In both projects, volunteers will help with childrens daily routines as well as help with organisation of sponsorhips and other fundraising activities. Aside from this, volunteers are expected to help out with activities organised by the Kids Worldwide HQ. These include assisting with the music programme (if you can play a musical instrument please try to get some donated and come teach it to the kids). We are wanting to set up a proper music tuition programme, first amongst the orphanage kids and then amongst the children in the area. If you haven't got any musical talent, don't worry, you can help us organise the foster care programme or with construction of the Kids WW HQ.

*** Prices at each orphanage are almost the same - an initial donation of US 250 USD and then 1 USD a day to cover maintenance and accomodation. Volunteers must provide thier own food.

***Davao is a very friendly city - known to all locals as the city of orchids and the most amazing range of fresh tropical fruits. Contrary to what you may read on the internet about Mindanao, Davao actually boasts the record for being the safest city in the Philippines. It is the Western areas of Mindanao Island where foreigners are urged not to go (about 5 hours away from Davao). Davao is where Kids Worldwide is currently establishing our volunteer HQ - and we would not be establishing it here if it were not suitable for international volunteers!

Highlights: Enjoying the loud laughter and happy-go-lucky nature of Filipino people.

Getting to help establish the Kids Worldwide HQ in Davao as well as working with one of the orphanages. This will involve a higher level of support and supervision than volunteers would receive at some of our other projects around the world.

Qualifications: * Volunteers who have a skill either in a musical instrument can help us establish our music training school.
* Volunteers with technical skills in woodwork, crafts, cooking, ICT etc may wish to help teach these to the children in the orphanage.
* Be able to communicate competently in English and / or Visayan.

Cost in US$: 250 USD for first month and then 1 USD a day

Volunteer coordinators will communicate by email and skype any information a volunteer will need to know, including providing an extensive volunteer manual for potential volunteers to read. Once volunteers have decided this is the project for them, then a non-refundable 30 USD booking fee is requested to confirm placement.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Creative and independent. Ready to initiate a programme during thier stay and provide details and instructions so that volunteers who come afterwards may be able to continue on the project. An ability to laugh when things don't go as one expected and to surrender one's cultural expectations, when encountered with a different situation than one would expect back home .... to live and experience each day with an open heart and willingness to communicate in a non threatening way with staff at the project.

Age Range: 18+

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

Participants Travel to Philippines Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

KIDS Worldwide's Mission Statement: Kids Worldwide seeks to improve the quality of life for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We provide nurturing care and educational programmes based upon the universal concepts of Neo-Humanism, which are tailored to the needs of the children in our projects. We run orphanages as well as provide services to already established orphanages and childrens' projects (such as struggling primary schools and kindergartens) through our volunteer outreach programs. Our volunteer programs are notable in that we only request a small donation for food and accommodation that is paid directly to the project itself when the volunteer arrives.

Year Founded: 2003