Job Description

1. List and describe the major duties to be performed in this ministry or job. Please also include an estimation on the number of hours per day/week you spend on each duty.
   
   The volunteers have specific jobs: maintaining the library, being the resident nurse, and being with the littlest girls in the morning in the jugueteria (playroom).

Library duty: This involves keeping the library in order, being responsible for translating mail that comes in for the girls and the cards that they write for their sponsors in the US, making the newsletters that are sent out to the sponsors two or three times a year, and this person is also usually the one responsible for going to the post office to pick up the mail and keeping records of what comes in for the girls. The library is open for the girls in the afternoon from around 3pm-6pm for quiet reading or homework, and then in the evening from 7pm-9pm for reading, doing puzzles, playing cards games, etc. During summer vacation, the hours can be extended a bit and things can get a bit crazy since no one has homework and they all want to come in and play. (Sun.-Fri. afternoon)

Juegueteria duty: From 8:30am-11am this volunteer is with the littlest kids in the playroom. During the school year, this means making sure they do their homework before anything else. They have toys to play with and the volunteer can plan activities for them – coloring, crafts, playing with clay, baking, games, singing, etc. The girls are pretty good at entertaining themselves with the toys and playing with each other. This volunteer is also responsible for walking with the girls to and from the kinder that’s just down the street (2pm and 5pm). (Mon.-Fri.)

Nurse duty: This volunteer is responsible for taking care of all cuts and bruises, coughs and colds. If the girls need to see a doctor or dentist, it is the volunteer’s responsibility to bring them to the clinic. This volunteer is also then responsible for following the doctor’s instructions and administering medications and whatever lotions or creams are prescribed. The clinic is open from 8am-noon and then from 2pm-6pm. In the case of an emergency or if a doctor referral is issued for admission to a hospital, the child is accompanied to the local hospital. This task involves the most responsibility; it is important for this volunteer to be flexible with his/her schedule (even on your day off) as a medical emergency can’t always be foreseen.

2. What is the missioner's position with regard to other personnel in the ministry or project?
   
   

   Member of a team:	As part of the hogar staff, volunteers are meant to work together and cooperate with the staff and be part of any activities organized by the staff. Specifically this involved helping plan holiday parties --there are lots!
   Working alone:	We more or less work alone, organizing activities in the library and jugueteria as we see fit and using our judgement as to when a child needs to see a doctor, consulting the Madres (Sister)/staff when necessary.
   Under supervision of:	We answer to the Madres, specifically Madre Rosario, and should go to them first with any questions or concerns.
   Other:	Those working in the jugueteria should be in good communication with the girls who take care of the little girls during the rest of the day (currently Maria and Morelia) so that all are aware of any problems with the girls’ health or behavior.

   
   
   

Necessary Qualifications

1. Please indicate below the qualifications or skills considered necessary for performing well in this ministry - i.e. language, special skills, technical training, physical strength, etc.
   
   Being able to speak Spanish at least on a basic level is really important here. As we have particular jobs to do, it is difficult and can be discouraging trying to perform your jobs without being able to communicate well, and it would be easy to burn yourself out studying and trying to learn the language in your down time. I would strongly recommend taking at least a month or so studying at a language school if you have never studied or are not comfortable speaking Spanish.
   
   Additionally, be prepared for lots of walking, carrying children, groceries, etc., and perhaps not the comfiest bed in the world. If you have any back problems, I highly recommend getting it taken care of before coming down here or reconsidering placement here.
   
   
2. What particular areas of academic preparation or educational certification would be helpful for this work:
   
   Nothing necessary, though persons who have studied education or nursing would have a good opportunity to put their skills to use here.
3. Describe the experience that would be helpful for this position:
   
   Work in education or nursing would be helpful, but nothing is necessary. Also, being comfortable/experienced working with children would obviously be helpful.
   
   
4. Briefly describe the personal and professional qualities most needed in this ministry:
   
   You will have particular duties to perform here, so a good sense of responsibility is very important. You will be asked to do things at the last minute and will encounter things you won’t be at all used to, so it’s important to be flexible and be able to just go with the flow. Patience is absolutely essential for this work – with others as well as yourself.
   
   

Any other comments relevant to performing this ministry?

¡Buena suerte! Good luck!

Mission Site Living Conditions...

1. Do the SLMs live with the religious members of the community?
   
   No
   
   
2. If "No", where do the SLMs live?
   
   The SLMs have their own rooms in the hogar. While there is always a Madre who stays the night, it is not the same Madre every night. The Madres live either in the convent a block away or in another house across town with some of the older girls from the hogar.
   
   
3. Do the volunteers have their own room or do they share?
   
   Private
   
   
4. Do the volunteers have their own bathroom or do they share?
   
   Shared
   
   
5. Is there the opportunity for daily mass/Eucharist?
   
   No
   
   
6. What you do for laundry:
   
   We have a washing machine at our disposal, but if it breaks, you’ll be washing your clothes by hand with the girls or previous volunteers have taken it to Santa Cruz to be washed on their free days.
   
   
7. What are the local medical facilities like (where would you go for an infection, broken bone, etc.)?
   
   One of the volunteers’ responsibilities here is taking the girls to the doctor/hospital when necessary, so this is something with which volunteers will quickly become familiar. There is a clinic where 3 doctors, a dentist, and an eye doctor see patients. They have a lab there as well where analyses are performed to check for infections, parasites, etc. There is also a hospital here in Montero for anything more serious. Additionally, there is a very good hospital in Santa Cruz should that be necessary (Hospital Japones).
   
   
8. What does your local diet primarily consist of?
   
   Short answer: Rice and bread. Breakfast and dinner generally consists of one or two pieces of bread, sometimes with a bit of meat, jam, butter, etc. This is always accompanied by coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Other dinners might be warm milk with rice or corn, soup, or pasta with mayonnaise, tomato, and ham. Lunch is often rice, salad (which I don’t recommend eating unless the veggies are cooked as lettuce is a great way to get parasites), and some kind of meat, which is frequently not particularly appetizing. Sunday there is always chicken, which is pretty good. Sometimes we have soup or pasta for lunch, but more often than not it’s a big helping of rice with some sort of veggies and meat.
   Happily, the volunteers have a kitchen at their disposal, so if you should get sick of rice or for whatever reason find the meal not to your liking, you can retreat to the kitchen afterwards and prepare something for yourself.
   This is a tough placement for vegetarians, but it can be done. For all potential volunteers and especially vegetarians, I can’t recommend strongly enough bringing a bottle of multi-vitamins with you.
   
   
9. Is there an ATM relatively close where you have access to money?
   
   Yes
   
   If "No", what is the preferred method of receiving money?
   
   
10. What is your involvement with the religious community?
    
    There is always a Madre around that we can go to with questions or concerns. We have lunch at the convent once a week as well.
    
    
11. What is your involvement with the greater community (local festivals, invited over for meals, dance groups, etc.)?
    
    Our involvement with the world outside the hogar is pretty much limited to going to church. The volunteers celebrate all holidays within the hogar where we help throw a fiesta for the occasion. You will of course make acquaintances in town – people who work at restaurants you frequent, the post office, etc. – but we don’t have any existing relationship with people in the larger community to speak of. If one so chooses he/she could of course engage more with the community in free time such as getting involved in church groups, etc.
    
    
12. What other things do you feel others should know about "Life at your site"?
    
    Volunteering at an hogar isn't easy by any means, but it is definitely rewarding and will teach you a lot about patience and love.