 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.
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
*Project
accepts women volunteers only.
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| Project Length: |
Start
Dates: |
Minimum:
2 weeks
Maximum: Unlimited |
The
first and third Monday of every month. |
| Project Cost: |
Cost Includes: |
2 Weeks: US $1,345
3 Weeks: US $1,545
4 Weeks: US $1,745
Each Additional Week: US $195
Price includes one week of group Spanish lessons (4 hours of instruction per day plus host family lodging and 2 meals per day),
before or after your volunteer experience. |
 Airport pick-up in Buenos Aires, pick up and drop-off at bus station in Misiones
On-site
orientation and program training
Transportation between Buenos Aires and Misiones
Volunteer donation
|
| Accommodations: |
We can help you arrange accommodation during your volunteer project. Hotel rates are approximately $40-$100 per night. |
| Schedule: |
Requirements: |
Volunteers
will work about 20-25 hours a week. Typical hours
are Monday through Friday from 7 to 11:30 a.m.
Free time will generally be in the afternoon and
on the weekends.
|
Intermediate level of Spanish. We
highly recommend that volunteers add at least
one week of Spanish instruction in Buenos Aires
before beginning your Volunteer Adventure in Posadas. |
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