By joining a Care Project, volunteers can indirectly support families through caring for and educating children in orphanages, day care centers, and other care facilities
A Projects Abroad Care volunteer reads to children at a care facility in Togo
Press Release – NEW YORK – May 25, 2016 – Since 1996, International Day of Families has raised awareness of the numerous issues affecting families across the globe. This year, the focus is on the importance of healthy lives, sustainable futures, and giving family members of all ages the support they need. For international volunteer organization Projects Abroad, providing this kind of support and care is a crucial component of Care Projects, offered throughout the developing world.
Behind each Care Project is a fundamental goal: to provide sustainable educational support and individualized care and protection to underprivileged children and vulnerable groups to enhance their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. Projects Abroad volunteers work toward this goal in orphanages, day care centers, kindergartens, special needs centers, and homes for the elderly. Each volunteer is guided by a Care Management Plan that monitors progress and gives their work purpose and structure.
While not working directly with families, volunteers give the support that benefits them indirectly, comments Alejandra Estrada Guzman, a Program Advisor for Projects Abroad USA.
“In the communities where we work, many families are struggling and lack the resources to give their children opportunities. By creating an environment of safety and support and actively promoting education and development, our volunteers are building a foundation for sustainable futures and ensuring that children thrive. With this support, we hope that children will grow up with access to more opportunities and eventually be in a position to help themselves and their families.”
The Care Project in Cambodia is a prominent example of the support volunteers can give to families. Here, Projects Abroad partners with Khemara, a local NGO that has played a significant role in the advancement of Cambodian women and children since 1991. Together, both organizations run nine day care centers that are designed to be safe places for the children of garment workers, where they can receive education, medical care, and three nutritious meals a day. Knowing that their children are safe and well-cared for while they work is an enormous relief for parents. In addition, the long-term impact of children receiving education, regular healthcare, and improved nutrition will help the family for years to come.
There are various ways to support families as a volunteer with Projects Abroad year-round. Volunteers can get involved on a General Care Project and work in different care facilities with children of all ages or the elderly, or participate in an HIV/AIDS Project to help support children and adults affected by the virus. In general, volunteers can start any day and choose how long they want to stay abroad.
For more information on how to get involved on a Care Project, please visit www.projects-abroad.org/volunteer-projects/care.
Projects Abroad was founded in 1992 by Dr. Peter Slowe, a geography professor, as a program for students to travel and work while on break from full-time study. The program had its genesis in post-USSR Romania, where students were given the chance to teach conversational English. After a few years just sending volunteers to Eastern Europe for teaching, the company expanded to sending volunteers of all ages around the world on a wide range of projects.
Projects Abroad is a global leader in short-term international volunteer programs with projects in 30 countries and recruitment offices in the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Holland, Hong Kong, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United States.
For details on volunteering abroad, visit Projects Abroad’s web site at www.projects-abroad.org.
