Street Outreach

"Rescate de calle" aims to restore and promote the fulfilment of rights for vulnerable and working children and adolescents in Quito’s poorest market sectors.

children

The program identifies and analyzes specific sectors of the city where there are at-risk and vulnerable girls, boys and adolescent workers, with the goal to place them in the various educational programs offered by the organization or other educational institutions. The program currently operates in Quito’s Chiriyacu-Camal and San Roque markets.

children

Creating Awareness

Although child labour is an everyday occurrence in Quito, we believe that not all “every day” occurrences in society are justified. RESCATE´s social workers coordinate with other institutions to build awareness of the harmfulness of child labour. They also educate parents on themes of fair treatment to initiate changes in familial relations that ensure the wellbeing of all family members.

Pre-school Education

Many children spend the whole day accompanying their parents or working in the markets. Often they do not receive the attention or intellectual stimulation necessary to develop socially and mentally as fast as their non-working peers. RESCATE provides informal pre-school education that prepares 3 - 5 year old for their entrance into formal schooling and prevents them from becoming child workers. Our service focuses on motor skills, instruction on education basics such as learning colors and numbers, and development of good hygiene habits. A team of 10 – 15 volunteers along with paid Ecuadorian staff provide this service.

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Volunteering

Street Outreach and Pre-school Support Volunteer

As a Street Outreach and Pre-school Support volunteer, you will work in one of the two markets we serve and help create a safe space where pre-school children (ages 3 – 5) can enjoy educational and age-appropriate activities, improve their motor skills and develop basic hygienic habits. We are looking for energetic and enthusiastic volunteers who love working with children and can take initiative.

Responsibilities

  • Collect the children from their market stalls at the beginning of the session and walk them back at the end.
  • Engage with 3 -5 children to ensure that they successfully finish each activity.
  • Greet the children’s families and establish a relationship with them.
  • Participate actively in all the activities of the program and the institution.
  • Ensure that the children wash their hands and brush their teeth.
  • Help in the planning and preparation of educational and recreational activities.
  • Refer any concerns about a child’s safety and well being to social/health services in CENIT.
  • Inform the street educators of the problems, necessities, opportunities and difficulties that exist in the development of the program activities.

Basic Qualifications

  • Minimum commitment of two months.
  • Basic Spanish.
  • Experience working with children.
  • Ability to work within a team and motivate volunteers and the children.
  • Flexibility.
assets

Assets

  • Commitment longer than two months.
  • Intermediate or advanced Spanish.
  • Creative skills in music (dancing or singing) or the arts.

 

Your contribution

We ask each volunteer for a one-time contribution of $100. In exchange, you will receive daily lunch, a CENIT T-shirt and the support of a full-time volunteer coordinator. Your contribution also supports the administrative costs of the volunteer office and helps sustain our programs.

Apply now