PUNTITI:

Volunteer/ Internship requirements:

• Beginner Spanish
• Motivated and patient
• Willingness to work with children with special needs
• High tolerance in stressful situations
• Special education teachers, art teachers, and those trained in disability services (desired but not required)
• Experience in pediatrics, occupational therapy, or psychology (desired but not required)
• One month commitment period

Background:
In 1996, Puntiti reached an agreement with the Bolivian government to provide social services to orphans and abandoned children with severe disabilities. It initially received twenty children with mental and physical disabilities but has grown to serve 140 youths between four and eighteen years old.  As of today, it is one of few institutions operating in Bolivia with residential services.

Objectives:
The main goal of Puntiti is to offer rehabilitation services and special education to children with disabilities. More often than not, they are orphans or abandoned, so special care is taken to provide normal familial conditions and a safe environment in which the children may grow. Puntiti offers medical assistance of the highest standard and strives to offer the children the opportunity to live independent and dignified lives.

Who does Puntiti help?
Puntiti works with children up to age eighteen who suffer from severe mental and physical disorders such as cerebral palsy, spinal bifida, mental retardation, autism and epilepsy.

Working conditions:
The Puntiti center is located on the road to Sacaba, a twenty minute bus ride from Cochabamba.

Puntiti Programs:

Health Program:
The Puntiti Health Program provides healthcare for over sixty children between four and eighteen years old, all of whom live at the center. Services include bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, nutrition, mobility, administration of medication, as well as physical, occupational, and language therapies.

Education Program:
The Puntiti Educational Program provides academic instruction and support for 100 students, all of whom suffer from moderate to severe developmental disabilities. San Benito Meni Special Educational School recently opened a class for students with autism, the only class of its nature in Bolivia. The center offers the children breakfast and lunch daily and also run an afternoon workshop where the children make greeting cards, jewelry, and notebooks by hand. These items are sold to the public in order to generate funds.

The Community Outreach Program:
The Community Outreach Program educates the families of disabled children about developmental disabilities and emphasizes that, although dealing with disability may be tough, a healthy quality of life is attainable. Beyond families, the program strives to educate the community, hoping to foster an environment of understanding and acceptance for those who face disabilities.

Program Supervisor:
Sonia Arnez