BlzCcdc01-05 San Ignacio Town 01-Apr-05 to 31-Dec-05 Varied/MTV 2 V. Ages 20+ Fee:$0.00

PLACEMENT IS DIRECTLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION BELOW, NOT VIA VFP:

Cayo Center for Development and Cooperation

ATTN: Tanya Torres, Coordinator, CCDC

3rd Street, P.O. Box 7

San Ignacio Town, Cayo District

Belize, Central America

(501) 824-2209

Email: arncdc@btl.net

Here are details of the volunteer opportunities at CCDC, as promised. Currently, we are only interested in volunteers who are able to commit to 2 months or more.

We have the following positions available:

1.HIV/AIDS Project Manager. This is a priority as Belize has the highest rate per capita in Central America, fourth in the Caribbean and thirty-fourth in the world of countries infected with the virus. Responsibilities would include meeting with village council leaders, visiting schools in rural communities and health clinics, and developing a culturally sensitive curriculum for adults and children. Other possible projects include workshops for infected persons and their loved ones on coping and living with the virus. Spanish language ability is a real asset as most rural communities are Spanish speaking.

2.Gender Issues Project Manager. The recorded cases of domestic violence are escalating in Belize. Possible projects include the development of workshops, curriculums, etc. on such issues as: sex education, puberty, self-esteem, self-awareness, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, sexual harassment, conflict resolution, anger management, and parenting.

3.Youth Project Manager. Our main goal is to develop and implement a Big Brother/Big Sister program with Belizean volunteers as mentors. In this way we can develop a permanent support network for Belizean youth within our community. Activities include visiting primary and high schools in the community to address issues such as: drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, employment opportunities, self-esteem, etc. We would also like to develop workshops for the education of youth in crafts (such as leather working, cooking, etc.).

4.Agricultural/Environmental Project Manager. This program will include organic gardening, solid waste management instruction, and husbandry. Prior experience in these areas is essential.

5.Administrative Project Manager. We are looking for a volunteer to compile modules on the economic process, worker’s rights, and the electoral process in Belize. Other responsibilities would include identifying possible donors and completing funding proposals for local or international organizations to sustain our programs.

6.Festival Project Manager. Cayo Annual Cultural Women’s Fest is held annually in November commemorating Zero tolerance to Domestic Violence, Acknowledgement and Achievement award is given to an outstanding women of the year decided by a committee. A supervisor is needed to work with community members to plan activities and competitions, arrange publicity, target and coordinate participant community groups, etc.

THINGS TO KNOW…

What will CCDC provide?

CCDC will provide volunteers with shared housing facilities including bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen facilities, and a washing machine. Volunteers will be required to provide for their own meals. The kitchen facilities will be available for this purpose. There are a market and grocery stores within walking distance where you can buy supplies.

Volunteers will have access to a computer, a library, a vehicle, a training center, an office, and a phone for local calls. BTL prepaid callings cards are required for out district, cells and international calls and can be purchased by volunteers in town. Volunteers are encouraged to bring along their laptop computers, if they have one, floppy disks, and any other necessary materials related to their project. For those who have a valid driver’s license, please bring it along as you may be required to drive at times since a large portion of our work is field work. For those who are interested in Spanish classes, these can be arranged for a small fee.

How do you get to CCDC?

The airport you should be flying into is Phillip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City. A shuttle can be arranged to pick up volunteers at the airport (note: this is NOT included in your monthly financial contribution). The shuttle will pick you up from the airport for US$30 (if there are 2 or more people). Otherwise, we recommend that you take a taxi from the airport to the Novelo Bus Station in Belize City for US$20. From there, you can take the bus to San Ignacio, which runs hourly and costs US$3.50 for the regular bus and US$5.50 for the express bus. From the bus stop you can take a taxi to the CCDC, which is on Third Street in San Ignacio for US$3.50.

What will be your financial contribution?

The financial contribution for volunteering with CCDC is US$275 per month. These funds go towards the operational expenses of the housing facility and program areas. As a non-profit, non-governmental organization, we are unable to provide for your experience freely without covering the necessary costs.

The deadline for commitment is expected no later than three weeks prior to your visit and a non-refundable deposit of US$100 should be paid towards the reservation of your space. We accept personal checks and money orders. You may arrive on any day except for Sundays.

How do you learn more?

Attached is a copy of our brochure, a list of our ongoing activities and our proposed five year plan that we are seeking funding for. We hope that this will give you a better idea of our organization. Volunteers are asked to be self motivated in initiating activities but please do take the time as well to familiarize yourself with our current and prospective activities.

Currently, in order to maximize our impact most effectively, CCDC only has space to accommodate 8 volunteers, so I encourage you to respond at your earliest convenience. If you have any more questions or require any further information, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.