Volunteer Care projects in Jamaica; work with children in orphanages, day-care centers, care homes and disabled centers

Volunteer Care work with children overseas in Jamaica

At Projects Abroad we work with orphanages, children's homes and centres for street children in and around the inland town of Mandeville. Though we don't pretend that we can solve all the social problems affecting modern day Jamaica, we can work to make a difference to the prospects of a large number of these children. But we cannot do this without the help of our volunteers.

Voluntary work with street children and orphans with Projects Abroad

In whichever volunteer care project you find yourself, you need to be ready for a challenge. Many of the children have had very difficult lives and may be desperate for attention. There are likely to be some who have health problems or who require special attention due to disabilities. Your job is to help to improve their lives in whatever way possible. This will be quite varied; it may involve playing games and sports with the children or helping with their homework. You may even want to take a group out on a trip. Projects Abroad will support you in any way that we can.

Helping with basic education is also important as many of the children arrive at the homes after being orphaned, abandoned or placed there by the courts and have received no previous formal education.

Volunteers also help to provide vital information about nutrition and some of the homes we work with have their own small farms on site. As the children in the homes get older volunteers are also needed to help teach the children trades like catering, farming, woodworking, music, tailoring and printing.

As a volunteer on a Care project in Jamaica you will have an important role to play, whether you are a trained professional offering us the benefit of your experience or on a gap year or career break looking for some experience of development work. Everybody is welcomed, provided they are willing to work hard and be committed to the role, their work-colleagues and the children they are there to help.