About the Project

The Maya Paya Kimsa Initiative is dedicated to “street work,” acting as the initial phase where educators engage with children and adolescents (NNASC) living on the streets. Applying an innovative methodology centered on dignity, non-judgment, and professionalism, the initiative aims to improve the quality of life for this target population. Educators work on multiple levels to support and assist individuals in finding alternative futures, making personal decisions, and implementing life projects to escape street living.

Activities are categorized into three main areas:

• Diving (Rutaje): This involves direct encounters within the NNASC’s living environment, with educators touring strategic city points to facilitate individual approaches and strengthen contacts.
• Activity in a Neutral Space: Structured recreational activities are offered three times a week.
• Open Centre: This physical space for contact with NNASC is open three times a week, providing a more controlled institutional setting to better understand and address their survival strategies.

Maya Paya Kimsa serves four distinct target populations: children and adolescents at street (NNASC); children and adolescents at high risk (NNAAR) who have significant interaction with the street-living population; child and adolescent victims of commercial sexual violence (VSC) on the street; and girls and pregnant adolescents (NAG) living on the street.

Location

Project takes place in El Alto a city 45 minutes from the center of La Paz.

Accommodation

Host Family

Volunteer Tasks

The work consists in supporting the educators on the direct intervention with NNASC.
Volunteers will support one or more of the different activities, and will be assigned
specific responsibilities according to their interest and profile.

• Street work
• Attention on the Open Center
• “Diving” or first contact with NNASC
• Health care
• Preventive Work
• Case follow up

Volunteer Requirements

• At least prior training in the area of Social Work, Education, Psychology.
• Average or good level of Spanish
• More than 20 years
• An empathetic person with initiative, active, good interpersonal skills, highly creative, good common sense.

Child Protection

Please note that you will be required to sign ICYE’s policy Care to Engage on Safeguarding Children.