About

“Pro Niños de la Calle” aims to understand and assist children and teenagers living in the streets. The organisation guides them in a three-step process that allows the children to choose a different way of living and to help them realise that they can decide on their own and that the streets are no longer the place in which they want to live.

The organisation offers an alternative way of living (safe housing and education) to the street children. They also stimulate their physical, emotional, intellectual, and creative development. There are four areas of work:

• Street Work: The Educators and volunteers work directly in the streets, in order to make contact with street children and gain their trust. The main objective is to convince children to attend the Day Center. The educators
  use techniques based on games.
• Day Center: The aim of the Day Center is for children to decide by themselves that they want to leave the streets. In the Day Center, educators and volunteers perform different activities in order to encourage new habits in the children; help them to discover new skills; and empower them to compare their new lives with the ones in the street. At the Day Center, children are provided with food, leisure activities, education, and medical support.
• Life Option: Once the children decide to leave the streets, the project helps them either to go back to their families (if it is possible and there are adequate conditions) or to live in a residential project for street children.
  Fundación Pro Niños de la Calle also supports them to start with a new independent life.
• Transition house: It is a house where older boys stay before becoming independent and leaving the project facilities. In this house, they are prepared for their future.

Location

Fundación Pro Niños de la Calle I.A.P. is a Non-Governmental Institution located in Mexico City. Mexico City is one of the world’s most populous cities. It is also the City with the most museums in the world, and it is full of events, restaurants, and activities to do. Nevertheless, Mexico City also has several social problems,
and one of them is the high number of street children. Some of these children have been abandoned, and others prefer to leave their families because they are abused by them.

Accommodation

In the project with other volunteers from different parts of the world, or in a host family.

Volunteer Tasks

Volunteers in “Pro Niños” work directly with the children. Volunteers work in the different areas of the project:

• Street work is done in pairs, usually one educator and one volunteer. The volunteer and educator pick up children in the street and take them to the Day Center.
• In the Day Center, the volunteer plays and takes care of the children. At the end of the day, the volunteer and educator take the children to shelters.
• In the Day Center, volunteers help educators with diverse activities. One of the most important tasks of the volunteers is to keep all the material in order and ready for the activities. Children consider volunteers as
  educators; therefore, the volunteer needs to show empathy and support. The volunteer also needs to watch out for the children very closely in order to identify their attitudes.
• Other activities are: play with the children, teach them new skills, and others.
• At Life Option and Transition House, volunteers support the staff and children with daily activities and with the process of integrating the youngsters into society.

Volunteer Requirements

• Interest in social issues, such as children living in the street,
• Deep social conscience
• Passion for working with children (play and talk to them)
• Creativity and proactivity
• Teamwork
• High tolerance to frustration
• The volunteer should be interested in the “Pro Niños” mission and show commitment to their job.
• The volunteer must speak basic Spanish (they must be able to understand and speak at a basic level)

Child Protection

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