In the summer of 2009 I participated in the Infant Care Program through the organization Volunteer Adventures. Located in Santiago, Chile, this program was associated with La Grada: Casa de Acogida Lactantes. La Grada is an orphanage for children birth through four years old who have been abandoned or removed from their homes for legal reasons. The infants are either adopted through the shelther or they enter the Chilean foster system once they are older.
La Grada consists of three sections which are divided by age. As a volunteer, I was placed in Secion de Bebes with the youngest infants. There were two nurseries within this section, which were also divided by age. I worked each day with six to nine infants, ranging in age from one to four months. My daily duties included assisting with multiple feedings as well as engaging and nurturing the babies. Throughout the program I was the only volunteer with this placement, which enabled me to be extremely involved and have a great deal of interaction with all of the orphans.
I truly loved the experience that I had in Santiago. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about a new culture as well as expand my knowledge of infant care.
3 month old girl at La Grada, June 2009
Check the Links section for the Volunteer Adventures and La Grada websites.
