UPAVIM: Unidas Para Vivir Mejor

Overview
Headquarters: 
Guatemala City, Guatemala Department, Guatemala
Website: 
upavim.org
Size: 
51-200 employees
Founded: 
1989
Annual Budget : 
Under $100,000
Areas of Focus: 
Education
Community Service / Capacity Building / Volunteerism
Association / Union
International
Civil Rights / Social Justice
Youth / Children
Populations Served: 
All Populations
About Us
Mission: 

The mission of our organization, UPAVIM, is to empower the women of our community, giving them an opportunity to improve the quality of life, for themselves and for their families. We pursue this mission by giving them access to education, employment opportunities, daycare services for their children, health care services, and programs for personal and professional development.

We are a group of 75 women who live in the marginalized communities of Búcaro, La Esperanza, El Mezquital and Villa Lobos I and II, in Zone 12 of Villa Nueva. We are all mothers and homemakers. Some of us are widows, some of us have been abandoned by our husbands or we confront alcoholism and/or domestic violence in our families. Many of us are the sole providers of economic support for our families.

Programs: 

UPAVIM seeks highly motivated and caring volunteers to work in the tutoring center and teach children grades K-6.

Responsibilities of Reforzamiento volunteers include:

  • Assistant teaching of Prepa (preschool) class
  • Co-coordinating alongside Guatemalan coordinator daily functions of community center
  • Tutoring students one-on-one
  • Instructing lessons to small groups
  • Seeking out opportunities for scholarships and higher education for community youth
  • Working with scholarships committee to help organize dispersment of scholarships

Qualifications:

  • Have experience working with children
  • Be conversational in Spanish
  • Be a self-starter and self-regulator

Length of Commitment:

A minimum commitment of four months is required but one year is preferred. The responsibilities of volunteering in the tutoring center consume 8 hours per weekday.

Why Work For Us?: 

UPAVIM volunteers find their experience to be demanding but rewarding. UPAVIM provides a one-of-a-kind volunteer experience that is unlike any other in Latin America. You will become integrated into the community, and form meaningful relationships with the families here. You will gain a unique perspective of the problems plaguing Central America, including gang dynamics, poverty, and corruption. Working and living in a developing country demands a lot of energy and flexibility. Many volunteers have found room for their own creativity and interest.  Reforzamiento is always improving through the special talents and ideas of volunteers.

industry: 
Nonprofit