The Volunteer Experience
AYUDA's Country Programs address the severe
lack of diabetes education around the world. The children and youth
whom we serve are up against some major barriers, including:
*Average monthly wage in Ecuador is less than the
monthly cost of drugs for one child with type 1 diabetes
*Local doctors are reluctant to help as they make
money from the drugs
*50% of people with diabetes do not know they have
it
*Diabetes is one of the major causes of premature
death worldwide
*Every 10 seconds a person DIES from diabetes-related
causes
*Many people with type 1 diabetes die before they
are diagnosed or soon after diagnosis due to inadequate access to
treatment...
AYUDA's programs deliver immediate treatment
to the children with whom we work, but the greatest service we can
give is education. AYUDA brings together medical specialists and students
from around the world to work toward this goal. At our programs, the
educational component focuses on adapting management techniques and
enabling campers to improve their self-management skills. In order
to foster improved diabetes education within the greater diabetes
community, AYUDA and its local partners incorporate families, medical
students and practicing medical professionals into the educational
programs. Such capacity building activities serve to improve the quality
of attention that children with diabetes receive throughout the year.
Your role with AYUDA
AYUDA Health Professional Volunteers responsibilities
may include: perform camp-focused History & Physical on campers
and certify medical health forms before busses leave for camp, deliver
family or train-the-trainer workshops, assist with the supervision
of campers during testing and injections, assist in diabetes health
screening of campers (height, weight, HbA1C test, and microalbumin
test), assist with record keeping, participate in medical staff meetings
and medical rounds (including “midnight rounds”), assist with non-diabetes
care of children while at camp, participate in education curriculum
at camp, participate in daily activities with kids and integrate into
cabin groups with campers.
Due to Healthcare Professionals' packed schedules,
AYUDA can be relatively flexible with the dates of attendance of the
program, as long as the participant is present for training (dates
and locations vary depending on the Country Program) and the main
Program event (i.e. Campo Amigo Ecuador itself). Fundraising or program
costs may be flexible based on the period of time the participant
will spend in the program, but you must at least cover the cost of
your transportation, food and lodging while present in the country.
AYUDA hopes that medical volunteers may contribute as much as possible,
given that fundraising lies at the heart of our programs' success.
Seeking Volunteers
Who Are….
Health Professional Volunteers will work as part
of the “equipo” (camp staff) which comprises Ecuadorian youth leaders,
international medical professionals and AYUDA volunteers. Many of
the children with whom we work come from extremely poor communities
and have few medical resources. It is typical to find kids without
the necessary resources to afford insulin, eat regularly or receive
adequate medical attention. Thus, all volunteers must be prepared
for the often difficult conditions under which AYUDA operates.
In our healthcare professional volunteers, we seek
individuals with the following qualities:
*Ability to work well on a team
*Good moral character and integrity
*Flexibility and adaptability
*Hard-working… at any particular time of the night
or day!
*Good medical data analysis skills
*Self-motivated and outgoing
*Is young at heart
*Spanish proficiency (in countries where applicable)
*Enjoy working with children
*Desire to contribute to the achievements and objectives
of AYUDA
Contact
Kendra Hennig
Director of Volunteer Development
khennig@ayudainc.net
703-600-8209
Downloads
Belize
'08 Application for Health Care Professional (download)
Belize
'08 Introduction Letter for Health Care Professional
(download)
Belize
'08 Program Description & Information for Health Care Professionals
(download)
About
AYUDA
