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International Service Opportunities In the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers International Program, volunteers make a one year commitment to living and working abroad, serving children and their families from impoverished communities with the aim of helping them acquire the skills to advance toward their fullest potential. Below is information about our individual sites in Lima, Tambogrande, Malava, and Nairobi, as well as information about benefits and the application process. Please contact Emily Van Oeveren with questions at 410-532-6864 x13 or evanoeveren@ndmva.org.
Lima Volunteers will serve in partnership with the Fe y Alegría schools in Lima, working with students on basic reading, writing, and math skills. They also may be called upon to teach ESL to children and adults, act as teachers' aides, and reach out to the local community. To read a PDF article about the Fe y Alegría network , click Here. To read a Sister of Notre Dame's reflection on her visit to Lima, click Here. Click here to view a presentation of volunteer opportunities in Peru
We will have two volunteers at our newest site. One volunteer in Tambogrande will work with the Family Catechesis team, help prepare youth for confirmation, teach a course in English, and coordinate the marriage preparation program. The other will serve as an English teacher as needed at the high school, tutor mathematics, help in the library, teach basic religion to 5-year-old children, and accompany high school youths on trips as directed by the school principal. Some of these responsibilities are optional and depend on the interests of the volunteers.
Click here to view a presentation of volunteer opportunities in Kenya Malava
Nairobi The volunteers in Nairobi, Kenya serve at Rescue Dada, a centre for young girls who have lived on the street. The volunteers are helping fulfill the mission of the Centre, which is to provide the girls with a home, education, and social services. The main goal of the centre is to reintegrate the girls into society and to hopefully reunite them with their families. To do this, the Centre offers the girls training to become self-supporting, as well as giving them counseling, medical care, and overall support and love. The Centre also trains the mothers of the girls to become self-reliant and conducts a follow-up program. For more information about Rescue Dada, visit their website at www.rescuedada.org.
NIGERIA
Our newest site is in Nigeria in West Africa. Volunteers work with patients with AIDS, children and adults with disabilities, and in a formal school setting. They live with the Sisters of Notre Dame in the Enugu State. The SNDs are also working on a project to establish a network of solar energy stations to bring fresh water and electricity to the people in this country.
To read about our current and former volunteers' adventures and service abroad feel free to visit their blogs below! Please note that the contents of these blogs do not reflect the views or opinions of NDMVP.
There are many benefits to serving internationally with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers. Along with the basic necessities like housing and travel to and from the volunteers’ service site, we provide orientation and training, health insurance, a living stipend, spiritual retreats, and supervision and support by NDMV staff and friends. There are also intangible benefits in the spiritual and/or personal developments that take place when a volunteer is exposed to new cultures and ways of life. Below we will define and explain each benefit in more detail.
Room and Board NDMV provides room and board for members. Accommodations are modest and volunteers live in community with one another. In Malava, volunteers live in a small house and in Nairobi, members reside in an apartment together in the city. In Lima and Tambogrande, the volunteers live in a Convent setting with the Sisters of Notre Dame. Training and Orientation Orientation takes place at the NDMV National Office in Baltimore, MD. In Baltimore, volunteers participate in workshops, trainings, and informative sessions hosted by Sisters of Notre Dame and friends of NDMV on relevant topics to their year of service. Once arriving at their service site, they also engage in a second Orientation to introduce them to their new home, service site activities, and the Sisters of Notre Dame in the area. Monthly Stipend Volunteers receive a monthly stipend of $100 per person. This living allowance can be utilized for food and other personal expenses. Health Insurance Health insurance is provided by HTH Worldwide-UniCare and covers a range of services. To download a brochure on the health insurance plan, click here. Supervision and Support NDMV offers strong support to its volunteers in the form of an international site director (in Kenya) and other Sisters of Notre Dame at all locations. The site director in Kenya keeps in contact with the volunteers on a monthly basis in emergencies and makes visits to the volunteers’ service sites. In Peru, the volunteers live with the Sisters of Notre Dame who offer them both supervision and support. Travel Expenses NDMV pays for the travel costs to and from the volunteers’ service sites. Personal and Professional
Development Moving to a new country and immersing oneself in a new culture is a life changing experience. International volunteers often learn a great deal about themselves as well as the people they work with at their site and those they befriend during their stay.
When reviewing your application, we will look at the following criteria:
An ideal candidate will also:
We will begin accepting applications for the 2009 service year on March 1st, 2008. We will begin the process of application status notification and start personal interviews by June. Volunteers begin their year of service in early January and typically complete their term in mid to late December. For current and former Notre Dame Mission Volunteers:
For new applicants:
After completing the above, selected applicants will be required to have:
Important Dates:
Thank you for you interest in the program. For further information, contact us.
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PERU
KENYA
The
mission in Malava focuses primarily
on working with
children with disabilities and their families to improve their quality
of life and help them achieve their potential. Volunteers travel to the
countryside to assess the needs of their patients and help them travel
to medical centers. At the Saint Julie Centre, they help counselors conduct
physical therapy sessions and facilitate the work of the Sisters of Notre
Dame in the community. Sisters of Notre Dame present in the region provide
guidance to volunteers as they grow in understanding of the culture and
issues facing the community. 
