Montevideo, Uruguay

All dates and information are tentative.  Please check back regularly for updates.

Description of Project:

Half of the Volunteers will collaborate with middle and high schools in the communities to carry out projects. The other half will collaborate with community health and development commissions.

There are three general program objectives. The first is participatory educational activities in schools and community centers with youth and children on a variety of topics including: healthy habits, nutrition, youth leadership, cultural differences, transit safety, physical education and entrepreneurship.

Another objective is the formation of or collaboration with local youth groups to foster youth leadership and volunteerism via social service. The third objective is the realization of a community-based initiative that will be identified before Volunteer arrival. In 2006, many of the community projects were construction-based, such as additions/enhancements to health clinics and community buildings, a bus stop, a volleyball court, and school patios.

Project Area:

Uruguay is divided into departamentos (similar to US states). While Project Staff headquarters is in the city of Montevideo, AMIGOS Volunteers work in the western zone of the department of Montevideo and in the department of San Jose. Montevideo is located at the coast of the south-central portion of the country and borders the Rio de la Plata which separates Argentina from Uruguay. Most of the communities where Volunteers are placed are within a 90-minute drive from the headquarter city, Montevideo.

It is important to know that the host communities are semi-urban with populations ranging from 4,000-9,000 inhabitants. These are significantly larger than communities in many AMIGOS project areas. They all have electricity and running water and many homes have televisions. Some of the communities are more traditional barrios where the same families have lived for generations. Others are asentamientos, or settlements, which are newer communities that have been built on government land over the last 25 years as economic difficulties have pushed people out of the capital city.

Project History:

2006 marked the inaugural year of Amigos de las Americas in Uruguay.  This program was executed by partnering directly with institutions and groups at the community level under the guidance and direction of two family medicine physicians from Montevideo and a city council president from San Jose.

In the fall of 2006, the physician, city council president, and other invested counterparts from the 2006 AMIGOS program in Uruguay formed a civil association that will support community development work year around and serve as the partnering agency for AMIGOS in 2007.

The civil association is called AMIGOS del URUGUAY.  While they are an independent organization from Amigos de las Americas, after experiencing the great success of the 2006 collaboration with Amigos de las Americas, AMIGOS del URUGUAY has adopted complimentary goals of youth leadership and community development.

Partner Agencies:

AMIGOS del URUGUAY

Further Actions:

• Apply to Volunteer
• Apply to Serve on Project Staff