Human Rights Volunteer Abroad Law

Are you looking for a legal volunteer abroad program in Jamaica? Or are you looking to participate in human rights volunteer abroad projects? This is your chance to work with Human Rights organizations to help in the struggle to defend the rights of families and children who have become abuse victims when you join our legal volunteer opportunities abroad.

In addition to the many children who suffer from abandonment, neglect, and abuse, Jamaica faces the challenge of a rising number of missing children being reported each year. According to the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), 984 children were reported missing for the period of January to June 2014 and of this amount, only 614 have since returned. As you can imagine this figure increases each year.

How You Will Make A Difference During Your Human Rights Volunteer Abroad Law Project

Your efforts will produce a positive influence on poor communities in Jamaica and possibly assist with reducing the number of missing children in Jamaica each year. Your chance to help in the fight for the rights of those who are helpless or too afraid to fight on their own starts right here.

• 10% off all tours & adventures
• Legal volunteer abroad certificate
• 40 or more volunteer hours each week
• Daily mentorship sessions
• Jamaican culture course
• Patois (local dialect) language course

Although a background in law, social work or psychology would be beneficial, there are no special requirements or qualifications to join our human rights and lawyer volunteer opportunities abroad.

Volunteers with experience will be eligible for more advanced placements.

• Lawyers
• Human rights professionals/advocates
• Social workers
• Paralegals and law students
• Teens and young adults who would like to explore the fields of human rights or law
• Couples and families, with at least 1 member qualified to work in law or human rights
• Corporate groups
• Business owners
• Mature volunteers
• Professionals
• High school and university groups

We suggest our volunteers do some pre-planning before you begin your human rights volunteer abroad project. This ensures that your project will be impactful for both yourself and the local beneficiaries. Once you have been accepted into the program, you should begin planning and thinking about the activities and goals you wish to accomplish during your project. Your Project Advisor will be available to speak with you via Skype to help with your planning.

Here are some ideas of what you can do during your volunteer abroad human rights project:

• Help with counseling abuse victims
• Support the local Human Rights team with administrative support
• Conduct legal research and work with a local team of experts
• Visit schools, organizations, and communities to educate locals about their human rights
• Assist in supporting the legal/counseling team
• Assess communities that need assistance, and implement conflict resolution strategies
• Embark on outreach programs at children’s homes and women’s shelters
• Do a fundraising campaign back home to raise cash and kind to donate to the human rights organization and shelters in Jamaica

These are just some examples. Feel free to discuss any other activities you would like to engage in during your project.

The first day of your legal volunteer opportunities abroad trip, your Project Advisor will accompany you to your volunteer site to show you around, introduce you to your team, assist with your orientation and show you where to get lunch.

You can purchase tour and excursion packages to add some fun and adventure to your legal volunteer work abroad trip. These can be done on weekends, and some weekdays after you complete your project.

When your volunteer abroad law project is completed, we will award you with your Volunteer Certificate, which will be signed by our Managing Director. If you have any additional documents that you need to be signed to prove the volunteer hours you have completed, we will sign those as well.

It is recommended that you collect some resources and donations back home to take to your legal volunteer abroad work site. We can send you a list of needed resources if you wish.

• Money to purchase lunch ($3 – $5 USD per day)
• Insect repellent to prevent mosquito and bug bites
• Supplies to assist with your project
• A camera to take pictures
• Sunscreen if you intend to play in the sun or sunbathe
• A reusable water bottle
• Comfortable shoes
• Notebook or electronic device to take notes
• Cash for any shopping or excursions
• Water shoes if you plan on swimming

You may stay with Jomo, the owner of Jamaica International Projects and his family. This option houses up to 5 volunteers comfortably in dorm rooms equipped with air conditioning.

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Stay at this lovely 3-star hotel in Port Royal while you receive our full support services.

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For groups, you will be able to choose from a wide list of guest houses or hotels in Kingston or St. Catherine to accommodate your members. You can choose from small guest houses to fancy business hotels, depending on your group’s budget. Of course, we can handle the booking of group accommodations for you if you desire.

Volunteer abroad human rights projects include breakfast and dinner each day. If you have special dietary needs, such as diabetes, allergies, you are a vegan etc, we will work with you as well.

Each day you will be given a lesson on the Jamaican culture. We will teach you about various aspect of the Jamaican lifestyle such as our food, traditions, religion, customs, government etc.

All volunteers joining this project will receive orientation and support documentation on your date of arrival. Once you are settled into your accommodation, you will be given your finalized itinerary and your orientation guide. During orientation, we will go over project dates and times, transportation, meal times, cultural/excursion activities and you will be given tips on Jamaica.

Our volunteer opportunities for lawyers overseas in Jamaica also include Patois (pronounced Pat-Wah) classes. This is our local dialect that you will hear frequently while volunteering in Jamaica.

At the end of each day, we provide daily mentorship sessions for younger volunteers or a general review of the work day for more mature volunteers. We will discuss the day’s activities, the challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and your plans for the following day. You can also ask any questions that you may have. This session lasts about 30 minutes or less daily.

We provide you with airport pickup at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston (KIN). We will meet you at the airport with a sign saying Jamaica International Projects. You will be transferred directly from the airport to your accommodation.

Each day as part of your human rights volunteer abroad project, we will take you to and from your volunteer site.

Any tour, adventure or excursion that you purchase during your legal volunteer opportunities abroad we will take you to and from all activities and act as your guide.

Once your volunteer abroad human rights project is complete, we will transfer you back to the airport to catch your flight back home.

NB: All prices below are quoted in USD and are based per person

Once you have decided to join our legal volunteer abroad human rights project, proceed to the booking form, enter the relevant info, select your preferred payment option (30% deposit or full payment) and submit. After submission, you’ll be sent a list of documents to be submitted, payment instructions and a link to the volunteer application form.

If you are interested but not ready to book, please contact us or submit a message using the enquiry form.

Note: By submitting the booking form you will NOT be making a binding commitment to join the project.

We will review your booking and application within 24 hours and reach out to you via your preferred means of contact. You will get to discuss your goals, the areas you are interested in teaching, and ask us questions. This is where you will learn of your acceptance into the program.

Once you are accepted into our legal volunteer abroad human rights project, you will be required to submit your documents as soon as possible. These Include:

• 2 Reference letters (1 personal, 1 professional)
• 1 recent photo id (passport, national id, school id or driver’s license)
• 1 police report/criminal background check
• Proof of travel insurance (go here to purchase travel medical insurance)
• Flight itinerary
• Completed volunteer application form
• Proof of qualification to teach (if you are seeking placement as a qualified teacher)

You will then be notified to clear up all outstanding fees and balances (if you made a 30% deposit or made any additional changes to your package).