Volunteer abroad in an HIV AIDS center in Mexico

International Volunteer Work Helping in HIV/AIDS Centers in Mexico

Working on an HIV AIDS project in Mexico is a great way to contribute to the local community while getting an in depth look at another culture. Situated around Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico, our international volunteers work at an AIDS center called PAIPID. Experiencing life in Mexico as a volunteer on an HIV AIDS project will be intense, but is bound to be unforgettable.

Volunteer Opportunities Abroad Working on an HIV AIDS Project in Guadalajara

You will be working at PAIPID (Proyecto para la Atencion de la Persona Inmuno Deprimida) in Tonala, a district of Guadalajara. PAIPID is a center providing professional care and counseling for people with HIV AIDS and their families. In addition to modern medicine, the center offers alternative treatment such as herbal medications, physical therapy, and homeopathy. The center acts as a rehabilitation center where patients can temporarily live after undergoing treatment at other hospitals or home. Most patients are terminally ill and therefore permanent residents; small children who were tragically born with HIV and orphaned early on in life also live at PAIPID.

The center is a happy place to work, but the role can be very challenging and you need to be prepared for this.

PAIPID is headed by a council and is run by nuns who will be your primary contacts during your placement. You will also be assigned a supervisor that you will work with on a daily basis.

You may want to take a purely observational role at first, but as soon as you feel confident to take a more hands on approach, the local staff will give any assistance that you need. PAIPID is forty minutes away by bus from the Projects Abroad office in Guadalajara.

Volunteering Abroad in Mexico in an HIV AIDS Center

The majority of work will be assisting residents at PAIPID. The patients can be any age from only a few months up to adulthood. Help is needed with feeding and washing patients, changing their diapers if necessary, keeping them company, and if they are children then playing with them. This multifaceted project will be challenging, but ultimately very rewarding for any volunteer who is up for it.