Calling All Missionaries !! Trip August 4th till the 11th! Join in..

A bit more about our mission

Calling all Missionaries!! MISSIONS VISION Cadanino's mission is: To provide a meaningful and spiritually enriching experience for international missionaries that have a passion for Jesus Christ   and a commitment to meet  the needs of profoundly challenged children.   WHAT IS CADANINO?  CadaNiño is a ministry that serves the profoundly mentally and neurologically challenged orphans  in a government owned  and operated facility in the capital Guatemala City.  The Center is home for 70 children and young adults that are wards of the State. The CadaNino ministry works as a small focussed team within the support of the much larger government staff. We currently provide physical and play therapies for the 15 smallest and most vulnerable children. We have one physical therapist and four Nannies (play therapists).   In explaining what CadaNino is and by implication what we are not, we sometimes refer to our tiny ministry as glorified Candy Stripers (auxiliary hospital volunteers); lots of joy and laughter, but limited line production inside of a complex hospital orphanage. Our  Our primary focus has been on los Niños iniciales*, the four children who are completely disabled and that live in the infirmary and eleven other young children with limited independence.  CURRENT OPEN MISSIONARY POSITIONS   1)   Physical Therapists -Three month   Interns should have experience working with profoundly disabled children. No actual experience or education is required, but strongly recommended that participants have experience working with this profile. Spanish helpful: if no Spanish language skills, participant would take intensive 2 week language course.  Room and board provided at discount rate. Partial Scholarships available. 2) Short term missionary position available for passionate believers who want to serve the neediest of the needy. Room and Board are available at discounted costs and partial scholarships available.  3) Social worker/Psychologist or Physical Therapist Internship. Our center works closely with the local University of San Carlos and has had success with local interns receiving academic credit for their internship at the center. Footnotes: 1) Room and Board: Guatemala City is a dangerous city. The neighborhood where we work is relatively safe, but still extreme caution is required. We choose to strongly advise people of the potential risks rather than gloss over them. We believe that our procedures and policies  dramatically reduce local on ground risks, but it is important that we all work together to insure safety and positive experiences.  2) Language : Spanish is the only language spoken in the center. Our director is the only english speaking person present most days. Many of the children that we work closest to are not yet verbal and of minimal traditional speaking interaction. Therefor, some Spanish is helpful, but it is not required.  3) Infrastructure of Center: CRPN (Centro Residencial Psiquiatrico y Neurologico).  The Guatemala runs this orphanage/hospital for nearly 70 residents. These are the lucky ones. Kids whose families are unable or unwilling to care for their child end up in this center with ample food, clean housing and adequate medical attention. Nearly all the children take psychiatric or anti-convulsive medicines. Almost half of the entire population wear adult diapers. Most of the residents are extremely kind and loving. Occasionally, some have episodes and exhibit anto-social behavior. Though there is no fear or physical threat from the residents, it is not a place for the timid.