Volunteer in the Brazilian Amazon

  Brazil

• Northern Brazil: 
Santarem

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Fall and Spring Semester; flexible volunteer dates

Description: Registration is now open for July, August, October and November programs. As you travel 500 miles up from the mouth of the muddy brown waters of the Amazon, you come to encounter the 'Encontras de Aguas' where the dark blue waters of the Tapajo's River flow into the Amazon off the shores of Santarem. Here, pink and gray dolphins play under the mango trees as exotic birds fly overhead. Santarem, a city of 250,000 people, is a true melting pot of Native American, African, European, and Asian cultures and customs, but it is 100% Brazilian. Samba and Boi Bumba music fill the air and the hearts of the people. Even though Santarem is a tropical paradise, the majority of the people live in abject poverty. Due to the exploitation of resources, including cutting thousands of acres of forest, over-fishing, and mining, the waters of the two rivers are becoming increasingly more polluted, and employment opportunities are dwindling. Poverty and the problems associated with poverty such as inadequate housing, poor health and nutrition, and a failing educational system are prevalent throughout Santarem and its surrounding regions.

Our scheduled projects in Santarem are to build classrooms for a program that works for street children and to renovate a health clinic. In addition to the project, volunteers may also have the opportunity to take a boat ride down the Amazon, hike in a forest preserve, visit the open-air market, and spend a day at a quaint beach town. Amizade is accepting applications for our August 3 - 16 and September 21 - October 4 programs. Cost is USD1,425, not including airfare. We can also customize programs for groups of 6 or more at our Brazil site.

Highlights: In communities on five continents, over 2,000 Amizade volunteers have cooperated with community members to complete sustainable, community-identified projects that address needs in education, the environment, health and well-being. Within the context of a unique cross-cultural experience that offers educational and recreational opportunities, Amizade volunteers have constructed an orphanage that houses forty children in Bolivia, built a vocational training center for street children in the Brazilian Amazon, and completed historical restoration and environmental preservation in the Greater Yellowstone Area.

Current opportunities exist in Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Northern Ireland, Nepal, the USA, and in several other communities around the world. Amizade offers pre-scheduled programs for individuals and customized programs for groups.

Additionally, through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, the Amizade Global Service-Learning Center facilitates courses that combine intercultural service and academic coursework for college credit.

Volunteer program fees range from USD 475 to USD 1,895. The program fee includes room and board, transportation while in the host country, recreational, cultural, and educational activities, Amizade staff, and a donation to the community

Qualifications: Volunteers do not need any special skills, just a willingness to help. Local masons and carpenters instruct Amizade volunteers on every part of the project.

Cost in US$: USD 1,425

Salary / Pay: None

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 12 - 99 years old

This Program is open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Brazil Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of varies, between 6 - 15

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Amizade Global Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs's Mission Statement: Amizade inspires individuals and communities through worldwide service and learning.

Year Founded: 1994