A very deserving placement working with pre-school children that has a
high feel-good factor.
"This placement has incredible job satisfaction..." Chris Bodych
Do you fancy teaching little ones who could really use your time,
energy and affection? Throughout Brazil, in a beautiful town next to the grand Iguaçu
Falls and within inner city areas of Rio de Janeiro, there are many 3-6 year old
girls and boys with magnificent spirit and from very poor families, waiting for
volunteers to share their joy with!
One particular crèche that we work with desperately needs voluntary assistance because they are in danger of being shut down by the Government
due to a lack of funds to pay for essential building repair work.
On this project you'll be working in one of our many crèches
in either Foz do Iguaçu or Rio de Janeiro, depending on which area you'd
like to visit. If you can't decide, why not try both....?
For several years Travellers volunteers
have been assisting at a number of crèches which provide day care to children between the ages of 3 -
6. These crèches are run by the government to enable parents from poor
families to seek employment without the burden of childcare.
Many of the children at government-run crèches live in nearby
shanty towns, so the stable environment provided is incredibly important and
worthwhile - it provides a sense
of solidarity, education and fun for young children who are often from
broken homes where survival is a full time job.
Each
crèche is in desperate need of both
voluntary and financial assistance - your involvement on this programme will
help to fulfil these needs. You really can
make a difference in a truly magical part of the world!
At Travellers we are particularly passionate about these placements
and, in particular, helping one of the crèches which has been forced with closure, to stay open. If the
crèche was forced to
close, it would be such a pity as it is extremely important to young children
whose lives are a lot tougher than many of us could understand. At the moment our
volunteer project is helping the crèche stave off closure.
Mike
Ecclestone, one of our UK Project Co-ordinators for Brazil, feels such sympathy for
these children that he and Andy Kemp, another member of the Travellers UK team,
undertook a 10-km run to raise money for them. Mike also went around
pubs over the Christmas period to ask people to put their hands in their pockets
and donate the cost of just one drink to help the children - which is not
much less than the crèche receives from
the government to pay for a child to attend for a whole month!
Elizabeth Nolan will
be arranging your placement when you apply for this project, so if you have
any questions to ask, please do
contact
her - she'll be delighted to help you.
"The placement has incredible job satisfaction, unrivalled by that of
teaching teenagers or older students, as a bond develops between us and the
children. As many come from broken homes and/or are stricken by poverty they
look to us as father figures. For instance in a week we are taking them to
the local zoo, somewhere they may never have been able to go. We are also
trying to take them to the falls, yet this will be very complicated so may
not happen, also obvious safety issues are a concern. However, normally
safety issues are not that much of a concern at the crèche compared to the
dreadful 'sue culture' coming about in England. They hurt themselves at
abandon playing football or jumping about on the concrete, yet they pick
themselves up and learn not to do it again. It is actually quite refreshing
to be able to see kids play properly again". Chris Bodych on his placement
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
CRÈCHE PLACEMENTS IN RIO DE
JANEIRO
We have a variety of
crèche placements in Rio de Janeiro and you'll be allocated to one or
more placements.This placement is
an all-round experience of volunteering throughout Rio. All projects are
within 45 minutes of your hotel accommodation and you'll live and play
with all our other Travellers Rio-volunteers!Below is a brief description of one of the projects that we are currently working with – if you would like
any more information please don’t hesitate to contact us.
CIEP:
This is a school that also has a Crèche
for the younger children. CIEP is home to just over 500 children who
are split down into more manageable groups of around 35 kids. The Centre
caters for all ages and extends its care to include children suffering from
mental disabilities. Centres caring for children with
disabilities are sadly a rarity – making this centre very important.
As with many of the centres we work with,
CIEP provides a wide range of activities and lessons to children of a wide
range of ages. The centre accommodates children as young as three years old
upwards. Just like any other centre caring for children of such a young age,
the key is to keep things interesting and varied. A typical day may include
activities and lessons that may sometimes require you to use your initiative
and creativity - one minute you may be teaching the children to paint and
the next lesson may need you to find your rhythm as you help with a music
lesson.
The centre is great fun to volunteer with –
be prepared to get involved with a broad range of activities including
music, art, fun & games, and other recreational activities. Educational and developmental lessons are
combined in with recreational activities to provide a combination
incorporating as much physical and mental stimulation for the children as
possible.
CRÈCHE PLACEMENTS IN FOZ DO IGUAÇU:
We have a variety of
crèche placements in Foz do Iguaçu and you'll be
allocated to one or more placements. Below is a brief
description of one of the projects that we are currently working with – if you would like
any more information please don’t hesitate to contact us.
APMI:APMI
crèche takes approximately 230 children with around 45 per class. The
children range from 3-6 years old. With the current waitlist standing at
over 250 children, the centre is in great need of help and assistance. The
crèche is partially supported by government funding and
they receive 17 Reais per child per month ... that is just £3.10 per child. This
centre is run by three nuns, but each class is supervised by the ‘tias’ or
auntie, the affectionate nickname given to the staff. Your role will be
primarily to assist the 'tias'
with the class. As your placement develops so will your role in the classroom.The centre
is open Monday to Friday with the children arriving around at 7:30 am,
receiving breakfast at 8:00 am. Classes begin by 9:00 am with an hour off
for lunch at midday. The children then also enjoy an hour off for a siesta
mid-afternoon, common among children of such a young age. The children are
then picked up from the centre leaving at around 5.30 pm.
The kids of APMI love having the volunteers there, and they learn
remarkably fast with them.APMI is in urgent
need of donations now. Having recently been informed by the School
Government Department that the crèche is responsible for rebuilding the
school before the end of this year, otherwise they will have to close it
down. The building is 70 years old and such structural building work is
highly expensive.
The government won't help with these costs.
You
will walk to the crèche from your accommodation each day. The crèche has a
playground, a video recorder and a cassette player which you can utilize.
They do not have access to anything more sophisticated such as internet
or a
library etc. Football and games of any sorts are appreciated within the
lessons and will make you even more popular amongst the kids! You will work
approximately 4 hours a day Mondays – Fridays, 9:00 - 11:00am & 2:30 - 4:30pm.
Your role within the centre may vary through
the academic year, and may be dependent upon your overall project length;
the longer you are with the crèche the more freely they will increase your
responsibilities.
BUT THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE
CRÈCHES WE SUPPORT - they
all need your help!
Generally due to the age and number of
children per class you may asked to assist the class’s regular teacher, with
conversational English and general classroom activities, however for other
schools you may be in charge and expected to lead the class.
Even the most basic Portuguese will benefit you and your placement. If you
are interested in learning Portuguese during your placement please contact
us for details of our courses in Foz.
A Volunteer with his cheeky class at the crèche in Brazil
PAUL WHITE
– a regular volunteer with Travellers and now also an
associate staff member, visited the crèche in Brazil this year. This is what
he had to say:
"As a teaching
consultant for Travellers Worldwide I am privileged to visit a great number
of schools in many countries. Rarely however have I seen a more worthwhile
project than Creche APMI. I was immediately impressed by the happy smiling
faces of the children who were obviously enjoying their lessons.
It is clear
that the children are receiving valuable education and pastoral care whilst
at this crèche. I also noted how pleased their parents were. I was further
impressed by the staff who showed that they are dedicated to the community
they serve.
Later I
visited the shanty town where many of the children live.
I realised that the
crèche has a wider role within the community and that the staff continue
their hard work long after school finishes for the day. I have
therefore been very saddened to hear that a facility that is so essential to
the wellbeing of these children and their families may be forced to close.
I
urge anybody who can, to do whatever is possible to prevent such a tragedy
from occurring." Paul White, Teaching
Consultant, Travellers
Worldwide
APMI:
57 YEARS OF SERVICE TO FOZ DO IGUAÇU COMMUNITY:
The report was received by
Travellers from the Director President of the APMI school and crèche:
Founded in 1947, the APMI (Association of Protection from the Birth till the
Childhood) – institution that serves full-time 230 children in age between
03 and 06 years old, and 100 adolescents in computer courses, as well as
giving assistance to these kids’ families; is about to see the number of
families served reduced, or even have its doors shut. With the recent
changes in the Brazilian School Law, the entity must have its building
rebuilt and increased in order of making it suitable. The new project is
ready, and is estimated in 1.300.000,00 (One Million, Three Hundred Thousand
Reais).
Located downtown and traditional for
having been serving the poor population for 57 years, APMI is a lot
demanded, always working in its maximum capacity. The children, subdivided
in Nursery, Level I, II, and III classes – have 3 meals a day, medical and
dentist treatment, dance lessons, English lessons, and take part in several
other pedagogic activities. Besides the lessons mentioned before, since
August 2004, the entity offers computer courses to 100 adolescents, in age
between 10 and 16 years old.
The kids served by APMI are children of poor
families, whose parents work in the central market, housekeepers, street
vendors (Brazil and Paraguay), trash collectors (people that collect trash,
select it and sell it to recycling industries). Most of these families live
in the neighbouring shantytowns.Being a
non-profit organization, the crèche survives out of government funds (that
are used basically for paying the staff and part of the bureaucratic
expenses) and donations of local businesspeople.
Concerned of the real
situation shown above and believing that the work developed by the APMI nuns
in decades was not in vain, we come to you requesting your help and support
at finding a solution aiming the rebuilding of the crèche and the upkeep of
this work, which has been, so far, really important to the city population.
With Kind Regards
Sister Maria Janete de Azevedo
Director-President
Some of the students at a crèche in Brazil
DONATIONS - WHAT TRAVELLERS ARE
DOING TO SUPPORT THE CRÈCHE:
Travellers makes a
donation to the APMI
crèche for each volunteer who works there and will also
be endeavouring to provide additional donations from time to time.
Mike,
Travellers Manager:"In the summer I took part in a sponsored run to raise money specifically
for the APMI Crèche. I managed to raise £175 and I'm continuing to
fundraise". Travellers Director, Jennifer Perkes, agreed to personally
match the amounts that Mike raised, so between them, an extra £350 has been donated to
the Crèche so far.
Elizabeth,
Project Coordinator: "This year, myself and my
immediate family have decided to donate some of the money we would have
spent on Christmas presents for each other to the crèche in Brazil instead.
We did something similar last year for a project in India, and it made
Christmas day so much more special: It’s lovely to give and to get Christmas
presents for the people you love, but it’s actually a whole lot nicer to
know you’ve made a tangible contribution to someone who has so little…The
children here will get SO much more out of this money than I would out of
another pair of socks!" :-)
Jennifer
Perkes, Travellers MD: "When people say to me that
they they admire Travellers because it has a heart, I always reply that
Travellers' heart is made up of two things, its volunteers and its people, and our people have the biggest
heart in the world! I'm am greatly honoured to be surrounded by such
enthusiastic and dedicated people. They change people's lives on a daily
basis, and they help our volunteers to do the same. Mine is the best job in
the world."
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
For Foz, you'll more than likely fly into
Sao Paulo, as this is the nearest international airport. From
there you can either fly to Foz do Iguaçu
or you have the option to take a comfortable bus/coach ride instead. The trip
takes about 12 - 14 hours and is an excellent way to see some of the country.
For Rio, you'll fly
into the international airport.
When you arrive, you'll be welcomed by
our local Organiser and introduced to the people you'll be living and working
with.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you
have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend
their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets
enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air
ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour
to get a changeable ticket.
Sunset at the famous statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
We meet you at the airport regardless of whether you make
your own travel arrangements or not.
VISAS:. All requirements regarding visas will
be arranged by our office and the process of obtaining a visa will be made very easy for you.
We can also arrange your flight
dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling
around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
To see what support we provide in our countries,
please read Support
and Backup
Support and guidance from Travellers
and the crecheS
You'll receive
lots of care and assistance from our very
friendly and helpful UK staff,
from the first stage of applying all the way through to the end of your
placement. We are also available 24 hours a day for any urgent matter
during your time on our placement.
Travellers
will send you our extremely comprehensive information pack with details on
everything - ranging from where to go on your weekend travels to what to
pack and extensive safety tips. We will also provide you with a selection of coaching
manuals that will be very useful on your project.
In Brazil you
will have the support of our Brazil Manager who will be on call 24/7 from
meeting you at the airport and will be around frequently to ensure you are
settled and happy on your placement. You will also find that the teachers at
the crèches where you work will be very happy to help you
throughout your days.
If you
speak some Portuguese (or even Spanish), you will find it very beneficial on
this project. But don't be put off if languages aren't your thing! You're
sure to pick up some of the basic words whilst you are there, and will find
other ways to converse without language becoming a barrier. Don't forget
that we can also arrange some Portuguese Lessons for you during your
programme in either Rio or Foz, if you would like.
The spectacular Iguaçu Falls, Brazil
Rio's perfect white sand on Barra beach
SCHOOL
HOLIDAYS AND ... CARNAVAL!
The main school holidays are from approximately
15th July until the 10th August and
10th December until the end of the last week in February.
If you are unsure about how seasonal
breaks may affect your placement, please ask us!
Carnaval
is celebrated all over Brazil. The most famous is, of
course, held in Rio, but the authentic versions of Carnaval are found
outside that city. Carnaval begins at midnight on the Friday before Ash
Wednesday and lasts for five days,
but the whole country stops for about two weeks.
"Carnaval - The planet's most spectacular annual cultural
pageant, where the
ancient world's spirit of chaotic collective delirium and abandonment of
self to the impulses of the body and a greater collective spirit is
unrivaled."
PRICES:
Travellers Brazil Manager Fabio (left) and some volunteers share a dinner
of pizzas
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Brazil, please click here
Prices
include
Accommodation and
breakfast while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
