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CRECHE PROJECTS

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....?

On this page:

  .       .

Fun and Sun! Adventure filled voluntary projects in Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguassu in Brazil
Care for children in Creches in Brazil on a voluntary project

Return to the Brazil Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Brazil

SPECIALS, EXTRAS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Volunteer Feedback
About Foz do Iguacu
About Rio de Janeiro

ABOUT THE CRÈCHES
Download and print additional information on this project
 
in .pdf format
 in Word format
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 extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.



Creche Project in Brazil Video

A volunteer with one of her students at APMI crèche in Brazil
A volunteer with one of her students at APMI crèche in Brazil.

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.

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A Volunteer with his cheeky class at the crèche in Brazil
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

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Some of the students at a crèche in Brazil
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
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

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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
The spectacular Iguaçu Falls, Brazil

Rio's perfect white sand on Barra beach
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.

Return to the Brazil Home Page and the
list of all our projects in Brazil

TO APPLY FOR THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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