A volunteer experience in Rocinha

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian) Português (Portuguese (Brazil))

Il Sorriso dei miei Bimbi started in 2002, stemming out of one of a project by Barbara Olivi, an Italian citizen in Brazil who has been working with children and young adults since 1998.

Our main goal is to offer social and educational projects at the heart of the community of Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro.

The projects where you can volunteer are:
· Our kindergarten “Saci Sabe Tudo”, which takes up to 90 children between 2 and 6 years old;
· “Casa Jovem”, which offers a basic literacy course, school support and the Aldeia project;

· The “Garagem das Letras”, Rocinha’s first literary café, free language classes, events and cultural programs for the Community.

Volunteering with us
Il Sorriso dei miei Bimbi is very glad to welcome anyone willing to donate their time and professional skills, as long as they respect and comply with our humanitarian goals.



Requirements
· At least 25 years of age (or younger in exceptional cases);
· Have at least basic Portuguese language skills that enable the volunteer to move around within the favela and the organization;
· Be motivated, autonomous, economically and emotionally independent, and have a humble and flexible attitude;
· Respect and awareness of the favela’s social and cultural context.



Activities
· Supporting activities at the Garagem das Letras, Casa Jovem or the kindergarten Saci Sabe Tudo;
· Helping with management, administration, logistics, accounting, IT…


Conditions

· You can volunteer for a minimum of one month to a maximum of three months, as per Brazilian rules for tourist visas;
· Volunteering is unpaid; volunteers will have to provide for their travel and living expenses and their accommodation;
· We are a small organization and sadly can’t provide accommodation for volunteers, but if you want, we can help you find a place to stay in Rocinha!
· Volunteers are responsible for covering insurance. The amount is payable via bank transfer, fill out and sign the volunteering agreement, sending us a scanned copy of the signed agreement before leaving for Rio; this is a necessary step for our insurance policy.
· If you don’t meet these conditions but would like to get to know our projects while visiting Rio, consider booking one of our responsible favela tours.


How to apply
Please send a short CV/resume and covering letter specifying when you would be available to
cristiano.campari@ilsorrisodeimieibimbi.org.

If you meet the requirements, we will arrange an interview so that we can get to know each other.

If your application is successful, we will ask you to sign the volunteering agreement and pay the insurance policy

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