Kaya Community Development Projects in Brazil

  Brazil

• Salvador: 
Salvador

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: The first Saturday of every month

Description: A community project will enable you to fully immerse yourself within the community, and by the end you will feel like one of the locals. There are a diverse number of projects you can be involved in from ecotourism in Peru to women empowerment projects in Ecuador for abused women. Projects like these help you contribute in preserving some unique and special ways of life and helping people achieve a common goal.

Community Empowerment in Brazil:
Give multiple generations of the Salvador people the tools to break the poverty cycle and achieve healthier, more productive lifestyles. Join Kaya's community empowerment project that provides educational classes, vocational workshops, meals for children, sports, arts and other social and enrichment activities. Our goal is to improve the economic status of the communities, as well as their general health, and help them obtain a sustainable lifestyle. We aim to give disadvantaged children the opportunity to operate on a level with children from better-off backgrounds by involving them in fun educational games, social communication with volunteers, organized sports and extra educational lessons.

Small Business Support and Marketing in Brazil:
This project is designed to help men and women of Salvador in starting up and growing small sustainable businesses, from fruit and vegetable stores to carpentry shops. The aim is to provide funding for small start-ups and provide business development and grant proposal assistance. This will help to promote stimulus and sustainability for economic growth in the favellas of Salvador.

Whether you are a student, on a career break or retired there is a placement to suit your level. Those entering the medical profession will find volunteering in a developing country invaluable and inspiring. You will see what it is like not to have top level facilities and equipment available to you. Placements available range from hospitals, rural field clinics, house visits, nutrition, health education and public health research.

Highlights: Salvador is one of that select band of cities which has an electricity you feel from the moment you arrive with the magnificence of its natural setting on the mouth of the enormous bay of Todos os Santos.

Salavador Wreck Diving:
Salavador is a haven for wreck divers. In the mouth of the bay there are over 90 wrecks from the Dutch invasion and is an archaeological site. Salavador also has the largest ship wreck in Brazilian waters, the 'Cayo Artemidi'. It is 160 meters in length and has gaping holes for easy access and searching of the wreck. With clear, warm waters and amazing marine life nestled in over 100 ship wrecks this truly is a divers paradise.

Salvador Carnival:
Spanning several kilometers through the streets is the Bahia Carnival. So, it is not a surprise that Salvador has one of the best carnivals in Brazil. According to Guinness, with 2,000,000 people (including 800,000 tourists), Salvador has the largest street carnival in the world. Salvador is home to capoeira, the Brazilian martial art; to acaraje, the bean and shrimp fritters that make for delicious street food; and to a particularly devilish strain of caipirinha cocktails.

Amazon Rain Forest:
The world's largest tropical rain forest, Amazonia covers more than half of Brazil. The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rain forests, and it comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rain forest in the world. Float down lush river corridors teeming with rain forest birds and wildlife. Experience the warm tropical water via raft, kayak or dugout canoe. Enjoy the South American birds, wildlife, flora and fauna unique to the Amazon. Hike through the jungle with a shaman or naturalist and discover medicinal plants, spiritual traditions and the history and politics of the Amazon rain forest. If you've ever wanted to visit the Amazon basin, now is the time before it changes forever and its culture and wildlife disappear.

When you're not working one of the best things to do is to relax, eat, socialize, exercise, surf and swim on the beautiful beaches of Bahia. The main beach you will get to know is Porto da Barra, which is set within the bay and the water is much calmer than on the Oceanside beaches; it's good for swimming.

Qualifications: Experience and passion for working in the community and interacting with the people are needed. Participants must also possess enthusiasm and a willingness to learn about the environment and the place's culture.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: A Kaya volunteer shows enthusiasm, spirit and life to stimulate and bring something new to the residents; love, patience and a listening ear for the people; and a good motivator with a positive and optimistic attitude.

Age Range: Must be more than 18 years old

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Brazil Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Kaya Responsible Travel's Mission Statement: Kaya's mission is to promote sustainable social, environmental and economic development, empower communities and cultivate educated, compassionate global citizens through responsible travel.

Year Founded: 2008