WORK CONTENT AND DESCRIPTION
The Centre you'll assist fulfils the role of a base for the local children to attend
during non-school hours. This encourages further education and social interaction.
It also provides what is often their main meal of the day. The Centre is a means
of keeping the children off the streets once they leave school for the day and also
eliminates negative influences.
There is an average of 40 children attending the project, which is run by 2 people,
a cook and a teacher. Any help you can provide is very gratefully received! The
activities and lessons developed in the Centre are always planned over a specific
topic. For example: Today the subject is “Italy”, this means that
the children will study and develop all kinds of activities relating to Italy. This
includes history, geography, singing, food, movies and anything you can possible
imagine about the country.
You are encouraged to either take part in planning these Projects, or you can bring
your own Project to work with the kids during your placement period. For example,
if you are British, you can develop a Project about England to work on with the
children. You have the freedom to create any activities and lessons relating to
your home. These could include ...
- Cooking,
- Music (play an instrument with the children), sing English or foreign songs ...
- Prepare a dance presentation
- Sports (you could do an intensive rugby course, or any other sports associated with
Britain, USA, or your home country)
- Any activity that can bring a taste and understanding of your own culture to the
children is encouraged!
The children’s English level is very basic, considering they have very basic English
lessons in regular school. The idea is to offer to them the opportunity of an intensive
English course, which can only be done with your help. They benefit enormously from
the experience of having a native speaker working together with them!
Because these types of lessons are unusual and also not mandatory, the children
are
hugely enthusiastic to take part. You can feel and gauge their energy and enthusiasm
levels, and you can change the activity whenever you feel their interest is not
100% anymore. The institution is used to receiving foreign volunteers (they have
recently received volunteers from China and Mexico and the children loved them!)
and the coordinator is more than happy to help you to prepare activities to be developed
with the children.
The Centre is open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and runs in two shifts: from 8.00
to 11:30 a.m. and from 13:30 to 17:00 p.m. During the mornings the Centre receives
around 15 children, and in the afternoon another 25 students join in. You can choose
to do just the morning or the afternoon shifts, or you can do both shifts, the flexibility
and options are yours.
HOLIDAYS AND CARNAVAL!
There are times when the crèche is closed due to holidays and festivals. Please
see below:
• Summer Holiday: 12th December 2015 to 10th January 2016
• Winter Holiday: 18th July 2016 – 1st August 2016
Carnaval begins at midnight on the Friday before Ash Wednesday (usually
around the second week of February) and last for five days, but the whole country
stops for about two weeks. Carnaval is celebrated all over Brazil. The most famous
is, of course, held in Rio, but the authentic versions of Carnaval are found outside
of Rio.
The dates for 2016 are 5th to 10th February.
CAN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE?
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 if you'd
like.