Come as a childcare volunteer in Rio de Janeiro, where you can work with child development. You can also choose to care for the children in a daycare of one o Rio’s favelas. With your love and dedication you help us save our children.
It is undoubtedly the most beneficial way to increase the quality of life for children living in Brazil. The children will appreciate your love and dedication, since not all the children have equal chances in a country with one of the most pronounced gaps between the rich and the poor.
Volunteer Work in Day Cares in Rio’s Favelas
Child Care Volunteer in Rio de Janeiro
Children in Rio de Janeiro attend school either in the morning or afternoon, leaving them unsupervised for long periods of time if their parents are at work.
There are also several crèches (daycares) inside favelas of Rio. These daycares take care of babies and children, while their parents have to work to make their living.
Therefore, the childcare projects ensure that children and babies have a safe, educational and supervised environment. So they can spend this time constructively and allow their parents to work.
Child care volunteers provide children or babies with the care and attention needed to develop their social skills, and encourage them to develop an enthusiasm for higher education, teaching them vital skills to be competitive in a rapidly developing economy.
On the Working Schedule of a Childcare Volunteer in Rio
The volunteering itself was absolutely amazing, we were playing ball games with the children, rope skipping, drawing, we did some painting as well and they loved it! There were around 10 to 20 children each day, I don’t know on what it depended if they were coming or not, but mostly it was school I think. The children were between 2 and 14 years old, they could get a bit wild at times, but they were all very sweet and always really excited to see us.
Katrijn
Childcare Volunteering at Community Centers and Crèches
Volunteers can be placed in community centers working with children or teens or in crèches (daycares) working with babies.
These centers generally have few resources, so volunteers need to bring their initiative and creativity to make the most of the facilities available. Volunteers also teach English to the children through educational activities, such as copying, drawing games and role-play.
“Very interesting project helping and teaching Children”
Adriana with the children at the project in Rio
Great program. Very interesting project helping and teaching children. And for sure, placed in the best city ever: Rio de Janeiro. For the moment, it’s been a memorable experience, easy to learn Portuguese as it includes classes too, and flexible working times in order to be able to travel around the magnificent country, Brazil. – Adriana Puiggrós
Projects in Rio de Janeiro Brazil start on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Participants on our volunteer in Brazil programs should arrive on Sundays. You can choose to volunteer from 3 to 24 weeks
Orientation for Childcare Volunteers
Orientation takes place on Monday after the arrival date.
Fees and what is included with the volunteer program
The program fee is paid directly to the host organization.
All of the projects incur a registration fee of U$ 149.00 on top of the program fee.
What is included in the volunteer in Brazil program fee?
Airport Pickup
Orientation plus tour in the area including some tourist sites
Accommodation for all projects
Breakfast
Support from local staff & Program supervision
In-country 24/7 support throughout your stay
In-country administration costs
Donation to support the local project
There are no hidden costs. These projects are the most affordable to volunteer in Brazil.
Iko Poran is an NGO based in a developing country. We are dedicated to helping you help others, at the lowest possible price. We are interested in making volunteering abroad more accessible so that more people can help do really important work.
Participants in our Brazil programs normally find US$150 to be sufficient for weekly expenses in the country.
The program fee should be paid to the host country and it is due 30 days before the project start date.
When you plan to stay during the New Years Eve in Rio as a volunteer in Brazil, you are required to pay a surcharge of U$ 100 to cover accommodation premium prices from Dec 29 to January 2nd.
Carnival in 2019 is from March 1st to 9th. If the duration of your program in Brazil includes the Carnival week in Rio, you have to pay a surcharge of US$ 200 to cover accommodation premium prices during this period. Note that all projects will be closed during the Carnival.
Accommodation & Meals in Rio
As a volunteer in Brazil you will be staying in a happy and charming Hostel located on the lower part of Santa Teresa neighborhood.
The hostel has many leisure areas, free Wi-Fi everywhere, and laundry service. Breakfast is provided and there is a fully equipped kitchen that volunteers can use to prepare other meals. All rooms have lockers (just bring your own lock).
The house has 3 floors. On the first floor there is the reception where you can always find a friendly face, a large living/TV room, a veranda with a bar and tables to chill out, a big kitchen with a dinning area next to it, a big dinning table, and even a music room; if you play any instrument you are welcome to bring it along and/ or play with the instruments that the hostel already has.
On the second floor there are the shared dorms where our volunteers and other guests stay, and bathrooms. And on the third floor there are private rooms available at an extra fee.
The hostel tries to book one room exclusively for the volunteers. However, when this room is full, we accommodate volunteers in other rooms.
All services, such as supermarkets, drugstores, banks (ATMs), bars & restaurants, delis, fruit store, bus stops, and others are literally 5 minutes walking distance
The metro station to get to Ipanema, Copacabana and other areas is only 15 minutes walking distance. Volunteers stay in a peaceful oasis right “next door“ to the most vibrant and picturesque area of Rio de Janeiro.
Lapa is Rio’s buzzing nightlife spot with lively bars, pumping nightclubs and street parties that last all night. Lapa attracts foreigners and locals every weekend to drink caipirinhas and dance out some moves with many varieties of music playing. Whilst at night it comes alive, during the day it is a quiet neighborhood where you can wander the winding streets and visit the tourist sites and small bars.
The neighborhood Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro
Santa Teresa is a bohemian area with an intense cultural life. The charming neighborhood stands out for its unusual architecture. Enjoy a trip with the hundred and ten years old tram which still runs through its winding cobbled streets!
A residential sanctuary in the heartbeat of the Mata Atlantica (Tijuca National Park), the world’s largest urban subtropical rainforest, it provides access to the Christ statue of Corcovado as well as to the city centre, Sambodromo (where the samba schools compete during Carnival) and the city´s beautiful beaches.
Santa Teresa prides itself of the atmosphere reminiscent of that of a small town, and also enchants visitors with its panoramic views. Moreover, Santa Teresa offers a variety of options for eating local dishes to international cuisine.
Requirements for Childcare Volunteering in Rio
You must be at least 18 years old at the start of your placement.
All volunteers must have adequate volunteer travel insurance and are required to provide a criminal background check to local staff on arrival in Brazil or during orientation.
Language Requirements
Knowledge of basic Portuguese is desired but not a pre-requisite. You will already learn a lot practising in your project where nobody speaks good English, but if you would like to speed up your learning we recommend that you take advantage of a very affordable 20 hours Portuguese course taught at your accommodation for only U$ 180.
Safety
You will have a competent support and advices from the local team and project leaders. Someone will always be available in the case of any emergency. Please keep in mind that you are in a different country and should take some precautions to avoid exposing yourself to certain risks.
The local coordinators will give you all the information to have a safe and unforgettable experience. We are based in Brazil and have been receiving approximately 400 volunteers per year since 2003 and we never had any major problem.
I was volunteering in Rio de Janeiro for only two weeks. My plan was to travel afterwards, so that’s why I only stayed in Rio for such a long time.
I had a great time! It started by getting picked up by Felipe at the airport, while we were driving to the hostel he explained me a little bit how the program works and what’s there to do in Lapa and Santa Teresia. I was volunteering with an Irish Couple and I thought it was really nice so I didn’t have to go somewhere by myself.
The volunteering itself was absolutely amazing, we were playing ball games with the children, rope skipping, drawing, we did some painting as well and they loved it! There were around 10 to 20 children each day, I don’t know on what it depended if they were coming or not, but mostly it was school I think. The children were between 2 and 14 years old, they could get a bit wild at times, but they were all very sweet and always really excited to see us.
Katrijn
Adriana with the children at the project in Rio
Great program. Very interesting project helping and teaching children. And for sure, placed in the best city ever: Rio de Janeiro. For the moment, it’s been a memorable experience, easy to learn Portuguese as it includes classes too, and flexible working times in order to be able to travel around the magnificent country, Brazil. I definitely recommend the program to everyone that wants to volunteer in Rio. – Adriana Puiggrós
One of the most fulfilling and fun things I have done
Volunteering with Iko Poran in their child development program was one of the most fulfilling and fun things I have done. The program provided little resources but the program leader was extremely creative and had lots of love for the children. You definitely need to bring motivation, it was challenging work but definitely worth it. Iko Poran provides the perfect amount of support while still allowing you to be independent. I will definitely do it again when I have the chance. – Adie Friedman, Los Angeles, USA
Putting you in contact with local communities
Iko Poran do an amazing job at putting you into contact with local communities and projects that need support. The work these projects do are extremely important in these communities and it was a privilege to be able to help with it. Everybody i worked with was very friendly and accommodating. I highly recommend others to pursue a volunteer project and believe it is just as beneficial to the individual as to the community you are working with. – Lisa
You can also bring your artistic talents and do workshops as an arts volunteer. Finally, volunteers can participate in the preparations for Carnival at a Samba School in Rio de Janeiro.
Childcare Volunteer Opportunities in other countries
As a volunteer in Brazil you will be staying in a happy and charming Hostel located on the lower part of Santa Teresa neighborhood.
instrument you are welcome to bring it along and/ or play with the instruments that the hostel already has.
The metro station to get to Ipanema, Copacabana and other areas is only 15 minutes walking distance. Volunteers stay in a peaceful oasis right “next door“ to the most vibrant and picturesque area of Rio de Janeiro.
subtropical rainforest, it provides access to the Christ statue of Corcovado as well as to the city centre, Sambodromo (where the samba schools compete during Carnival) and the city´s beautiful beaches.
