Location
  • Brazil
    • Rio de Janeiro
Length
1 to 24 weeks

Program Details

Language
Portuguese
Age Min.
18
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Hostel
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30)
Travel Type
Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

Starting Price
400
Price Details
What is included in the program fee:
Airport pickup, orientation, accommodation, meals are included in most of the programs (please check the description of your chosen program), support from the office staff, program supervision, in-country 24/7 support throughout your program, in-country administration costs and donation to support your local projects.

Registration fee is only $149 and covers marketing costs, pre-placement support from our staff, a complete country information guide, volunteer training booklet, fundraising guides and tips, administration costs, travel to run inspection visits in all locations, communication costs, and office staff.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Some Meals SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
Mar 18, 2020
Jan 06, 2020
34 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Iko Poran offers a wide range of safe, affordable and responsible volunteer programs in Rio de Janeiro. These include Teaching, Childcare, Child Development, Community Development, Environmental Protection, Sports Development, Arts & Design, and a special program preparing costumes for the big Carnival parade. We have the perfect volunteer project that matches your skills and interests.

- Start dates: 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month
- Programs can last from 1 to 24 weeks
- You have Fridays and weekends off to relax and explore
- You receive an orientation covering the culture of Brazil and a tour of the city
- Programs with 4 weeks or more include a free 20 hours Portuguese course
- You’ll be joining the best-rated voluntary organization in Brazil with 17 years experience
- Ours is the most affordable program & registration fee in Brazil!
- Recognized as a Public Interest Organization since 2007

Apply today for the best travel experience

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • We believe that volunteering shouldn’t cost the earth. Registration fee is only $ 149 and program fees start at only $400 for two weeks
  • We are the only international volunteering organization to be based in a developing country that also runs its own projects. Most providers are profit-making travel companies based in First World nations.
  • We are non-profit – fees received cover our costs and help us to achieve our mission by contributing to local programs. You pay the program fee directly to the local organization (in Brazil, this is Iko Poran)
  • You take part in programs developed and operated by local partner organizations and their respective community councils
  • We focus on providing a good experience for you - welcome, orientation, accommodation, placement and ongoing support.

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Program Reviews

4.93 Rating
based on 45 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.33%
  • 4 rating 6.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.7
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.65
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.65
Showing 41 - 45 of 45 reviews
Default avatar
Lizzy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Feel part of the local community

Initially booked to spend 6 weeks volunteering in Kunta Kinte capoeira school in Santa Teresa, I extended my stay for a further 6 weeks. I tutored English and drama, working with another volunteer to help the kids write and perform in their own short film, and later helping with the pre-school age capoeira lessons (about my level!).

I immediately felt a part of the local community, with invitations to churrascos, recommendations of local places to go, and being asked to help with various local events centred around the school including a Mother's Day celebration, Open Studios weekends and more.

The accommodation provided in Santa Teresa was a real hub for volunteers and locals alike, with musicians and artists often gathering for chilled-out weekend evenings in the communal courtyard. Santa Teresa is so village-like you would hardly believe that you're in the centre of a huge city, but you literally have everything Rio has to offer within minutes of the front door.

The Iko Poran staff were welcoming, friendly and flexible, gave great advice on living in the city, and organised social activities for the volunteers including several group outings to Maracana stadium to see the beloved Botafogo play!

I have wonderful memories of my time in Rio and it was the best way to start my round-the-world trip.

What would you improve about this program?
Some more planning of the volunteer activities in advance would have helped. I was initially expecting to help put a website together for the school, only to find when I arrived that the staff didn't really want one! However, my skills were quickly put to use elsewhere and I can't fault the experience once I had arrived.
47 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Chetan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An experience of a lifetime

I spent 1 month in Rio de Janeiro, helping Carlão and his football project in Barreira do Vasco. It was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to meet this wonderful human being. His efforts in the Community to provide a fun academy for the children in the area is incredible. The kids were really fantastic and extremely talented. Not to mention it was impossible to get the ball off many of them! I was really emotional leaving the kids and Carlão, but definitely made a friend for life and still keep in touch.

Iko Poran, were excellent in organising my stay in Brazil and I had a lot of fun with the staff and Felipe, the Director. I felt totally safe and accomodated for and if I needed any assistance or help, the organisation's staff were very easy to get in touch with. Living in Rio does require many precautions and smart thinking for personal safety and blending in with Cariocas but the staff are really helpful with advice when you arrive there.

During the weekdays, voluntary work was the key focus, but in the evenings and weekend there was plenty of opportunity to travel, socialise and take advantage of the wonders of Rio. Music, dancing, culture and arts are richer than in any part of the world and the social scene around Lapa is phenomenal.

This really was a life changing experience. After my month with Iko Poran, I have actually been mentoring one of the kids I met in the Favela. He is brilliant and has so much potential for his career dreams. I am determined to make his dreams come true. Without Iko Poran, I wouldn't have had this chance.

What would you improve about this program?
This programme could be marketed better around the world. It is a fantastic opportunity to really make a difference to people and their lives and I hope we can spread Iko Poran's message even more!
44 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Dane
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Organization and Wonderful Programs

I spent 6 weeks in Rio de Janeiro volunteering with Iko Proan. I had a wonderful time working with the kids in my programs and will always cherish my experience hanging with Felipe and the gang. I wish I had more time to spend there. All of the other volunteers were great and we had a blast exploring the city during our off time.

What would you improve about this program?
Not much. It was pretty perfect.
41 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Gerbert
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Football trainer in a favela in Rio

I volunteered in Rio de Janeiro as a football trainer and English teacher. Iko Poran placed me in a project called Jocum in the favela Borel. Jocum is a very organized Christian charity with a hospital, music school, women project, football project and they organize a lot of different activities for the community. Safety in the favela was no problem; in fact, the people were very welcoming to me when they knew that I volunteered for Jocum and they were very eager to participate in the program. The participants of the football project are around 18 years old, so playing football with them is a great experience in itself if you like football! Staying there for a longer period gives you the chance to really make a difference and help the people, although a short stay will be great too. Next to the football trainings I also taught the participants of the football project English classes.
As I stayed for almost 3 months with another volunteer, we became good friends with the boys in the favela and they treated us like we were one of them. Still months after volunteering, I'm in touch with many of the boys from the football program and I promised them to come back!

What I liked the best are the relationships we could build with the football players and help them in making their life decisions, eg. about going to school, having work, how to treat the girls in the favela, how to stay away from criminality, etc.

Iko Poran has two houses where you will live with the other volunteers. Living with the other volunteers is a lot of fun and you will enjoy every day/night. At Iko Poran, Zac and Vivi help you with everything you need, they also offer you Portugese language course, which helps you a lot to get around.

What would you improve about this program?
Pricing of the program could be improved. Just to volunteer we paid a lot for accommodation and breakfast. However, the quality of these were pretty bad. The mattresses were bad, kitchen equipment was very old and the wifi barely worked if everybody was back in the hostel.
For breakfast, there were only white slices of bread, cheese, ham, most of the time a piece of fruit, 1 type of cereals, milk and coffee. For none of us this was enough to start a full day of volunteering.
To sum up, nothing too bad, but Iko Poran can easily improve these to improve the experience of the volunteers.
51 people found this review helpful.
Response from Iko Poran Volunteer Abroad - IKPVA

Dear Gerbert,
Thank you very much for your review. We at Iko Poran are very glad to know you had an awesome time with us in Rio. It is great to know your volunteer program was productive and you feel that you really caused a positive impact.
I just want to address the breakfast and the accommodation issues because you are right: breakfst was not very good and we impoved it with juice, fruits and cereal; there are more bread, ham and cheese for the ones who want to eat more, and we did not raise the price for the accommodation. Besides that, because of your review we changed all the mattresses that were not in good condition.
We really appreciated having you here with us and look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Best wishes,
Iko Poran

Default avatar
David
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Community development - making a real difference

Working for 3 weeks in the favela has been a fabulous way to realy help the locals and make life a little better for the kids, teenagers, their parents and the staff in charge.
We were 3 volunteers to help out Cleidy, a dynamic and wonderful woman, who runs (almost all by herself) a place that provides a safe learning place for kids. There are basic English classes, computers (without internet connexion), books to read, a room to practice samba or ballet and a court yard to play outside (in a depressing state). Throughout all activities, the key message is always "study and use birth control if you want to have a better life!"
When arriving the first day with our local coordinator Vivi, it was clear that a lot of work had to be done. While the enthusiasm of the staff and the very warm welcome were great, we were overwelmed by the limited infrastructure. We decided to take it step-by-step and make sure that walls got cleaned and painted, rooms were cleared and the court yard freshened up by plants and flowers and a friendly, huge, educational wall painting. While doing this, the kids (between 5 and 18 years of age) and the staff were most of the time around, chatting to us, helping or just observing :-)
What I liked most is the fact that we have been able to make a small contribution that realy makes a difference. Things go slow in Brazil and priorities are different in the Favela but the enthusiasm and gratitude is the best gift we could receive!

What would you improve about this program?
In some cases it would be helpful if specific tasks/projects were identified prior to the first day of work. In my case, we have lost precious time due to the lack of preparation (discussing with locals, sorting out materials, changing priorities etc.)

More money and volunteers for the local projects.
46 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Sabrina, Thank you for your interest in our programs. You can find detailed information about the fees on the Brazil's webpage and also on the Fees webpage of our website. Please feel free to ask any other questions you have. We are always happy to help :)

Hi Sabrina, Thank you for your message. The sooner you start the application process the better. First because you will secure your placement in our highest tourist season (summer on the Northern Hemisphere), and also because you will receive our pre-departure material, including fundraising guides, that can help you cover the expenses of your trip. The program fee is due only 30 days before the...

Nowadays we only use a hostel and a volunteer house. Last July we had 25 volunteers at a time, 10 at the house and 15 at the hostel. They are both located in Santa Teresa neighborhood and volunteers usually do things together.