Brazil Volunteer Programs from $23/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

If I had the courage to travel to Brazil alone to volunteer anyone can do it! I was scared, nervous and anxious! and actually asked myself in the taxi to the host house 'what on earth am I doing here' but I had the biggest smile on my face!. Then you meet the amazingly beautiful people you will live with, which are now my friends for life!! When I first saw my placement for the first time I fell in love instantly! I could see the children playing football and just wanted to get stuck in straight away. I cherished every minute with them and the legend of Barreira do Vasco; Carlao. A very inspirational man, ex professional footballer and present football coach to the children and young people living within this area. My only regret is not being able to speak fluent Portuguese as this prevented me from truly getting to know the children and their lives. Volunteering in Brazil I have learnt a lot about myself and I am not the same person I was before this journey began. I will forever be grateful to IVHQ and more so JIVE (Vivi and Zac) for helping me achieve my dream. DO IT GUYS! DO IT! :)

My three months volunteering in Rio will always be a cherished highlight. With a background in support work and aid-teaching back at home, it was such a eye-opening experience to teach English in a country totally foreign in every aspect to me!

To be brutally honest, I remember the first week feeling quite 'shocked'/disorientated with my surroundings, as it was my first time travelling to a developing country solo - but I am so grateful for the support given from both Zac and Vivi. From formal introductions to our projects to proactive advice on how to travel smartly around the city, Zac and Vivi do a fabulous job at making you feel at ease and confident living in such a new (but very exciting!) environment. What I admired most about volunteering with the program was the ongoing support you received which was genuinely dished out whenever needed, selflessly! If you choose to volunteer with Jive, I have no doubt you will feel at home so easily thanks to these support these guys provide!

Looking back on my experience, I could have not asked for a better way to spend my summer. Not only do you immense yourself into a community, actively contribute to their growth and learn about the daily challenges they face, but you will create such strong friendships with fellow volunteers (and maybe a few locals too!) that are bound to last a lifetime. If you're thinking about volunteering with Jive, I have no doubt you will also be in great hands! The greatest challenge you'll have is saying goodbye (good luck with that!).

This program has allowed me to gain experiences that I will always remember. From the volunteer sites to the friendships you'll make to exploring Brazil, there isn't one moment you won't love! If you ever get a chance to participate, do it with no hesitations.

Volunteering with JIVE for two months was the best and happiest time of my life. I was in the hands of amazing people who genuinely cared about us and did everything to help us to feel comfortable. During my time there I was very ill, and the coordinators were there for me all the way - and I'm talking about leaving our house at 6am in order to be the first to be seen by doctors. They supported me so much and gave us the best experience. I was lucky enough to experience two different types of programs - Childcare and Teaching English and both have impacted me in ways I never thought it would. After two months, I went back home with a different outlook on life. I'm so more grateful of the things I have in my life and I can not say this enough times but this experience really was the best thing that ever happened to me and changed me forever. I also made best friends FOR LIFE from other places of the world and I'm so blessed to of met the amazing people that were there. We now all share this amazing bond and experience together that none else will ever know or understand, no matter how many time we talk about our experience to other people. I'm so happy to of made this decision to come on board with JIVE, and really just stress how amazing your life will be if you guys go on board with this company! Rio has now a great place in my heart, and I can't wait to graduate University in two years to return back to this amazing place with this great company :)

*Disclaimer: IVHQ no longer works with Iko Poran*

A hands on approach to improving peoples lives - helping to build a home. Powerful, constructive, heart touching, rewarding and growthful. A life reinforcing experience - not to be missed. Thank you!

*Disclaimer: IVHQ no longer works with Iko Poran*

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP rang my alarm each morning at 8 AM. Shower, breakfast, bus. Project.

My mornings began playing soccer (i.e., 'futebol' in Portuguese) for two hours with the children in the comunidade I worked in. This was to avoid melting in the pleasant, but blistering Brazilian sun during the Summer. Fast forward: the last 2.5 hours of each day were spent teaching English to eager young minds in a community with a lack of educational structure.

What was the best part of each day? It was the seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and young adults as they proved to themselves that they COULD learn to speak English. One word at a time; one sentence at a time...they learned.

Rio de Janeiro is without a doubt different from anywhere else I have ever traveled. It is gorgeous, the people are beautiful and the fun never ends, but is important to stay street smart and listen to the advice from more experienced peers in order to adequately navigate the streets of the sometimes dangerous and unpredictable streets of this city.

Just as in any city, it is important to stay focused, know where you are going and to speak the native language. It is not imperative to be fluent in Portuguese prior to arriving in Rio, but it sure helps to know basic words and phrases.

Thinking about volunteering or studying abroad in Rio? DO IT! The experience will forever change you and the memories will last a lifetime.

-Michael

*Disclaimer: IVHQ no longer works with Iko Poran*

I don't know who wrote the other two reviews, but they are a little bit generous in my opinion. I would say that I have had a really nice time in Rio on my weekends and evenings, but the program that I signed up to do didn't exist, so I ended up having to regroup and go with the flow, and teach English instead. The comment about the houses is really weird to me because, being that I am pretty low maintenance about living conditions I would say that a house coated in three layers of mold is not nice. The meal that they promise is really just some bread and maybe jam or something. Expect to buy all your own meals.
The money that is supposed to go back to the projects doesn't get seen by those who need it, which means if you want any supplies for your activities you can expect to pay for them out of your own pocket and those who run the Rio project get really aggressive if you ask them about this issue. They are incredibly unprofessional.
Please keep in mind that IVHQ has many projects around the world and the net work with many different organizations. I am only speaking on be half of the Rio trip.

*Disclaimer: IVHQ no longer works with Iko Poran*

IVHQ in Rio is a very unique experience. You will not only get to see the favelas in a personal sense, but you will also get to have a lot of fun. The volunteer house community is close and going out in Lapa, or Ipanema, or whereever is common. Rio isnt the safest of cities, but the staff will help you to stay safe with some good advice.