Since the early eighties, volunteers from all over the world have supported the work of the Associação Comunitária Monte Azul. Today, there are always about 12 volunteers active in Monte Azul, the Peinha, and Horizonte Azul, the Associação's three nuclei. The majority of them come from Germany, but there are also volunteers from Japan, the US, and other European countries. They normally stay for a year, receiving free food and shelter in exchange for their efforts.



 

 

The volunteers work as helpers in nearly all work areas of the Association, except for the health area, which is usually restricted to trained professionals. Most of the volunteers are placed in the pedagogical area, which ranges from nurseries to workshops for adolescents, hence encompassing children of all age groups. Initially, the volunteer mostly assists the teachers in conducting their daily routines. But eventually, depending on his motivation and effort, he can play a more independent and responsible role in the organization's procedures.

The volunteers, like the collaborators, view their work in the Associação as a profound process of self-development. In many of the reports that volunteers have written at the end of their stay, they reflect on their time here as a learning and growth process.

 

Ironically, the "development aid" they seek to provide to the impoverished and disadvantaged also turns into a personal "development aid". This reveals the dual result of a volunteer's stay - the concrete results of his work and the personal "lessons of society" that he learns in Monte Azul's challenging environment.

Given this duality, a volunteer must fulfill various requirements along with his regular work (usually Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.):
  • The participation in the co-workers' meetings every Thursday night
  • The participation in community life, especially in cultural events, joint annual festivals, lectures, and discussions
  • Familiarization with the favelas and their inhabitants
  • Participation in courses and events of the "Escola Oficina Social" (Social Educational Workshop)
  • Participation (and organization) of regular volunteer meetings, where guest speakers are invited to talk about a variety of topics (Brazil, structural and philosophical backgrounds of Monte Azul's work, biographies of co-workers, etc.)
  • Intensive observation of a certain child during the course of his work
  • A final report describing his work experience through personal impressions, critique, and insight.

 

For those interested in working for the Associação but unable to stay for an entire year, an internship is a good alternative. The duration of an internship is usually one to three months. The interns work in the same areas as the volunteers, and are also subjected to the same rights and requirements (view above). They live with brazilian families. and pay 25 Brazilian Reais (circa $6 US) per day for certain expenses during their stay. This is because an intern, given the brevity of his time here, is mostly preoccupied with learning the language, becoming accustomed to his work, getting to know his co-workers etc., so that he cannot offer the Associação the same effective support as the volunteers. The 25 Reais are therefore seen as the intern's compensation for living costs, co-workers' administrative efforts on his behalf, and other expenses. Interns who only stay for a very short time: We cannot guarantee that you will work with the children directly, because for them it is verry difficult, if the persons who care for them always change so quickly.

 


If you have questions, you can ask the actual Nonte Azul Volunteers. Write to the address: international@monteazul.org.br