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Brazil is the home of football, samba, Carnival, beautiful beaches, and beautiful people. These are just a few of many reasons why Brazil is a treasured travel destination. As South America’s largest country, Brazil is both culturally and geographically diverse.
Play soccer on the beach with the locals while volunteering in Brazil. Photo by Alexa Kaufman
Brazil is comprised of 26 states and its federal capital is Brasilia. In this former Portuguese colony, you’ll find deep-rooted remnants of Portuguese influence in everything from the language, architecture, the food, and of course, the people. Brazil is a country full of contradictions: while it’s plagued by poverty, most Brazilians tend to possess a carefree quality. In cities like Rio de Janeiro, the rich live in lavish condos adjacent to the poor who live in shanty towns known as favelas.
The majority of Brazilians are ethnically mixed, but disparities between different ethnic groups persist. Yet Brazil’s positives far outweigh its socio-economic issues, making it an ideal country for volunteering.
Why Brazil Needs You
Poverty is an ongoing problem in Brazil as there’s a wide gap between the people who have it all and those who have nothing. Although the country is making strides in reducing levels of extreme poverty and income inequality, it still has a long way to go. Many of Brazil’s poorest citizens live in urban and upcountry favelas. Because of rapid urban development and population growth, there’s also a shortage of housing which is why many poor people build homes without proper utilities in favelas. Disparities in educational funding and poor school attendance due to malnutrition are other major problems in Brazil. To help alleviate these socio-economic problems, there are a variety of volunteer programs available in Brazil from teaching English and building homes in favelas, to working with children.
Cultural Diversity
One of the great things about Brazil is that everyone fits in. Because Brazilians are so ethnically diverse, anyone can blend in there. In Brazil you’ll find a small percentage of indigenous Amerindians who primarily live on reservations, but there’s also a large African influence due to the numerous amounts of slaves that were imported to Brazil at the height of its slave trade. Of course, there’s also a strong Portuguese influence in Brazilians’ ethnic makeup due to the fact that it’s a former Portuguese colony. Additionally, many other European cultures call Brazil home including Italians, Germans, Jews, and Eastern Europeans. There’s also a small but present Asian population in Brazil with immigrants primarily from China and Japan.
Weather & Landscape
The weather and landscape in Brazil are just as diverse as its ethnic makeup. Although the majority of the country enjoys a tropical climate, it has five major climatic subtypes that account for the country’s diverse geographic landscape. In the north you’ll find equatorial rainforests and semiarid deserts, in the south there are temperate coniferous forests, and in the center of Brazil you’ll find tropical savannas.
Lots to See & Do
Brazil’s diverse weather and landscape and its wide range of cultural and historical points of interest are indicative of the wide variety of things to see and do there. While urban hotspots like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador, attract millions of visitors each year, Brazil has numerous smaller cities and towns that make for unforgettable travel destinations.
There are several Greyhound-like bus companies that offer affordable transportation to many major cities within the country and to smaller locales such as Costa Verde and Buzios. Alternatively, there are reasonable flight options for faster transport to intra-Brazil destinations. In Brazil, your options for activities during your downtime are limitless. Whether you want to explore or stay in a favela (some favelas offer guest house accommodations), visit a former colonial Portuguese town, hike along fjords, explore the rainforest, or simply bask in the sun on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Brazil has plenty of options for every interest.
Author - Dana Carmel Bell is a law school grad who currently works full time in contracts management for a multimedia company in Los Angeles. When not at her day job, she volunteers locally and abroad. To date, Dana has volunteered internationally in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Turkey, and Vancouver, BC, and she shares stories of her volunteer and non-volunteer travel adventures on her blog which she maintains in connection with her travel planning and tour operating business, Time Travel Plans. When she's not busy working on her travel pursuits, she enjoys reading, cooking, and dancing samba! You can read about Dana's volunteer and non-volunteer travel adventures on her blog.
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Work with us on the cutting edge of conservation and sustainability to make the conservation of the Rainforest more attractive than its destruction. One of Conservation International's top five global biodiversity hot spots, the conservation of the Atlantic Rainforest is...
Volunteer in Brazil with International Volunteer HQ today. IVHQ is the most affordable volunteer organisation in the world, sending over 5500 volunteers abroad each year. IVHQ Brazil is located in Rio de Janeiro, on the eastern coast of South America. We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities available including Working with children, Sports programs (Surfing, Beach Volleyball, Capoeir...
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Brazil is widely known for its beauty and diversity in landscape, culture, and ethnicity. However, there is a stark economic divide among its residents, perpetuated by limited affordable housing options and social services, and high unemployment rates, among other issues.
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Help a Brazilian non-profit organization educate children and keep them off the streets in Rio de Janeiro or work at a wildlife sanctuary near Curitiba feeding animals and cleaning their enclosures with ELI - Experiential Learning International volunteer programs in Brazil. All programs include food, accommodation with a host family or at guest houses, and orientation and training.
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Make a lasting difference as you participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Argentina and immerse yourself into a local community and language, experiencing the culture firsthand. GeoVisions' Conversation Corps provides native English speakers a chance to live with a Argentinean family and teach them conversational English. Volunteer placements also available working with ...
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Scope is a grassroots volunteering organisation that promotes socio-environmental sustainability in Brazil, whilst at the same time offering an extraordinary experience to volunteers. We offer English teaching, home building and conservation programmes in Rio and Bahia. Scope works to help our volunteers build new bridges and experience new things, because we believe that this is the only way t...
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Kaya gives you the opportunity to volunteer abroad, learn a language abroad, gain valuable work experience overseas, take a gap year or become TEFL qualified. With over 200 volunteer projects and work experience opportunities in more than 20 countries across the globe, Kaya can offer you a world of choice!
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Travel to Brazil one of the world's largest countries in to the heart of the worlds largest jungle. Learn Portuguese, Teach the staff English, educate the public about the importance to sustain the Amazon Jungle and assist as a guide in exiting overnight survival trips! The Amazon jungle, one the last great wildernesses left in this world is getting cut down day by day at an alarming rate! B...
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We share the same passions you have about traveling abroad. We treat you the way that we want to be treated, and provide the service that we hope to get on the road. We will assist you with ALL of your travel needs.
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Work side-by-side and build relationships with members of our indigenous partner communities in the U.S. and abroad.
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ISA (International Studies Abroad) has 33 programs in 15 different locations. Programs are offered in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China and 10 other countries.
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Global Volunteer Network
Our vision is to support the work of local community organizations in developing countries through the placement of international volunteers. We believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs, and we provide volunteers to help them achieve their goals.
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United Planet
United Planet strives to create a global community that understands, respects, and supports one another. We offer personalized volunteer experiences in 38 countries lasting from 1 week to 1 year. To date, our volunteers have contributed over 800,000 hours of service to support education, healthcare, environmental efforts, and community development all over the world.
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Frontier
Explore remote and spectacular landscapes, work with deprived and deserving communities, or campaign for wildlife care and conservation on a travel adventure you’ll never forget.
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Nikitas Language Abroad Schools
Nikitas Language Abroad Schools has 48 programs in 5 different locations. Programs are offered in England, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain
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Global Leadership Adventures
Live on the GLA campus in Fortaleza, Brazil, a region known for its unique Nordestino culture. Immerse yourself in the culture of one of the most diverse nations in the world during this unique community service trip for teens.
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