Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "work with disabled" projects in Portugal

Info about the Camp Organization

Aventura Marão Clube (AMC)

to promote a healthy lifestyle among the population, especially Youth.

organization of international work camps, summer camps, youth exchanges, youth initiatives, sports activities (canoeing, mountain bikes); Fair Trade awareness (shops, school activities, fairs, etc.); coordination of Casa da Juventude de Amarante, a Youth Centre, in partnership with the City Hall.
Web-page - www.aventuramaraoclube.com

Info about the Camp

to raise awareness among the participants and the population on social inclusion, mainly concerning handicapped young people; to raise awareness also about fair trade, organic farms and environment preservation.

group dynamics; presentation to the city and region; discussion on the workcamp theme (objectives, tasks division); visit to the most important places of the city; training about theatre performance and workshop on how to deal with the difference; direct contact and work with local NGO (Cercimarante) responsible for activities with local handicapped young people; organize an event (theatre performance) involving both groups (workcamp participants and local handicapped young people) to be presented to the local community (open air performance – expected more than 500 persons to assist); visits to some of the main cities and spots in the North of Portugal (Guimarães, Porto, Parque Natural do Alvão).

Participants will be accommodated in shared rooms (4 participants each) of Casa da Juventude de Amarante (even so participants should all bring sleeping bag). Casa da Juventude de Amarante has its own kitchen, wc and showers. In terms of food, our youth centre has a bar/restaurant proposal for the volunteers (breakfast, lunch and dinner) always taking into consideration our aims (healthy food with organic and vegetarian ingredients). Laundry available (self-service). Our youth centre has free wireless.

Portuguese or English

Amarante is a small town in the North of Portugal, part of Porto district (60km far from Porto, to the interior) with 12000 inhabitants (in the center). It is a quite famous city for tourism, culture and wine production. Indeed is quite near (18km) the Oporto wine region. Is crossed by Tâmega River (one of the rivers ending at Douro River that crosses Porto till the Atlantic ocean) and it is on the valley of one of the most important Portuguese mountains, Marão (1450m). Amarante is well located (nearby passes highway A4 connecting to Oporto and highway A11 connecting to Guimarães) and has a good public transport system (bus station). The city is 40 min way from the nearest airport (Oporto) by car.

50€ to be paid upon arrival.

The workcamp will take place at the Pisão Social Centre, which is a psychiatric institution for people with mental and psychological problems, hosting 275 men and 65 women. This Centre is located next to the magnificent Natural Park of Sintra–Cascais, and it has 306ha. http://www.scmc.pt/gca/?id=12

- Cleaning of the Centre and its surrounding natural spaces;
- River cleaning;

benches, flowerpots, gratings and small wooden bridges;
- Wall painting;
- Develop and implement a series of playful and sports activities for the users;
- Making a short film presentation.

The main objectives for this workcamp are...

To promote intercultural learning through the contact with youngsters with different cultural backgrounds and activities that will be designed to simulate that.

To promote peer to peer learning. There is the intention that the participants bring their own ideas, strategies and knowledge to share with the rest of the group members.

To stimulate tolerance, namely in what concerns the local population, trough the contact with people coming from different countries and different from each other.

To stimulate the youngsters to a more active life and more participation in society, through the promotion of this kind of initiatives connected with volunteer work.

To promote among Portuguese youngsters volunteer work opportunities, at a national and international level.

In terms of specific objectives, this workcamp aims at create a nice external environment, relaxing and nature friendly. Create positive attitudes in the users of this Centre in relation to the surroundings. Encourage the users of the Centre to participate in cooperating activities, that also stimulate their creativity. Promote the interaction among users and people from outside the Centre.

This workcamp will be located in Cascais, Portugal. Cascais is a beautiful village next to the seaside, 30km away from Lisbon (40 minutes by train).

Lisbon.

The participants will be accommodated in “Colónia Balnear O Século”, in wards of 6 people each. http://www.oseculo.org/

The participants will have breakfast and dinner at this place, but lunch and afternoon snack will be delivered at the workcamp placement.