CAMP REHABILITATING HOUSES
Lisbon and surroundings, Portugal
4 rounds:
June 30th to July 14th
July 14th to July 28th
July 28th to August 11th
August 4th to August 18th
Just A Change
Profile:
Students of any degree from 1st grade, willing to help and have a spirit of service and sharing. Volunteers are expected to have initiative, a willingness to work and a willingness to get their hands dirty.
Positions:
25 (5/6 in each round)
Location:
Lisbon or Oporto (and surroundings).
Dates:
Four rounds:
1st Fortnight of July
2nd Fortnight of July
1st fortnight of August
2nd fortnight of August
Language:
English
*Language in which the project will be developed.
Comments from participants:
A 1st year Psychology student tells us about this project....
"It lasted 15 days during the month of July. We had a schedule from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., a one-hour lunch break, and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the same hours as a workday. The first 4-5 days were more focused on cleaning the house, throwing away everything that the favored ones didn't want and knocking down walls or stairs to improve the layout of the house. Once this work was done, the next step was to improve the interior walls, the exterior facade and the porch at the entrance of the house. Finally, the remaining days were used to paint both the exterior and the interior of the house. The truth is that it has helped me realize how bad a lot of people have it, that we don't need so many unnecessary things to live, and how superficial we are becoming, that there are much more important things than what we wear, or the cell phone we use."
Project and activity identification:
Just a Change is a non-profit association that rebuilds homes for people in need in Portugal. To date, Just a Change has rebuilt hundreds of houses and institutions, having mobilized thousands of volunteers inside and outside the country.
We rehabilitate houses without roofs, windows and doors. Houses where there is no hot water or electricity. We rehabilitate houses where it is cold all the time. We rehabilitate houses because we believe that living conditions have a direct impact on reducing poverty and crime in the population. We rehabilitate homes because we know that it leads to improvements in public health and energy efficiency in our country. We rehabilitate housing because we know that it can be the starting point for a new life. We rehabilitate housing so that everyone has a decent place to live.
We rebuild lives because we bring volunteers full of joy and hope to people's homes. We rebuild lives because we give hope to those who no longer have it, and because we mobilize the community to help and recover their own. We rebuild lives because home is the most important place in the world and everyone deserves to have one.
What are we going to do?
Camp In is a volunteer program with the format of a summer camp in rural areas of Portugal. In partnership with several municipalities, foundations and companies, we rebuild several houses, spread from north to south of Portugal.
These are intense days of construction work in families' homes, mobilization and contact with the local community, all in a lively and relaxed spirit. Volunteers are constantly monitored and supervised by a volunteer coordinator and a construction technician, who are there to teach them everything they need.
Just a Change, with the help of volunteers and local communities, transforms the lives of those in need by turning their homes into places to live with joy and dignity.
The work of the volunteers allows the beneficiary's home to be rebuilt. Each volunteer will be assigned to a team that will be in charge of a work and will be accompanied by a professional.
Schedule, all day long.
Description of the beneficiaries:
Residents of rural localities in southern Portugal without a suitable house to live in.
Previous training:
All students selected for the VUELA program will receive common training for participation in volunteer activities.
Consult YOUR UNIVERSITY in the following links for training dates, location and conditions. Don't forget to mark them in your calendar. This training is mandatory and is part of the project.
Lodging and meals:
Accommodation in local facilities ("Base Camp"). Full access to basic and humble conditions (e.g. WC, hot water, common spaces to relax, etc.). All accommodation in shared rooms at Base Camp. All meals and snacks included (2 hot meals, breakfast and 2 snacks).
A contribution of 350 euros will be made to cover the costs of food and lodging during the entire project.
Information on the possibility and conditions of financial support for these items can be found below, by consulting YOUR UNIVERSITY:
Transport:
The student is responsible for arranging and paying for transportation to the project site and must inform the project's reference university of the date and time of arrival at least 15 days in advance.
University of reference for the project:
Catholic University of Portugal-Oporto (Costança Barbosa).