São Paulo – The Archdiocesan Caritas in Rio de Janeiro (Cáritas RJ) is looking for volunteers to work with refugees. There are openings for 12 Portuguese teachers, 2 Portuguese course assistants and 8 children’s recreation professionals.
Past teaching experience is not required from volunteers for the Portuguese classes, but intermediate level is required for teachers of Arabic, French, English and Spanish, which are used as assistance languages during the lessons.
Classes are taught at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj) on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 11:30 am. Volunteers can choose to work once a week only.
Portuguese course assistants will keep track of classes alongside the course coordinators. Job assignments include providing class reports, helping organize the classes and craft cards and statements, take part in training workshops and sit regularly-held progress-tracking meetings.
Children’s recreation professionals will care and play with kids while their parents attend the Portuguese lessons.
Cáritas RJ reports that it serves 550 Arab refugees, mostly from Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. According to the organization, there’s strong demand for the Portuguese classes, since learning the language is the first step towards becoming integrated in Brazil and finding jobs.
At this time, Cáritas RJ caters to 6,650 refugees and asylum-seekers from 60-plus countries. An organization affiliated with the Catholic Church, Cáritas relies on support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and relies on backing from the Brazilian Ministry of Justice.
The deadline for volunteer registration is February 15 at 5 pm. The positions must be filled by March 14, when the Portuguese course begins.
Applicants can register at www.caritas-rj.org.br/trabalho-e-voluntariado.html.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
