Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Brazil – Overall Positive – User Review

In July 2012, I decided to participate in one of Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village volunteer trips. I chose Brazil because it happened to fit into my schedule and it would be my first trip there. I chose Habitat for Humanity based on their reputation and the good they’re doing worldwide. I contacted the team leader and expressed my interest and she accepted me into the group through a phone interview process. Things started happening quickly. Once all fourteen team members were accumulated, we shared our bio’s and also what we were doing pre and post the Brazil trip. Some members of the team added small trips before and after the volunteer experience.

To volunteer, I had to pay a fee of $1795—not cheap—but you do have the option to set up your own webpage and collect donations from friends and family. The fee covered all meals and accommodations for the nine days, and a portion of the monies also went toward the house build. The airfare to Recife, Brazil, was a separate expense and the most economical fare I found was on Copa Airlines via Panama City for $1200.

The other volunteers originated from Bermuda, Israel, Ireland and various locations throughout the United States, and everyone was supposed to be met at the airport in Recife—but it didn’t quite turn out that way, for reasons related mostly to delayed flights. The volunteers that arrived early spent the first night in Recife in a very modest hotel—the “Recife Praia Hotel,” with incredible views of one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. The weather was hot, approximately 90 degrees and sunny which seems to be the climate year round according to the locals.

A few of the volunteers and myself decided to take a walk on the beach in Recife around 11pm on the night we arrived and we were told afterwards that It was not a good idea, and it was not safe at that time of night. The following morning, all the volunteers gathered into a bus and we took a four hour drive to Feira Nova in northeastern Brazil. This is where we would spend the week building a house for one of the local families. The drive was beautiful, the landscape changing from lush green to scattered local little villages and poverty was evident everywhere.

The hotel in Feira Nova was borderline comfortable. Two people shared a room with two single beds, but the mosquitos terrorized us most nights and the showers were always cold— which was not fun—but we couldn’t really complain as this was temporary and the poverty outside our door was permanent for most people.

Monday morning arrived and we were all picked up and taken to the job site, which was about a 40-minute drive. We arrived in a community of approximately 200 homes, which were in various stages of construction, some homes had been completed, some were in various stages of completion and some were just coming out of the ground—meaning at foundation level. Our group would be working on a new house from the ground up. We would be pouring the foundation and starting the build from the ground up. The first day was tough to say the least. If you’re looking for an easy, labor-free volunteer trip, this is not for you. The volunteers were all considered non-skilled, but we had local skilled masons teaching us each step of the way.

Our day started by collecting bags of cement from a storage facility about 500 feet from the location where the build would take place and this went on for hours via wheel barrows. Then, we started mixing and prepping for the foundation. It was very labor-intensive, but I think we all enjoyed the work knowing that a family would be moving into this house that we helped build.

The family that would eventually move into the house was on the job site everyday helping us out any way they possibly could, and this made the experience even nicer. Our work days were from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, with a one hour lunch break. We were driven to a restaurant in the area for our meals. We were well fed. All food was buffet style and unlimited, so you pretty much ate till you were full. Bottled water was freely distributed by our hosts and it was recommended that we only drink bottled water. After work, the group would usually split up. Some went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and others went for a few post work beverages.

Habitat for Humanity made arrangements with their local chapter in Brazil to have someone accompany the group during our stay; we had a driver and a team leader, as well as a group team leader. The team leader scheduled various cultural activities such as visiting a local famous puppeteer, a local school where the children put on a performance for us, among other things. The kids are always intrigued by the arrival of the “foreigners,” and meeting them is one of the highlights of traveling for me. Whether it’s Brazil, Peru, Africa, or India, there’s always a mutual fascination. More often than not, we don’t speak the same language, but smiles are universal.

We completed the work week on a Friday and had a closing ceremony luncheon with our hosts and all the local workers on the job site. All volunteers were presented with a certificate of completion from Habitat for Humanity. It was very nice and sort of emotional, as this was the last time we would see the locals that worked with us side by side.

I know they certainly appreciated our work there, and were sad to see us leave, but It was the end of our work week, and our experience in Brazil was coming to an end. I think we all felt a little sad—I know I did. On our last day with the organization, a beach trip was arranged for us. The team was dropped off at the beach for the day, and then it was back to Recife to say our goodbyes, or for some of the group, on to other parts of South America.

In the time that passed since our trip, I always wondered if all the families moved into that little community that we helped build in Feira Nova, and so I reached out to Habitat one year ago, only to be told that due to some bureaucratic snags, all the houses were not in move in ready condition.

I followed up again a month ago and was told that all families have now moved into the community. I personally would have liked to see a follow up from Habitat for Humanity so that I know in my mind what we all volunteered for was a worthy cause. I was told the program would be distributing information regarding project completion to all those that volunteered, but to date, I have not seen it.

Overall, it was a great experience and I would do it again.

By: Anne Gallagher

Photos by: Jenny Karakaya