Portugal: ESC: Volunteering in Lousã: working with elderly

About the local hosting organization

Activar is a non-profit local development association located in Lousã. Its work with the community is based on the development of social and cultural projects in various fields of action, namely: childhood, youth, social development, sport, professional training and tourism. Activar has strong links with the community and strong partnerships at local, national and international levels. At Activar, we believe that sharing and cooperation are the main drivers for improving learning and development and for increasing social value. The main activities developed by Activar are: Childhood activities (support to about 160 children aged 3 to 6 in Animation and Family Support Activities and development of Extracurricular Activities with about 500 children aged 6 to 10); Youth office (organized activities and individual support for young people aged 10 to 30); Local Social Development Contract (family involvement and training, education for global citizenship, prevention of risky behavior in adolescents, local production and consumption model, local culture and heritage preservation, active aging activities, etc.); Sports (Karate, Krav Maga, Zumba, among others); Tourism (nature tourism activities such as hiking and team building events, promotion of “Casa da Eira” - tourism office, local products store and exhibition center in the schist village of Talasnal and “Casa do Caminheiro” - rural accommodation ; Vocational training center.

Presentation of the programme

You will work daily with elderly, integrated in a local elderly care center. You will also develop other punctual activities within Activar and a personal project of your choice. Tasks: support the team in the implementation of activities; develop your own activity with elderly, bringing intercultural value; share your experience and promote volunteering among the local community; support other innitiatives/events from Activar; develop a personal project; participate in team meetings; learn basic portuguese; organize a volunteers group event by the end of the project.

About the accomodation

You will be accommodated in an apartment in the centre of Lousã, from where you can easily access several services and places by foot or bike. The apartment has an equipped kitchen, electric heaters, bed linen and bath towels, and access to WI-FI. Food and transport support will be provided in the form of payment, every month, as well as pocket money to your Revolut account.

About the leisure activities

Regular meetings and integration in Activar's teams as well as "on the job" training will be provided. You will be given access to Online Linguistic Support (OLS) platform and we will also suggest other tools to study and learn the portuguese language. Support for clarifying doubts and motivation to improve your skills and develop your ideas will be given by the elderly care center office workers, the ESC coordinator. You will also be enrolled on the On-arrival training provided by Portuguese National Agency.

Requirements

The Participant profile: We are looking for a motivated young person who wants to be part of the life of a beautiful, authentic Portuguese village and experience local culture up close. The volunteer should: Enjoy working with elderly people; Be flexible and ready to help in workshops, events, cultural activities, and community projects; Bring energy, curiosity, and a positive attitude, open to new experiences and different cultures; Have creative skills (painting, singing, playing an instrument, handcrafts) — a big plus; Speak or want to learn/improve Portuguese. No prior experience is needed — just motivation, curiosity, and a willingness to join the local community life!Deadline: