Boomers Abroad

Description

Visit Brazil, a country bursting with passion and vibrancy, where you can make a positive contribution to the lives of those living in its poorest areas - the favelas. Brazil is a captivating destination where you can find lush rainforests full of rare and fascinating creatures, beautiful beaches where the locals bathe in the warm waters, and the carnival spirit infusing every day with colour.

* What Will I Be Doing?

Whether you are a current or prospective medical student, or simply have a genuine interest in helping deliver healthcare services to deprived communities, this project provides a wide range of exciting and valuable activities and experiences. You may be participating in health awareness campaigns and disease prevention programmes, delivering care to children and their families in specified areas, educating vulnerable community members about STDs and AIDS, assisting at educational talks and workshops to help raise awareness, or even getting involved with the project's blog and website or developing its social networking campaign! This project is all about raising awareness and working with the vulnerable local communities. This really is a once in a life time chance to experience living in Rio, to be involved directly with the provision of practical help for those who truly need it, while at the same time gaining valuable healthcare work experience essential for those intending to pursue a medical career.

* What Does the Project Do?

The cycle of poverty that is prevalent in many of Brazil's favelas has resulted in a myriad of health related problems. This project aims to achieve goals through a variety of different, innovative and creative strategies all aimed at supporting the AIDS and DST prevention group through educative campaigns, preservatives distribution, and workshops delivered to a variety of stakeholders in the community. The health promotion campaign is taken onto the streets of the favelas where a stall is set up to dispense help and advice about AIDS/STD and to distribute free condoms. Besides the work of the prevention group the project has also developed extra classes for children and fabric painting lessons for women in its effort to reach the most vulnerable community members.