Volunteer travel empowers individuals to prioritize community needs while enjoying the freedom to explore their surroundings. The beauty of it all lies in reciprocating the locals’ hospitality through volunteering. One area that is truly in need of volunteers now is the Amazon.
Students Fare can help anyone start their volunteer journey abroad. Given the unpredictability of today’s world, an added safeguard becomes essential. We help arrange travel Insurance that shields the journey. The events include flight cancellations, lost luggage, health concerns and beyond.
Students Fare additionally offers booking options for flights, lodging, transportation, and group arrangements. Read our volunteer trip guide to know how we can help you plan the ideal volunteer trip for the group.
In this blog, Students Fare talks about the top 3 volunteer programs at the Amazon.
Why Volunteering at the Amazon is necessary?
The Amazon Jungle, often called the Earth’s lungs, stands as the largest rainforest on our planet. It is extremely important for our planet’s health. The region is crucial in maintaining the global oxygen and carbon cycles.
It generates approximately 6 percent of the world’s oxygen. The Amazon has been widely recognized as a significant carbon sink. It effectively absorbs substantial quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
However, deforestation, logging, and climate change constantly endanger its ecosystem and local communities. The responsibility for its fate rests on all of us. Volunteering at the Amazon is the best way to implement conservation and reforestation efforts.
Top 3 Volunteer Programs in the Amazon
Doctors Without Borders
Since 2014, the Doctors Without Borders Association has been helping traditional Amazonian communities along the Lower Madeira River. It started when its founder saw that the Brazilian government wasn’t providing healthcare to riverside and indigenous groups.
Their goal is to connect health professionals who want to help with communities that need it. They began by focusing on dental care. Later, it expanded to include general healthcare, family medicine, and emergencies starting in 2017. To join, one first needs to become a member.
This lets individuals learn about the organization’s goals, mission, and practices before deciding to join. They can join either as an exchange student or an activist. Activists are volunteers who help with projects and work directly with Amazon communities.
NAPRA — Support Center for the Amazonian Riverside Population
For over 20 years, NAPRA has been helping students and professionals learn how to work in the Amazon. They also support communities along the Lower Madeira River in Rondônia.
To work with NAPRA, there is a selection process usually held at the end of each year. Additionally, they will need to attend training in the first semester.
This involves classes and participating in fundraising and various projects. These are related to health, education, culture, sanitation, income, and social organization. All these projects are respectful of the traditional culture of the local communities.
Even if someone is not a student in any of these areas, they are welcome to join NAPRA.
Volunteer work in the Amazon with NAPRA happens in three riverside communities throughout July. Currently, these communities are São Carlos do Jamari, Nazaré, and Lago do Cuniã Extractive Reserve.
It’s a month filled with implementing projects, immersing in the local culture, and learning from the forest community.
Volunteer at the Peru Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Amazon
This Peru Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates, and releases rainforest animals while preserving their habitat. It is located near Puerto Maldonado in the southern Peruvian Amazon.
The sanctuary takes in sloths, howler monkeys, birds, and more. Volunteers help care for, rehabilitate, and release these animals back into the wild whenever possible. Many of them come from illegal trafficking, the pet trade, or abusive homes. Local residents also bring in sick or injured animals due to hunting accidents.
Although situated near Puerto Maldonado, the project is located in a rural setting. The accommodation provided is comfortable, clean, and well-ventilated. It is equipped with screens and mosquito nets for volunteers.
Volunteer tasks include:
- Preparing food
- Feeding animals
- Maintaining enclosures
- Providing enrichment activities
Individuals here work 6 to 7 hours a day, 6 days a week. With the sanctuary, placements lasting 1 to 12 weeks.
The minimum age requirement is 18, unless accompanied by an adult, and fluency in English or Spanish is necessary. A passion for animal welfare is a must.
Head over to the Amazon With Students Fare
The indigenous communities of the Amazon stand strong against various threats. These threats include forest fires, deforestation, land seizures, and governmental neglect.
With each passing day, it is becoming evident that the Amazon rainforest is depleting. Hence, volunteering would mean lending a helping hand to the wildlife and communities.
Students Fare can help make this life-changing experience affordable for students worldwide. We will help plan the entire trip to the rainforest. This starts from the flights to the enrollment with the volunteering community. Reach out to us today and kickstart your volunteering journey.
