Volunteering at Inova Creche has been an amazing experience. The children are so affectionate, full of energy and their faces light up everytime you walk through the door.
I have been mainly helping with supervising the children while studying, playing with the children, helping the teachers in the classrooms (as a teachers assistant), preparing arts and crafts, assisting the younger children eating lunch and helping supervise at nap time.
Andressa (who runs the school), the teachers and all the staff make you feel very welcome and include you in everything. They are very flexible and appreciate any help they receive.
It's truly been an unforgettable experience volunteering and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys working with children.

I stayed about 6 months at the beautiful place of Garça Torta at Malús lodge. I had no idea, what would expect me there and what I found, was what I thought, that I would leave behind...a place, that felt like home, friends and somehow a piece of family. Malú did not only give me a place to sleep, but also made me part of her world. And she will always stay one of mine!

Malú knows how to make a guest feel at home at the student lodge in Garca Torta. She is so openminded and loves to get to know you. My "Brazil Experience" in 2007 changed myself completely.I lost my heart in Brazil and hope I will be back soon, maybe even for longer!

Community Participatory Workshop in Lagoa Azeda/Alagoinha - I was working for abuot 5 month (2010) as an intern with the NGO Instituto Naturagro (Maceió) in a project called" RESEX" (Reserva Extrativista) da Jequiá da Praia. I would discribe this as an integrated environmental protection as well as socioeconomic development project around a lake/river/sea area including 17 smaller villages and when implemented helping around 3000 people (through micro-credits, creation of cooperatives, however also resettlement to avoid destruction from looding, erosion etc). We worked together with the INCRA (Ministry of Agricultural Reform) as well as ICMbio (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade) which is part of the Brasilian Environmental Ministry (IBAMA). If you are interested to know more, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I was having a problem to find anything in Maceio that was not very expensive so when I saw this on Malu's house here decided to give it a try. Location is in Garca Torta about 20 mins from Maceio . There are buses if you do not have a car and I was able to use them without problem. Better for me after renting a car. Malu was very helpful as were the people working here as well. There are beaches nearby that you can walk to. There is a private social club you can use with a big pool nearby for 10 dollars a day.The grounds here are well kept and lovely and the rooms are clean as well. No A/C but didn't miss it . No tv in the rooms but in a common area there is a great large screen tv with dvd and a collection of movies to watch. The two dogs are great as well/ A very pleasant surprise for me and I was very lucky to find this peaceful oasis near bustling Maceio.

I stayed two month at Malús home and all the time I felt welcome. She is so open minded, friendly, helpfull and she took me to so many places, partys and let me be a part of her life for the time. All the time she ask me to join her, when ...she´s going out to a concert or her friends and if you have a problem or you need something, she will take care. And she is a very good portuguese teacher! You can´t find another person you will feel as comfortable as at Malús lodge.

Today is my last day in Brazil and I am about to return to Germany where I am an intern in a small town called Herrnhut. I have been a Marketing Intern at gobrazil for the last 7 weeks and it has been a most fulfilling time for me. I re-discovered my enjoyment of marketing (which I haven't done for many years) and oftentimes worked overtime because I was having such a good time, and also re-kindled my love for football, for music, for the sea and for travelling as I love to study cultures. Malu's house has been an oasis for me. It's truly a house of peace and the people I have met in this house have been such a blessing to my life. In my many travels around the world I have found the Brazilian people to be so helpful and hospitable even though the majority do not speak English. I have felt at home in Brazil, especially in Garca Torta and in the company of all the friends I made through gobrazil. Whether you come to learn the language, experience the culture or fulfill your dream to be in Rio, I recommend a visit to the Alagoas region of Brazil. You may re-discover life here!

Thank you GoBrazil for the greatest opportunity of my life!

I really learned a lot in my time in Brazil, made amazing friends with which I shared a lot of unforgettable moments, had some bad days but definitely more of the good ones and in the end I think I can really say that I found a place where I feel at home and which I will always love to come back! Um abraço forte pra todos vocês e coragem pra as próximos voluntários! A vida e de boa na Alagoa, não se esqueçam disso,haha!:)

Die 3 Monate in Maceió waren eine tolle Erfahrung! Der Unterricht bei Malú war sehr lebendig und lehrreich und ich habe viel über die Brasilianische Kultur erfahren und tolle Leute kennengelernt!
Ich werde wiederkommen!