According to the National Institute of 2018 Statistics report, 7.2 million Brazilians had done some kind of volunteer work, and although that might seem like a lot, there is still a long way to go when it comes to volunteering in Brazil.

The fact is that in Brazil volunteering is often associated with deeds of charity, supporting people in need through providing food or clothing. This type of charity is usually associated with religious organizations, and although it’s important and valued, there’s a lot more to volunteering than that!

Protecting the environment for example, doesn’t usually yield immediately visible results, and this may discourage some people who long to make a difference, but volunteering in this field as every bit as important as volunteering anywhere else.

Volunteering is good both for the community and for the volunteer. Volunteers can supply a need that the state cannot, and directly impact the lives of many people. Since volunteering implies the need for planning, it can also provide benefits in terms of personal development to the volunteer. So volunteers can feel good by doing good, as well as developing new skillsets.

So remember when you volunteer that it may seem that you are doing something small, but in fact, you are a part of something much bigger!

Text by Eduardo Dreyer, volunteer at Iracambi