EP LETTER
AIESEC IN MANAUS
About the City Manaus is located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, and access to the city is primarily through boat or airplane. This isolation helped preserve both the nature as well as the culture of the city. The culture of Manaus, more than in any other urban area of Brazil, preserves the habits of Native Brazilian tribes. The city is the main entrance to visit the fauna and flora of the Brazilian Amazon. Few places in the world afford such a variety of plants, birds, insects, and fishes. It was known at the beginning of the century, as "Heart of the Amazon" and "City of the Forest". Currently its main economic engineer is the Industrial Pool of Manaus, the famous Free Economic Zone. The city has a free port and an international airport. Its manufactures include electronics, chemical products, and soap; there are distilling and ship construction industries. Manaus also exports Brazil nuts, rubber, jute and rosewood oil. It has a cathedral, opera house, zoological and botanical gardens and regional and native peoples museums. The beauty of Manaus : https://youtu.be/pQyeUsiticM Things to do in Manaus: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/thenorth/manaus/things-to-do/top-things-to-do-in-manaus?ctv=control
Although Manaus it’s one of Brazil’s most isolated states with only 223 residents per square kilometer, Amazonas has the second lowest population density of any Brazilian state, ranking behind only Roraima (which is also in the North). There’s more: practically speaking, its capital city, Manaus, can be reached only by air or boat (cars must enter via Roraima). Given this scenario, one can imagine the challenges that must be met in order to provide quality public services to the most isolated population groups, including services in the areas of public safety and protection of women. It is Brazil’s fourth poorest state. Offering better public services is even more important when one considers that nearly 17% of the state’s 3.6 million people live below the poverty line. Furthermore, 7.1 percent are classified as extremely poor. Manaus, in turn, is home to one-fourth of the extremely poor residents and 48 percent of the vulnerable population.
Projects Alignments If you are interested in coming to Manaus through AIESEC, the first thing you have to do is read the Opportunity description(You can check our projects here). We work with several different projects, so it is important that you understand the Job Description for the project you are applying for. Each TN Taker has different and specific needs. We expect you to be sensitive and pay attention to those needs and act proactively to do the best work you can towards helping them. Also, you must be adaptable to very different realities - this is the only way to truly immerse yourself into the project and to make a positive impact on the lives of the people you will be working with. We ask our EPs to pay a TN Fee of US$ 60 (~ R$ 150). As AIESEC is a non-for profit organization, this fee covers the costs of the TNs (MC fees, transportation and contract costs, etc). By applying to one of our projects, you agree to pay this fee at the beginning of your project. If you decide to do a second Project in Manaus, this fee will be applied again.
The projects have the minimun duration of 6 weeks.
Transportation
Public transportation might be a little challenging in Manaus. It’s normal for people in the city to live far away from their workplaces, and take 1 hour or more to get to / come from work. You might have to take more than one (possibly crowded) bus to get to your project. Bus tickets cost around R$ 3,00(~US$ 1)
At the bus you have to pay the fare with money, so it’s good to always have changed money, because they accept only until 10 Reais bills. At Sundays the fare costs half of the price, if paid with money. For more http://www.onibusmanaus.com.br/
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Accommodation
AIESEC In Manaus provides free accommodation for all EPs for the duration of the projects. You might stay in a host family or in the NGO, if they have guest rooms. (Sometimes you have to share a room with someone with the same gender) And it’s possible that we only know which one right before your arrival.
If you arrive prior to the start date and/or leave after the end of your project, you will be responsible for paying your accommodation. Usually, though, host families agree to host the EPs for a little longer (both before and after the project), but we a ’t guarantee that. If needed, you may turn to cheap or even free options, such as hostels or Couchsurfing.
AIESEC in Manaus a ’t ensure that you will live close to work, as said before, or close to downtown, to the beach or other key places to visit. We a ’t ensure that you will live in a favored area of the city either. You might live in the same community will be working in - therefore, a poor community.
Accommodation AIESEC in Manaus has no distinctions of host families and we a ’t promise any kind of family configuration. You may live with a traditional, full family or in a single host, for instance. There’re also no distinctions of any kind, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion, income or social status. AIESEC in Manaus a ’t ensure that you will have amenities such as a private room, Wi-Fi, air conditioning or any other fancy treat in your host. Related to web connection, our local office has internet and you are welcome to use it if you need.
The EP must follow the rules of his/her host place, such as maintaining the order, asking permission before bringing someone in, participating in household chores with others living with you, using suitable garment at home, respecting the manners of acting and speaking, and any other rules explicit by the host.
Hosts are not responsible for your feeding. The two of you may come to terms about cooking and/or sharing spending on food.
Accommodation ďƒ˜
AIESEC in Manaus may change the EP to another host, if he or she is in any kind of discrimination. However the EP may lose their right for accommodation if he/she violates any policies stated by the host, such as breaking internal code of conduct or any other ethical, religious or cultural norm. If this is the case, AIESEC in Manaus would have no obligation of providing another host or accommodation.
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AIESEC in Manaus is not responsible for any stolen or lost objects. If something like this happens inside the living place, AIESEC will offer assistance to solve the problem, but will not be liable for any eventual costs.
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Living in a Host is part of your experience and, therefore, you are responsible for making the best out of it. If you are in a host family, we recommend that you spend some time with them and engage to their daily lives. Give yourself the change to get to know them and you might get yourself a loving and welcoming family far from home.
Final Alignment
Traveling through AIESEC is not the same as traveling through a regular exchange agency. The purpose of the AIESEC Exchange is primarily to change lives: your own and of the people you get to interact with. You might find yourself in a very different situation to what you are used to, and even different to what you expected. So try to keep an open mind to the opportunities you are given and make the best of them. You will be the most benefited from this posture – which we can assure.
Be proactive to act towards making the change happen – in your own life and in your project. Be open to the cultural and social differences you will face.
Remember: we are a team. At AIESEC, we only work to promote experiences like this, so we are as much interested as you are in the success of your experience. So if you are having problems, talk to us. We will try our best to solve them with you.
If we all work hard enough, we can change lives. We can change realities! A d there’s othi g ore fulfilli g tha that. To guara tee that fulfil and sign the next page and attach the file in the application form.
Acceptance of terms ďƒ˜ I _____________________(1)declare that I read and agree with the terms about the exchange in Manaus mentioned on the EP Letter. I’ allowed a out what are y respo si ilities a d the pre autio s and the points that I have to be careful with.
_______/_______/2015 ___________________________(2)
(1) Your full name (2) Your signature