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The following pages contain important information about Franca - Sao Paulo, in Brazil and its AIESEC Internship. Please read them carefully before applying to any of our projects.
Franca is a beautiful city...
Franca is a medium city in the countryside of Sao Paulo. Its population is around 400.000 people e and it's very famous for being a industrial pole of male leather shoes production. The most played sport, just as much as soccer, is basketball, where the local team is nationally recognized as one of the best teams in Brazil. Not long time ago, the city of Franca was very famous as well by its mines of diamond.
...But is also full of contrasts
Besides the center of the city and its beauty, there are another face: the neighborhood (like this one in the second picture) that are very simple. In the most of time, the community doesn’t have any contact someone from another country. When it happens, they are really impressed, and the children are always receptive and “open their mind� to know the NEW. Because of this, the AIESEC in Franca, carefully, bring people from different places, cultures, visions, to bring them another vision of the world. The trainee works closely with NGOs that help the communities in need, in the attempt to bring development and hope to those comunities.
What does Aiesec Franca offer? t Good TN Takers (NGOs or Schools), that understand the value of the projects;
t Accommodation (more details in the following pages); t 4VQQPSU Grom the ICX team (developing the project, getting to know the city, solving problems, etc); t 0QQPSUVnities to engage with other EPs and Local Committee members; t Opportunities to take part at LC activities, such as conferences and workshops.
These are the people (ICX team) that will be with you ..
Projects and general topics t If you are interested in coming to FRANCA through AIESEC, the rst thing you projects, so it is important that you understand the job description for the project you are applying for. t The projects usually last 6 weeks. The rst week will involve cultural preparation and getting familiar with the working place and the reality of the community. t Each TN Taker has di erent and speci 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 the projects and to make positive impact on the lives of the people you will be working with. t We ask our EPs to pay a FEE of US$ 30 (~ R$ 70). As AIESEC is a non-for pro organization, this fee covers the costs of the HOST. It is need to help the HOST with the bills, like energy and water. We don’t charge rent , the HOST is volunteer too. You can pay with smiles and happiness. t public transportation because the city has just bus and particular locomotion (taxi or mototaxi) and there are many bus stops in the streets. Probably, you will take just one bus or none. Bus tickets cost around R$ 2,80 (US$ 1,4). t If you choose to eat out, you can get a meal for around R$ 10(US$ 5), which might get expensive if you do it regurlarly. To learn more about living costs in Franca, you may visit this website: http://goo.gl/H9pqMV
Accommodation t AIESEC Franca provides free accommodation for all EPs during their projects. You might stay in a host family, single host, hostel or in the NGO, if they have guest rooms. And it’s possible that we only know which one right before your arrival. t If you arrive prior to the start date and/or leave after the end of your project, you will be responsible for paying for your accommodation. Usually, though, host families agree to host the EPs for a little longer (both before and after the project), but we can’t guarantee that. If needed, you may turn to cheap or even free options, such as hostels. t AIESEC Franca can’t ensure that you will live close to work, as said before, or close to downtown or key places to visit. We can’t ensure that you will live in a favored area of the city either. You might live with some students about our universities. ( FRANCA has four universities, is a University city). t We embrace the diversity. AIESEC Franca has no distinctions of host families and we can’t promise any kind of family configuration. You may live with a traditional, full family or in a single host, for instance. There’s also no distinctions of any kind, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion, income or social status. t AIESEC Franca can’t ensure that you will have amenities such as a private room, wi-fi, air conditioning or any other in your host. Our local office has wireless internet and you are welcome to use it if you need. t The EP must follow the rules of his/her host place, such as maintaining the order, asking for permission before bringing someone else, 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.
Accommodation t Hosts are not responsible for your feeding. Both of you may come to terms about cooking and/or sharing spendings on food. t AIESEC Franca 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 Franca would have no obligation of providing another host or accommodation.
t AIESEC Franca 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 t Living in a Host is part of your experience and, therefore, you are also responsible for making the best 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 chance to get to know them and you might get yourself a loving and welcoming family far from home.
About the Uiversity City.. The city has four universities: UNESP, FDF, UNIFRAN, Uni-FACEF. Keeping that in mind, living in Franca is rather much cheaper than living in the capitals. Besides that, the fun part of being here is that we always have party.
The city doens't have beaches, but it has a strategic position in the region: It's close to the wonderful waterfalls and landscapes of Delfin贸polis. There are big cities not too far with nice nightlifes; It's around 5h30, by bus (it's really ok, comparing with the brazilian territory extension), from Sao Paulo, the biggest and most modern city of Brazil, with wonderful nightlife; Around 12h, by bus, from the city of Rio de Janeiro and its amazing beaches. The people of Franca are incredibly kind and receptive with people from abroad, once it's really hard to the city to receive interns by other means if not AIESEC.
Final Thoughts t 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 - that we can assure. t 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. t Remember: we are a team. At AIESEC, we only work to promote experience 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. t If we all work hard enough, we can change lives. We can change realities! And there’s nothing more fullfilling than that. So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to have the best and most impactful experience of your life?
Warm regards, AIESEC Franca ICX Team :)