Community in Action

Community in Action (Comunidade em Ação) is a non-profit non-governmental organization (NGO) located in one of Rio de Janeiro's largest favela (shanty town) communities. The organization was established in 2004, founded on three over-arching principles: (1) community change truly begins from the ground-up: individuals helping individuals, neighbors helping neighbors, the community helping the community; (2) unique perspectives and skill-sets from outside the favela help facilitate community development; (3) a well-organized administrative structure that includes short- and long-term strategies is the key to sustainable community development.

We are expanding our programs in this area of Rio and looking for interested volunteers to join our team as a Community in Action Fellow. Our operating model allows individuals interested in social entrepreneurship to select community development projects via our website, travel to Rio, and implement diverse outreach initiatives. The Community in Action team will provide logistics support before you travel and upon your arrival, working directly with local residents in the favela. Although diverse projects are shown on our site, we are always open to new suggestions; once accepted, you will have the opportunity to shape the program you select. All projects are flexible and we encourage proactive input to continuously enhance our services. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in International Development, Non-Profit Management, or Sustainable Enterprise.