What is an FWB Caravan?
Guided by the values of the FWB, with the vision of “shaking the world” and instill people the confidence that it is possible to make a better world through good actions, the “FWB Caravan” was born, which will allow people to live a fraternal experience that will be cherished forever! To live out the values of the FWB mission and contribute to transforming lives, the organization’s humanitarian efforts take a sensitive, respectful, technical, and thoughtful approach in the places where the projects are located. Therefore, all activities are guided by ethics, moral values and transparency guidelines. The caravans are voluntary, offering participants a fraternal experience and encouraging everyone to be an agent of change. In addition, it seeks to introduce participants to local realities, whether with their deficiencies and vulnerabilities as well as with the cultural and human richness, such as the strength of the African people - who teach us about humility and purity -and of our Brazilian brothers and sisters. Therefore, we will serve our brothers and sisters by donating affection, discipline, respect, cooperation, and compassion. The caravans are complementary to the projects carried out by the FWB. Thus, they are organized with the participation of sponsors interested in volunteer work according to their area of personal or technological knowledge or professional skills. It is essential to point out that, to participate in the caravans, it is necessary to sponsor one of the organization’s projects. Register for an experience that will change your life by signing up. “I am because we are” is the Ubuntu philosophy that guides our caravans. Coming straight from the heart, your service will be welcomed by all people assisted by our projects which have been living in precarious conditions, with little food and resources but always hoping that better days will germinate.
What do I need to know?
All volunteers are essential for the FWB activities carried out in the projects. This entails and demands a necessary responsibility of each volunteer, as it involves participating in the lives of people who are very vulnerable and who, at some point, were invisible. Therefore, for the volunteer’s purposes to be aligned with those of the FWB, it is essential that:
- know the meaning of the caravan
- know the FWB mission, vision, and values
- research the place where you intend to carry out the volunteer activities
- understand that the volunteer’s role is to work for a better world
- realize that FWB humanitarian caravans are not designed for social tourism
How much does it cost? How do I pay for it?
The volunteers will be responsible for the inbound and outbound flight fares in and out of the country. The volunteer manages these costs once their participation in the Caravan is confirmed. Remember that the sooner you buy your tickets, the cheaper the flight price.
In addition, there are costs for ground transportation, accommodation and food/beverages, translators, maintenance staff, and others. Each volunteer will pay US$56 per night for the project. For this Caravan, it is a total of US$ 450.
There are extra costs with visas, vaccines, health insurance, and covid tests that vary according to each person's country. These costs are not covered by the amount informed above. The caravan coordinator provides more information and guidance. All caravans have a registration fee of US$100 paid after the orientation session, which happens once a month.
Covid and the Caravan
The pandemic has brought several lessons to all of us. One risk we run when travelling internationally is being unable to return because of testing positive for COVID. Each volunteer must measure this risk and be part of the decision process to participate.
It is recommended that each volunteer acquire travel health insurance that covers COVID costs. In addition, you must consider the extra costs of accommodation, food, ticket exchange and test for return. Some insurances cover these costs, so please check what works best for you. You may also have to take time off if you cannot return. So, consider the implications of this Caravan on your return.
NEXT CARAVAN: UBUNTU NATION – 6/25 to 7/3
All caravans have one main goal: to allow our sponsors to learn about Fraternity.
Without Borders operations directly in each project. You will bring back to your home the experience of Fraternity. This caravan trip will focus on the Ubuntu Nation School, led by the elementary school's principal, Charles Heaton. He will organize activities for all volunteers according to their knowledge and skills, even outside education.
Do not worry! Our school has opportunities to work with kids, teachers, parents, administration, support staff, and much more. Everyone is welcome to join. If you are familiar with the project and are willing to propose activities, please, let us know when registering for the caravan.
The humanitarian work will be from June 26th to July 2nd. The volunteers arrive in Malawi on June 25th and depart on July 3rd, 2023.