for visitors who are planning a longer-term stay in rio de janeiro, and are truly interested in favelas, their lives, their development, and wish to meaningfully contribute and participate in their transformation, volunteering may be the way to do it - A number of important local and international NGOs run extensive educational, humanitarian and health projects located in Rio de Janeiro and wider Brazil. They do not tend to run specific centers or projects in favelas as their work is more variable and context dependent, responding to particular contexts, and spanning wide sects of the population.

NGOs run projects and provide social support to the most vulnerable in society, many of whom reside in the favelas of the city. They are continually seeking volunteers and workers, to provide support at their centers, and offer their own professional expertise in a variety of different fields, including medicine and translation services - we provide links to some organizations that may be of interest to potential volunteers.