Associação Humanitária Habitat

Habitat for Humanity International

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

FOR VOLUNTEERS

PLEASE REVIEW THIS HANDBOOK CAREFULLY

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us:

Associação Humanitária Habitat

Largo de Santa Cruz, 36

4700-322 Braga, Portugal

Phone: + 351(253)20.4280

Fax: + 351(253)20.4287

“Poverty doesn’t exist only among the unemployed population. Apparently we would think that these people are not excluded, because they have a job. But their work can be uncertain, or badly paid. There are people that even in these conditions are poor. Professional qualification and learning throughout life can have a very important role on the fight against social exclusion. One of the ways to fight social exclusion is to give people or allow them to have good living conditions that will help them in life and give them hope for the future.”

By Ilda Figueiredo EU Deputy

In a report about social exclusion

GENERAL INFO

About the project

Portugal in brief

Braga: your host city

Our current project

LOGISTICS

Transportation and orientation

Sightseeing recommendation

Accommodation and meals

Laundry and Clothing/packing tips

Money exchange and ATM machines/credit cards

Health care, insurance and first aid

Emergency messages/mail

Youth participation

Sources of further information

CONSTRUCTION

Weekly Schedule

Work site: procedures and safety rules

Construction safety

STAFF:

Cecilia Espada / Executive Director
Filipa Braga Hilário / Families Selection Department
André Araújo Almeida / Volunteer and Construction Coord.
Gladys Ayala Castro / Administrative
Luis Ribeiro / Construction Supervisor
João Cruz / Intern
GENERAL INFORMATION:

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Associação Humanitária Habitat (AHH) is currently the only Habitat affiliate in the country. José Cruz Pinto, a commercial pilot and businessman, who read about Habitat for Humanity in the January 1994 edition of Plain Truth magazine, founded this affiliate in 1996. The story of Linda and Millard Fuller and of the Jimmy Carter Work Project inspired him to bring Habitat for Humanity® to Portugal.

The office is located in Braga, an historic ecclesiastical city dating from Roman times, in the heart of the Minho District. This is a traditional agricultural region situated in northwestern Portugal and known for its “ vinho verde”, or green wine.

The first Habitat house completed in Portugal was in Rechã, Vieira do Minho, a village located northeast of Braga, for the Brás family of seven. The second house was built in the freguesia of Cunha, one of the smallest parishes in Braga. The house was finished in June 2000 for Rosa Vieira and her two grown children. The parish of Palmeira, where 12 houses were completed on March 23rd 2002, is one of the most important focuses of Habitat’s work in Portugal. After this big build, AHH developed the “Homework Program” which consists of doing rehabs and repairs in people’s old houses. In the summer of 2002, we helped rebuild the roof and ceiling at D. Joaquina’s house, in Rua do Rio, and the Lopes’ family home in Adaúfe. In March 2004 we concluded a house for the Veloso family, in the parish of Padim da Graça and in August 2004 a house for Custodio Lopes and his wife, Paula, in the parish of Palmeira.

With the help of the local government, Global Village teams and a large group of other volunteers, we look forward to helping more families move into simple, decent, affordable dwellings.

For further information, please see the AHH website:

Bem Vindo a Portugal!Welcome to Portugal!

PORTUGAL IN BRIEF

Portugal is a country situated on the west side of in Iberian Peninsula, in Europe. It became an independent kingdom in 1143 and it is one of the oldest existent nations in the world. The actual frontiers were established in 1297. Its geographic localization, along the Atlantic Ocean coast, determined its vocation towards the sea.

The Portuguese Republic is divided into provinces known as: Algarve, Alto Alentejo, Baixo Alentejo, Ribatejo, Estremadura, Beira Alta, Beira Baixa, Beira Litoral, Douro Litoral, Trás os Montes e Alto Douro, Minho, and also the Açores and Madeira islands. The Habitat affiliate is located in Braga, Minho’s heart and capital city.

For further information, see the following websites:

Discover Portugal site:

Portugal.org

Portugal in site

Portuguese Government Web Portal

É BOM VIVER EM BRAGA!ITS GOOD TO LIVE IN BRAGA!

BRAGA, YOUR HOST CITY

Inhabitants: Approximately 150,000 (including several outlying districts)

Area:114,3sqm/184 Km2

Climate:spring and autumn are mild and pleasant; in winter the temperature rarely drops to 0ºC/32ºF; the summers are not very hot.

The province of Minho is situated at the northwestern corner of Portugal. The River Minho, which has given its name to the region, is the natural border between the provinces in Portugal and Galicia in Spain. The population is slightly more than one million and the demographic density (about 300 inhabitants/km2) is higher than the average for the country. The proportion of the young population is also well above the average for Portugal and for the European Community countries. Manufacturing industry is the predominant economic activity, especially in the valleys of the rivers Ave and Cávado, in the southern part of Minho. The city of Braga combines its religious importance with today’s commercial and industrial prosperity.

For further information, see the following websites:

Council of Braga:

Braga Camara Municipal

Fotos de Portugal

Bug (about Portuguese language)

Basic Portuguese

OUR CURRENT PROJECT

Plans for the new house

The place where we want to build

Our current project is called “Crespos Project” because it is located in the Parish of Crespos. The Family Committee is still selecting the families that are going to live there, but Habitat’s role in this project is to design and build a new simple, decent home. We hope that you enjoy meeting and working with us and this family during your stay in Braga.

LOGISTICS

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!: Please provide us detailed travel itineraries including flight numbers, arrival and departure times.

ATTENTION: Please note that the following prices are given in Euros (€). Thank you!

TRANSPORTATION

The Volunteer Coordinator will arrange transportation of the Team from the Porto airport to Braga in cooperation with the Team Leader.

*Transportation information:

  • A 19 seats mini-bus with driver from Porto to the hotel in Braga costs 125€.
  • Taxi from Porto to Braga is 50€ including luggage;
  • Airport bus to Porto train or bus station is 4,50€ per person. The trip takes approx. 20 to 30 minutes to city center of Porto.
  • A bus from the Porto bus station to Braga costs 5,00€, per person.
  • The train from the Porto train station to Braga costs 2,00€, per person (currently unavailable due to renovation works);
  • Bus tickets to the construction site, for 10 workdays costs 21,40€ per person.

Owing to its privileged situation, Braga lies only a short distance from other important centers. Along with the railway, which links Braga with the Minho line and directly with the city of Porto, there are many coach companies, which run various daily services all over the North of Portugal. Traveling within Braga can be done to any point by bus (public transport) or by taxi.

ORIENTATION

HFH Braga staff will present an welcome and orientation meeting to GV team members in order for them to meet the staff and to learn more about our work. The welcome meeting will be scheduled after the arrival of all the team members in Braga and the orientation meeting will be scheduled on the beginning of the first working day.

ATTENTION PLEASE: Work begins at 9:15 a.m. All volunteers should be ready to leave the hotel around 8:10 am.

Sightseeing recommendations

  • Bom Jesus is one of the most important sanctuaries in the north of Portugal. It has beautiful gardens and a picnic area. Bus from Braga to Bom Jesus: round trip approximately 2.50€.
  • Walking tour of Braga to see the city main features, done by a local volunteer.
  • City of Porto and its wine cellars: the best choice is to rent a 13/19 seat mini-bus with driver, which costs around 150€. Porto boat rides on the Douro River cost 16€ per person, including boat ride, lunch and visit to one winery).
  • Barcelos (traditional market) and Viana do Castelo: the mini-bus costs 150€ for one whole day .
  • Guimarães, the birth city of our Nation: public transportation by bus would cost approximately 5€ per person on round trip.
  • Train from Braga to Lisbon (via Porto) takes about 5½ hours and costs 15€ per person.

ATTENTION: In order to secure reservation, we recommend that all team leaders inform us of their transportation choice, at least 2 months in advance of their arrival in Portugal. The mini-bus prices may change, so if the rental is done with a month or two in advance, pricing and itinerary will be easier to guarantee.

*Souvenirs and shopping

In Braga you can find almost everything that you may want to buy. It has nice clothes and shoe stores, wine stores, and old traditional cafés.

ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS

*Accommodation

Tourism is a growing industry in Braga. There are several hotels in or near the town. During autumn and winter it is rather easy to book lodging in Braga, with the exception of Carnival and Easter. Teams that come at these times will need to book lodging well in advance of these special days. The lodging costs are around 35€ for single room, and about 40€ for double room, both with breakfast included.

During the summer, it is not as easy to find lodging so reservations should be made as early as possible. Late June reservations in Braga are a bit difficult.

*Meals

  • Breakfast at hotel;
  • Lunch at a restaurant 5 minutes from the building site with a set menu for approx. 4€/5€ per person. Teams should bring their own water and any snacks to the site.
  • Dinner in local restaurants will cost around13€;
  • Tipping is not necessary though common at some restaurants.

LAUNDRY AND CLOTHING/PACKING TIPS

*Laundry

There are several laundry services available in Braga. The Habitat staff will assist you with processing your laundry:

You can use laundry service at the hotel, where Visa and MasterCard are accepted, but it is more expensive than pick-up laundry.

Laundry service is available with pick-up at the hotel, usually takes 24-48 hours; cost is estimated:

  • 1 € per kilo just for wash
  • 1,50 € per kilo wash and dry
  • 2 € per kilo wash dry and ironing

*Clothing/Packing tips

Clothing will depend mainly on the weather. Here are some of the things you will need to bring with you:

 Passport

 European electrical adapter and transformer

 Lightweight rain jacket

 Cap, sunscreen, sunglasses

 Comfortable work clothes and shoes for construction

 Prescription & personal medications

MONEY EXCHANGE, ATM MACHINE AND CREDIT CARDS

*Money exchange

You will be able to change any hard currency into Euro with no problem at the airport or at any exchange office or bank in downtown.

Traveler checks are accepted at some banks.

*ATM Machines and credit cards

There are ATM machines basically in every corner in the city of Braga. Each machine has all the logos placed on the front to tell you what type of card they accept. Major credit cards are accepted at most restaurants, hotels and shops.

HEALTH CARE, INSURANCE AND FIRST AID

*Health care

Your health is one of our major concerns. We strongly recommend that you seek professional medical advice to insure that you are healthy enough to handle hard work in a hot and dry climate. Please bring all medication needed while you travel. No special immunization is required for travel to Portugal. It is important, for your safety on the construction site, that you are up-to-date with your tetanus shot or to take it if you’ve never gotten one.

Allergies: Please bring all the medication that you might need in case of allergies and do not forget to inform your Team Leader and also the affiliate staff.

*Insurance

All registered volunteers will have insurance coverage during the project. The travel insurance is included in your GV registration fee. The coverage is designed to ensure a comprehensive risk management program and to provide protection for all of Habitat’s volunteers.

The insurance commences at the actual start of the trip from the insured’s residence or designated departure point. Coverage terminates immediately upon return to the insured’s residence or designated return point, or at the end of the published itinerary.

For complete information a fact sheet is available from the GV department at HFHI in Americus, GA.

*First aid

There will be a first aid kit available for any worker who gets injured at the construction site. Emergency phones are available.

EMERGENCY MESSAGES/MAIL

Associação Humanitária Habitat will relay any emergency messages to you. The telephone number is (+351) 253 204 280. The fax number is (+351) 253 204 287.

PLEASE: Tell your family members to call only in a true state of emergency.

You will be able to mail postcards and letters at the local post office every weekday, and if is necessary, there are some Internet cafés and telephone booths in the center of the city.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION

Due to insurance policies, safety reasons and Portuguese Law, people under the age of 16years will not be permitted to work at the work site.

SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION

*Hotel and Travel information regarding Portugal:

Travel guides such as Rough Guide and Lonely Planet

*Hotel and Travel websites regarding Portugal:

Portugal travel & hotels guide

Virtourist website

Portugal travel

CONSTRUCTION:

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Possible example of a work schedule for a Team (arriving on Friday):

Friday /
  • Arrival in Braga
  • Welcome Meeting

Saturday /
  • Orientation Meeting
  • Work day*
  • This is a day the teams will work side by side with the families
  • Potluck offered by Habitat’s staff at the end of the activities day

Sunday /
  • Palm Sunday
  • Free day in Braga
  • Suggestion: Sé Cathedral, Bom Jesus Church, museums, stores and malls, squares, fountains and gardens

Monday /
  • Work day**

Tuesday /
  • Work day**

Wednesday /
  • Work day**

Thursday /
  • Work day**

Friday /
  • Good Friday
  • R&R Time – Trip to Porto City.

Saturday /
  • Holy Saturday
  • Work day*
  • This is a day the teams will work side by side with the families
  • Suggestion: Pizza offered by GV Team at the end of the activities day

Sunday /
  • Easter Sunday
  • Trip to Guimarães and Viana do Castelo

Monday /
  • Departure from Porto Airport

*Saturdays – work starts at 9:45a.m. at the work site and finish at 04:00p.m.

**Monday to Friday – work starts at 9:15a.m. at the work site and finish at 04:00p.m.

ATTENTION: Please, take some time to read over the following safety instructions!!!

Work Site: Procedures and Safety Rules

All volunteers will be under the supervision of a construction supervisor. The volunteers have:

  • a responsibility to cooperate with the management of Habitat for Humanity Portugal to ensure compliance with all relevant Portuguese legislation and codes of safe working practices;
  • a duty to work in a safe manner so as not to jeopardize their own safety or that of other volunteers or the general public;
  • a duty to use the protective equipment provided, and not to abuse or misuse materials or equipment;
  • a duty to report any unsafe equipment, unsafe work area, dangerous misuse of equipment or any lack of training or expertise necessary to ensure safe working.

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

Safety at our construction site is very important for all of us. We hope that this information will ensure that you will be safe and enjoy working on the site along with other volunteers, homeowner families and the local professionals.

Dress with safety in mind. Clothes should fit comfortably but should not be loose. Wear work shoes or boots that protect you from falling objects, have a non-slip sole, and that resist nail penetration. Please leave jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc.) at home. Hard hats are required when overhead work is being done. Safety glasses are required when operating power tools or when using a hammer. Use ear protection and dust masks when working with drywall or using power saws for a prolonged period of time. Associação Humanitária Habitat will provide some earplugs and safety glasses.

Before you start working in any area please survey the space around you. Look around your feet and overhead for obstacles, and organize the workspace within your reach. Be especially careful when carrying long objects so that you do not hit other people. Watch for excavations, openings, edges of slabs, and slippery conditions. Speak up if something looks unsafe. The work area may be tight.

Power tools: When operating power tools know the correct procedures. This will insure your safety. Before operating inspect the cords, outlets, and blade. If the blade (or bit) needs to be replaced disconnect from the power source. Support material properly and never reach under material while it’s being cut. Ask someone for help when cutting large pieces of material. Wear eye and ear protection.

Maintain good "housekeeping": A clean job site is essential to work site safety. Please re-stack unused building materials or serviceable scraps. Put all trash and debris in a trash container or a designated trash area. If nails are protruding from scrap lumber bend them down or extract them. Keep track of your tools.

Roofs, ladders and scaffolding: Don't work at a height beyond which you are comfortable. Don't leave loose objects on the roof or on ladders or scaffolding. Keep your tools in your tool belt when they are not in use. When working on a roof, secure all building materials to prevent items from sliding off. Sweep sawdust and debris off the roof frequently. Let workers below know when you are sweeping or throwing materials off the roof.