🇵🇹 ESC Volunteering in Portugal: Local Development Project 🌿 Fully Funded

Join a vibrant community project in the heart of Portugal! Activar is looking for motivated volunteers to support local development through youth work, elderly care, tourism, or health solidarity. This is your chance to live in a beautiful mountain village, learn Portuguese, and make a real social impact while gaining professional experience in a supportive environment.

Lousã is famous for its schist villages and natural beauty, offering a perfect backdrop for those who love the outdoors and close-bonded community life. Whether you are helping children with homework, organizing workshops for the elderly, or supporting local cultural events, your contribution will help strengthen the social fabric of this authentic Portuguese region.

📌 Activity Dates

🚀 The project lasts for a total of 13 weeks. 📅 Activities take place from 01/05/2026 to 31/07/2026.

📅 Application Deadline

⏰ 31/03/2026.

👥 Eligible Countries

🇦🇱 Albania, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇨🇾 Cyprus, 🇨🇿 Czechia, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇲🇩 Moldova, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇪 Sweden.

🧩 Activities & Methodology

Volunteers contribute 30–35 hours per week across various local placements: 👦 Youth Work: Supporting children aged 10-15 in afterschool programs with homework and intercultural games. 👵 Elderly Care: Leading animation workshops and providing companionship at a local day center. ☕ Tourism & Communication: Helping at local cafeterias with customer service and social media content. 🏥 Health & Solidarity: Assisting children in hospital settings and supporting solidarity events. 🎡 Community Events: Promoting the ESC program in schools and helping organize local festivals.

🎯 Objectives

🌟 To foster local development and social inclusion in the Lousã region. 🤝 To encourage intercultural exchange between international volunteers and the local community. 🌈 To provide volunteers with professional experience in social, educational, and cultural sectors.

🏠 Accommodation & Food

🏠 Housing: Volunteers stay in a central Lousã apartment with a kitchen, Wi-Fi, and laundry facilities. 🍴 Food & Transport: A daily allowance of 6€ is provided for food and local travel support. 💰 Pocket Money: Volunteers receive 6€ per day as pocket money. 💳 Payment: All financial support (12€ total per day) is transferred to a Revolut account.

✈️ Travel

🚉 Transport is provided for specific project-related visits to Coimbra. ✈️ International travel costs are reimbursed based on standard ESC distance regulations.

🎓 Certification

📜 Participants will be issued a Youthpass certificate to validate their learning outcomes.

✅ Participant Profile

🧠 Attitude: Individuals who are flexible, empathetic, and ready to collaborate with a close-knit community. 🗣️ Language: A strong willingness to learn basic Portuguese to integrate into daily village life. 💪 Commitment:Awareness of responsibilities regarding confidentiality and safeguarding. ⏰ Reliability: Volunteers must be punctual and proactive in their assigned tasks.

🗣️ Working Language

🇵🇹 Portuguese and English.

📝 Application Method

📧 Apply directly through the European Youth Portal link.

📎 Application Link

🔗 Apply here

⚠️ Important Notice

This content is for informational purposes. Always verify details on the official application page before applying.