Our History
Since its inception in 1994, Amizade has helped over 4,000 volunteers ages 13 to 79 contribute over 140,000 hours of service. Amizade continuously addresses pressing global issues by connecting volunteers with communities. Volunteers explore, serve, and better understand themselves and others. Host communities gain an improved infrastructure as well as a chance to share traditions and ideas with volunteers from another culture. A few examples of Amizade’s tangible impact include:
Community Empowerment and Cohesion – Amizade constructed a multi-purpose community park in Hervey Bay, Australia. Volunteers also cooperated with Aborigines to build a needed building at the Korrawinga Community Farm.
Education – Amizade volunteers tutored Navajo children in science, reading, and social studies. Additionally, volunteers answered questions about college and encouraged the children to think about career goals and college attendance.
Environment - Amizade improved the environment by removing nearly two tons of refuse and barbed wire from the OTO Dude Ranch in Montana. Elk, Grizzly Bear and other large free-range mammals now benefit from the habitat restoration.
Health Care - Amizade improved access to health care by building a hospital in a rural Bolivian community of 4,000 people. The hospital now serves 11 surrounding communities as well.
Housing - Amizade provided shelter for over forty children in Cochabamba, Bolivia, when volunteers helped build an orphanage. Amizade continues to ensure that the orphans gain improved access to other basic human services, such as education and health care.
Infrastructure - Amizade completed a sustainable infrastructure for education by building a vocational center for street children in the Brazilian Amazon. The center teaches carpentry, sewing, silk screening and electronics, and has reached over 1,000 teenagers.
Peaceful Relationships - Amizade improved intercultural understanding by connecting people around the world in cooperative efforts to improve communities.
Responsible Individuals - Amizade increased the number of people who consider themselves global citizens, willing and able to help build bridges of service and understanding around the world.
