EVS BOOKLET CASA DO POVO CAMARA DE LOBOS

WELCOME TO MADEIRA
Welcome to the best experience in your life! If you are reading this booklet it means that
you are one of the lucky people to be preparing for their EVS project in Madeira! We are
happy to share some information about Portugal, Madeira, their culture, food, everyday
life, and some tips and tricks to help you make this an unforgettable experience for you!
Let’s start!

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Casa do Povo Câmara de Lobos is a non-profit organization that promotes social, cultural,
social-educational, recreational and sport development in the Câmara de Lobos
community. The organization was established on September 14 th , 1973 and since then
Casa do Povo has been providing, developing and cooperating on projects of common
interests for the local community which are developed by informal groups, volunteers or
the people of Casa do Povo itself.
Mainly, the target group of the organization are elderly people. Casa do Povo is part of a
larger project for seniors called Senior University where they provide access to many
activities as learning new languages, playing music instruments, different handcraft
workshops and other attractive activities like singing yoga. Besides that, Casa do Povo
has a football team (some handsome guys who we never saw) and after work activities
where local people can come to learn foreign languages at a professional level.
The organization still has
experience in working with
youngsters, through multiple
Erasmus plus projects that it
has delivered throughout the
years. In 2016/2017 they had
their first EVS volunteers
since they became interested
to start working with youth a
bit more in the future.
Contact information
Phone: 291 628 063 / 926 823 134
E-mail: cpovoclobos@gmail.com
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/casapovo.Câmaralobos

EVS VOLUNTEERS’ ACTIVITIES
Depending on your project, your activities can have a different focus. But overall, besides
the personal project you will need to work on, your responsibilities towards the
organizations will be to help them implement their local activities, and the activities they
have within the organization. We were helping with the market days they had every
month, going to the market in Funchal and participating in a kind of “bake sale” with other
organizations, to raise money for the organization’s needs. Because we were here before
the Sao Pedro festivities, we helped with the creation of the street decorations that Casa
do Povo was responsible to do for the festival. Our amazing Sea Wolfes decorations were
help with photographing various events that Casa do Povo was organizing, and any type
of day-to-day work they would need from us within the organization.
Outside of organization work, we worked with the school Torre, where we conducted
numerous workshops on different topics such as Media and information, Communication
skills, Graffiti art. As part of the graffiti workshop we also created a graffiti on one of the
walls of the school. We had an amazing working experience with the kids from that school,
and as well great collaboration from the English teachers.

Working together with the library Kate organized a workshop on the international day of
women, about gender inequality that still exists in the world. We also had practical
examples of a group of short term EVS volunteers about the situation of women in each
of their countries.

Justina had a personal project about photography, which ended up with an exhibition in
the main hall of the Municipal building. She was photographing women in the last months
of their pregnancy, and providing them with the photos, as a way of helping moms who
don’t have enough money to pay for a professional photo sessions.
In August we joined the organization VIVA in their summer project with kids from Câmara
de Lobos, where we did some creative workshops like dance, knitting bracelets and face
paintings. Basically you will have a lot of freedom to do activities during your EVS project,
all you have to do is show initiative!

PORTUGAL
What can we say to introduce Portugal to you? Medieval castles, cobblestone villages,
captivating cities and golden beaches: the Portugal experience can be many things.
History, great food and idyllic scenery are just the beginning… This is a country that has
the oldest borders in Europe, with an exceptional range of different landscapes, lots of
leisure activities and a unique cultural heritage, where tradition and modernity blend
together in perfect harmony. Its superb cuisine, fine wines and hospitable people make
this country a paradise of the highest quality.
Outside the cities, Portugal’s beauty unfolds in all its startling variety. Over 800km of coast
offers more places to soak up the splendour. Gaze out over dramatic end-of-the-world
cliffs, surf stellar breaks off dune-covered beaches or laze peacefully on sandy islands
fronting calm blue seas.
As an addition to the wonderful side of the mainland, Portugal has some hidden Atlantic
gems to be proud of, the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira.
MADEIRA
Let’s talk specifically about the Madeira Archipelago, since this will be your warm home
during your EVS project. This little piece of paradise has an area of 741 km2 and lies in
the Atlantic Ocean about 500 km from the African coast and 1,000 km from the European
continent. It consists of the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo and the uninhabited
Desertas and Selvagens islands, which are nature reserves, well worth visiting!

Madeira is called “The island of eternal spring” for a reason. The climate is exceptionally
mild, with average temperatures varying between 25 ºC to max 29 ºC in summer and 15
ºC to 19 ºC in winter, which if you ask Madeirans they will say it is very cold! Still, the
evenings can get pretty chilly so it is nice to bring some winter sweaters with you and a
light coat – you will also need this when you go hiking in the mountains!
The sea temperature is also very pleasant all year round, thanks to the influence of the
warm Gulf Stream. It varies between 18 ºC in winter and 22 ºC in summer. So, some days
when you go swimming in the summer you literally can’t feel the difference between the
water and air
Politically speaking Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal since 1976 that has the
Legislative Assembly of Madeira and the Regional Government as government bodies.
Meaning that they have autonomist to make their own political decisions, but they still
belong to Portugal. Even though the people born here are proud Madeirans, they always
say and feel that they are part of Portugal as a country.
Currently, tourism is the main driver and the biggest source of revenue of Madeira’s
economy. You will pretty much notice the tourists in every corner of this island. In
agriculture, banana production directed primarily at regional and national consumption,

the flowers and the famous Madeira wine, also constitute an important contribution toward
the regional economy. The currency used in all of Portugal is the euro, since 1 January
1999.
Madeirans are big on religion. The predominant religion in Madeira is Roman Catholic
although there is a small Protestant community as well, but since the Portuguese
Constitution guarantees religious freedom, there are a number of different religions in
Portugal and everyone is accepted. But still, we can say that the people here are quite
religious and most of their main festivities and celebrations are focused on the celebration
of their Catholic saints.
CÂMARA DE LOBOS
Câmara de Lobos is a city on the south coast of the Madeira Island and has about 35,000
inhabitants spread over an area of 51.82 km2.
The name of this city means Chamber
of Wolves and it comes from the fact
that at the time of the discovery of the
island loads of sea lions (called sea
wolves in Portuguese) were sighted at
the bay that still retains the same
configuration.
Câmara de Lobos is only 10 km away
from Funchal, which is a 10-15 minutes’
drive with a car, and around 20-30
minutes by bus. There are buses from
the company Rodoeste that stop in the
centre of Câmara de Lobos and go to
the centre of Funchal with the price of
2.20E for 1 way ticket
(http://www.rodoeste.com.pt/). Also if you are up for a short 10min walk just outside of the
city, you can also catch the busses number 3 and number 1 from the public city transport
of Funchal – Horários do Funchal with the price of the 1 way ticket is 1.95E or if you have
their Giro card, 1.35E (http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/).

The nearest airport is the airport in Santa Cruz, which you can reach with the Aerobus
buses and shuttles which go from Funchal or Praia Formosa, the nearest stop to Câmara
de Lobos (https://www.sam.pt/informacoes-aerobus.html).
VISA REQUIREMENTS
To get into Portugal you may need a passport or a visa, depending on the country you
live in and the reason why you are visiting Portugal (tourism, work or study purposes).
Citizens from the European Union don't need a visa for entering Portugal. Portugal is a
signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. EU nationals can stay for an unlimited
period, but must register with the local authorities after 3 months. Non EU nationals are
required a temporary residence permit. For detailed information you are advised to
contact the embassy/consulate in your country for visa requirements for your stay in
Portugal.
CULTURE AND TRADITIONS
Madeira is rich with festivities and celebrations that makes it famous worldwide! Many
people who come to visit Madeira or have lived here even for a while can tell you that the
local communities are very strong and supportive and after getting to know them they
make you feel as a part of this big family.
Madeirans are warm, hospitable people who revel in exhibitions, films, crafts, concerts,
plays and café culture. The summer festival season is a particularly pleasant experience,
with carnivals and other jamborees celebrating the archipelago’s culture and produce.
The initial settlers of
Madeira were farmers, the
island originally settled by
people from the Algarve
region of Portugal. Still
today, the largest single
economic activity outside
of Funchal is the farming of
smallholdings, most of
which are less than 1000
square metres. Many of
the popular festas that are
celebrated all year long around the island are linked to certain produce such as the cherry,

chestnut, sugar cane and the grape vine. In the month of June alone there are three
parties to celebrate the popular saints: São João, São Pedro and Santo António.
Spring days, when Madeira's capital Funchal hosts the finest of them all, which more than
anything encapsulates the island's traditions: the Madeira Flower Festival. Here you won't
fail to be wowed by this free celebration over several days of Madeira's floral glories. On
top of that, the flower festival includes a charming children's peace parade with local
youngsters dressed in their finery, and a flower market where you can further savor the
island's unique blooms.
New Year's Eve is always something else in Madeira, as Funchal Bay takes its out-withthe-old,
in-with-the-new celebrations sky-high in an ever-spectacular fireworks display.
Carnival time, however, is when the whole of Madeira shakes it down in a joyful five-day
party of music, dance as samba dancers that occupies the streets.
Casual wear is widely acceptable, but you shouldn’t wear beach clothing in towns.
Smoking has been prohibited in public indoor spaces since 2008 and the ban includes
cinemas, theatres and buses. Some bars and restaurants have special licenses
permitting diners and drinkers to smoke inside.

The local cuisine is based on peasant traditions, and in general terms, the closer you can
get to the traditional methods of preparation and cooking, the better it tastes.
Câmara de Lobos is a town of fisherman and you must challenge yourself and cook some
sea food. You will not find a better place for sea goodies! Find some local friends that
they can show or give some advises how to cook by yourself. It doesn’t require a lot of
skills as it seems like, so take your time or glass of Madeiran vine and try to cook! You
will be surprised much joy you will have!
If you are lazy or tired of cooking you can always go to some local restaurants in town
which are attractive with its fresh Espada preto (traditional black scabbard fish) and
delicious sopa de tomate e cebola (tomato and onion soup) crowned with a poached
egg. Let‘s not forget traditional masterpiece as Espetada (meat on a stick). Also, many
other delicious snacks like bolo do caco and milho frito that you should definitely try.
Make your day happier and go for traditional cake pastel de nata which you will enjoy with
bica (expresso coffee). Honey cake bolo do mel is worth to try as well.
Have you noticed that shape of Madeira island is like banana? That‘s because Madeira
is island of bananas! Everywhere you will look you will see only banana trees. According
to European standards it‘s too small that‘s why they do not export out of the country
anymore and that’s pity because it‘s much sweeter and delicious. All the fruit here is more
sweet than usual. If you have a chance to be here from Christmas until Easter you should
try anona fruit! One of the most extraordinary fruit we had ever tried which became our
favorite one!
On Fridays and Saturdays morning take a bag and go for fresh vegetables and fruit in
bazaar Mercado. You should visit Mercado dos Lavradores in Funchal but for better
prices you should go in Câmara de Lobos! The one in Funchal is too touristic and prices
are 3 times higher than normal!

Night out can‘t start without traditional drink poncha! If you like strong drinks you should
as well try the traditional Câmara de Lobos rum with honey aguardente com mel that
fishermen have been drinking for ages. On summer evenings when you would like to cool
down a bit you should take nikita a refreshing sweet drink made of beer, ice cream and
small pieces of pineapple.
EVERYDAY REALITY, LIFE CONDITIONS
We were the first long term EVS volunteers that Casa do Povo hosted and we must say
that our average living standard was very nice and comfortable. We were living in a house,
each volunteer had a private room, and we shared the bathroom and kitchen which were
all very well equipped. We had a spacious living room as well and 2 balconies. The house
was in the centre of Câmara de Lobos and just a 7 min walk to the office of Casa do Povo.
According to our contract we had all the bills covered, which included the internet, cable
TV and water and electricity of course. These are the conditions we had in our contract,
so recommendation from us is to pay attention to your contract because it might be
different.
Since the bills were covered we got our pocket money every month which served for food
and any other personal use, like coffee or poncha We were getting 250 euros

per month, out of which 10 were for gas for the house. From our experience the money
was sufficient to get enough of good food and good coffee every day. If you buy the food
from the market (green market or Pingo Doce supermarkets open from 8am until 10pm)
then you will have enough money to eat good healthy meals every day. And the coffee is
really cheap in the bars, so you can even afford a coffee per day to mingle with the locals
and enjoy the beautiful bay of Câmara de Lobos. The centre of the city is very small so
you can walk everywhere, and if you need to reach another point in Câmara de Lobos,
then you need to get the Rodoeste bus which are quite frequent.
FREE TIME ACTIVITIES
Câmara de Lobos has a lot of coffee places and bars to hang out, which is the most
popular free time activity of the locals here. During the day most of the places are filled
with tourists, but after the locals finish work, be sure that they will be filling up the tables,
having their 4 th coffee of the day. And you can’t blame them. The coffee here is very
cheap (average 60cents espresso) and it is very very good! There is also a kayak club in
the centre of the city and football and volleyball fields by the beach that are open to the
public. And of course you have the whole ocean for water-sports or just plain cooling off
in the hot summer days.
Going hiking or doing a Levada walk is another popular pass time here. Madeira is
beautiful not only by the coast, but also in its central forest and mountain area. You can
go hiking to the highest mountain top that is Pico Ruivo, or go for an easy and stunning
Levada walk. Levadas are the irrigation channels specific for the Madeira Island and they
are a very popular walking destination because they are very easy to walk, the
surrounding nature is stunning all the way, and usually at the end of the walk you reach
some amazing hidden lagoon or waterfall.
When it comes to nightlife in Câmara de Lobos you have quite a big selection of bars
where you can start (or even finish) your evening in the centre, such as Vaquinha, Agrela,

Sete Mares and the unofficial Agrela bar which serves the 1 Euro Poncha! Vaquinha was
our favourite bar to visit since it offers a great view of the bay day and night, great service,
crazy staff and low prices! Also, it kinda works until you want it to work. Even if we were
the last table standing at 3am, they would not chase us off. Good guys Vaquinha! But
these bars are more quiet and not popular for dancing, so for dancing you would have to
go and hit up Funchal and it’s many nightclubs (Trap, Copacabana, Jam) usually working
until 7am so you can catch the first bus to Câmara. Very convenient.
SECURITY AND SAFETY ADVICES
Overall the crime rate in Madeira is very low. We felt really safe living here and during our
stay we didn’t have any bad experiences. There are some “bad” neighbourhoods, as in
every city, that people say to avoid, but they are not in the centre or on the way to anything
that you might need to go.
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM INFORMATION
EVS Volunteers are covered by an insurance plan specially designed to protect
participants in the European Voluntary Service (EVS) during their period of voluntary
activity. Cover is offered free of charge to EVS Volunteers. All the volunteers get
insurance by Cigna, which is a global health service company. The system works in a
way that if something happens, you first pay for your visit in hospital and any pills if
necessary, you keep all the receipts, scan them and submit your claim from your profile
at Cigna website, which you will have to create at the start of your project. They will then
review your claim and reimburse you the costs you paid 100%.

EXPERIENCES OF PREVIOUSLY HOSTED VOLUNTEERS
JUSTINA’S EXPERIENCE
This EVS is your best chance to make your dreams come true! No matter how crazy your
dream is… No matter if you think it is nothing related the topic of the project… just do it
anyway! It is the best opportunity to use this amazing time for something what you really
love! Because I did it and I felt the happiest person on this planet! Thanks to many
wonderful people around me who helped me everything to happen! EVS is time when you
are surrounded by people who has same mind-set and are ready at any moment to help
you, enjoy time together and ready make this wonderful planet a better place to live.
DO NOT miss YOUR chance!
Enjoy the island as much as you can! Explore stunning and breath-taking nature of
Madeira! I can bet that you will fall in love with this place at the first sight! ♥

KATE’S EXPERIENCE
I am struggling to choose the words to describe my experience during my EVS in Madeira.
I came here as a challenge to myself, to spend 9 months volunteering in an organization
where I know no one, do not speak the language, on an island in the Atlantic ocean which
is closer to Africa than Europe, 3500km away from my home. Sounds a bit scary doesn’t
it? It was as scary as it was worth it! This island makes you feel at home no matter where
you come from. People are so warm and helpful with everything it is indescribable! It was
a pleasure working for the kind-hearted people of Casa do Povo and enjoying the
company of all the new Madeiran friends that I made. And if the people aren’t enough to
make you have a good day, then all you have to do is go out by the ocean and admire
Cabo Girao with the sun gently caressing your face. Yes it is as good as you can imagine
it, and I will never forget the amazing time I had here. With the perfect balance between
having enough work and having enough free time, I have grown as a person and I will be
forever grateful to Madeira for that. There is a reason that they say that the EVS is a life
changing experience. That reason being that it is absolutely, completely true!

ENJOY YOUR EVS EXPERIENCE!
We hope that all these things we shared is going to help you to integrate into Madeira
faster and make the most out of your EVS experience. We know we enjoyed every single
moment of it!
Best regards,
KATE & JUSTINA
EVS VOLUNTEERS
Casa do Povo Câmara de Lobos
Email: cpovoclobosvoluntarios@gmail.com