In Brazil, Homestay is the way! Salvador - Public Health, Race and, Human Rights Past Review
By Julia S (Anthropology., Tufts University) for
SIT Study Abroad: Reviews from Former Locations
I would do it again for sure. It was a way for me to really experience and see the things I want to do in my future. I enjoyed the research project, because I picked something I was really interested in and got to see so much health care and understand the system behind it. All of those moments whether it was walking down the street past someone with leprosy or seeing a victim of a gunshot wound in the hospital were eye opening and informative. The unique afro-brazilian culture of the area were also so amazing to see and experience, from religious festivals, to host families practices, to traditional dress on the street. It is really hard to describe what I gained from the time I was there, but every moment of every day was full of amazing and scary things to see and do and all of it was part of the learning. The biggest amount of education came from outside of the class room, but looking back on the whole time one can see how all of the work built up to the final project. That was extremely amzing, because it was so satisfying to see that my language and understanding skills of the health system and people really helped me take on and design my own research.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I felt that the course work was rather basic and my fellow students also did not enjoy this aspect. However the field excursions, independent project, and self directed learning was extremely rewarding. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Overall they were well organized and helpful, however there was often a lot of confusion related to the Academic Director's teaching and organization. The classes were a weakness, because the information, although important, were often too basic or simple for the level of understanding of the students. The program trips, fellow classmates, Independent Project, and daily experiences were the main highlights and often balanced out some of the confusion. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
A mother with two daughters who were a lower- middle income family, but in a safe area. The four of us shared a two bedroom rundown apartment. It was walking distance to the bus and very close to school. It was not really safe to be out after dark (more related to Salvador then to the housing). The apartment was next door to a shanty town so do to safety, I could never walk in that direction even during the daytime. <br /><br /> I learned a lot from this family and even though it is hard to adjust to living habits of people you know nothing about, the multitude of conversations and family events made me feel extremely welcome and included. The family was also very understanding of my food restrictions. |
| * Food: |
The homestay was very considerate and did their best to provide me with vegitarian options. It was also easy to find food at restaurants located in Campo Grande near to our school. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was great that I was able to participate in an afro-brazilian dance class and then perform in a theatre. The amazing arts, music, and dance were a big highlight. Also the health related fieldtrips were great and I especially liked the village study in which I got to spend time with health agents in a small community. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
We had several health issues which were dealt with very quickly including one emergency surgery. I found the area to be much more unsafe then I had expected with 6 of the 12 students getting mugged (i believe all during regular day hours) by people saying they had a knife or a gun. Although I was not mugged these incidents and common crime in the area made me anxious and although an interesting learning experience, put a damper on many activities including transportation. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | There was a stipend for food and housing was provided. As a group we did not feel that it was enough and often went over it. My main expenses were transportation (especially since I needed to take taxis once it was dark) and souveniers. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not expect to be having to use taxis and buses as often as I did. Also SIT mentions that we have to pay for books once we arrive and this is taken out of our final stipend for the research period, making it feel pretty small. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I started the program with out being able to speak a word of Portuguese and by the end was interviewing high level officials for my project. It was amazing to see how much I really learned. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do it...because everything that happens to you, good and bad, will be educational and rewarding experiences that you can take with you. |
