Haitians are migrating in large numbers into the state of Amazonas. The Brazilian government is offering recognition and refugee status to these new migrants. Several IFAM campuses at Tabatinga (on the border with Colombia) and the Centro Manaus campus have responded to the needs of these newcomers by offering a Portuguese course specifically for Haitian Creole speakers. This course is being offered as a social service to help Haitians integrate into Brazilian society and find jobs which are currently quite plentiful here. Housing for the new migrants is being offered by churches, and other social assistance is being given.
One of the most interesting aspects of this partnership between Haitian migrants and IFAM is the new interior construction course designed specifically for Haitian women. The construction industry is exploding here in Manaus; everywhere you look there is a new building or construction site. This is partly because of the World Cup being held here in 2014. IFAM recognized that the new demand for workers with interior construction and design skills would perfectly suit the incoming Haitian migrants looking for new livelihoods.
This is a perfect example to illustrate the IFAM mandate for social inclusion in education. The Portuguese for Foreigners course starts soon at Manaus Centro campus, more on that later!
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