Cultural Heritage Preservation Saves Kids Lives

This update was translated by staff and volunteers of Dreams Can Be Foundation August, 2008 1544 Cultural Heritage Preservation Saves Kids Lives Hello the NGO “Escola Pernambucana de Circo” immensely thanks the contribution of all the donors that have helped and we would like to say that the project in the Square continues with their work, helping the 200 people of the community of the Vila du Buiriti and surrounding areas of the north zone of Recife, a city in the northeast of Brazil, and that in this year we were able to extend our services because of the inauguration of our new headquarters that became the “Circus of Youth Center” with a lot of activities for Brazilian children and youth in social risk. With the new headquarters we were able to extend the attendance to the community by 50%, developing artistic and playful activities that run all week and into the weekend as well, with shows that in such a way give the access to good cultural messages for the youth and kids served and for their families too. In the meantime, the demand of families searching to sign up their children into the programs activities is great. Unfortunately, we cannot attend to all these people now because we don’t have enough teachers to give a quality of service, since the resources are scarce to pay the salaries including the administrative and pedagogical team. In 2007 staged a good sized performance in the artistic and cultural market of the city, because of this we were able raise enough money to insert about 10 youth in activities of recreation and leisure and extending their income generation and consequently the support of their families. Felipe, one of the youth of the EPC, arrived in the institution when he was 14 years old with extreme difficulty of integration and with very serious low self-esteem, today he is one of the educators of the EPC, he also gives workshops outside the city of Recife, as well as being the mentor of a new troop inside the EPC called “Aqua Loucos” , he the leader of the group and instructor of circus performances. With the inauguration of the new headquarters we found out how important and well evaluated the institution is by the community and the importance for the region in terms of the alternatives to education that our children receive here. The support of the families and the community during the process of construction of the headquarters showed us that the work bears fruit and the changing the face of the community, becoming an example of a good practical education. Beyond this perception on the institution in the community we can also perceive the visibility that the institution reached in the city of Recife being a reference of social circus, of artistic work with youth on the periphery of the city. The objective of the project is to invest in the potential of these youth, is to reaffirm for the youth that to believe in their dreams and to go after them is a valid occupation! These actions reaffirm that, even in a community, with all its difficulties, another life is possible, and its possible being constructed for these youth capable and conscious of their potential, capabilities and power to transform, not only their lives, but primordially their families, communities, city and country. This year with the inauguration of the new headquarters we hope to be able to strengthen even more the income generation and employability of the adolescents and youth participants of the project proving the potential of art to generate the opportunity of employability. “If the things are unattainable … this is not a reason to not want them. What is sad is that the road is not outside the distant presence of the stars” Mário Quintana. {{{{“Se as coisas são inatingíveis ora...Não é motivo para não querê-las. Que triste os caminhos e não fora a presença distante das estrelas.”}}}}} We believe that this verse speaks to our objective to continue believing that we are on the right path to in constructing a world more just and equal through art education, more specifically through social circus. Therefore, we thank you for your collaboration and your contribution and, mainly your confidence in our work, we consider you a partner of our project, our institution. We hope that we can continue to count on your support.