By Yves Engelmann | Volunteer of the project
Dear readers,
The year 2025 is already well underway and the "Ser Crianças e Adolescentes em Alagados" project is running at full speed. Like last year, we daily welcome 90 children from 7 to 15 years old. Here are some of the highlights of the first half of the year.
Visits and registration
The teaching team therefore met to examine the applications on the waiting list (some of which have already been on the waiting list for several years) according to the following priority criteria: brother or sister of a child already welcomed at the reforço, seniority of the application for registration and age of the child (reception between 7 and 10 years old maximum). Indeed, the goal is to support families as much as possible by welcoming siblings and helping parents as soon as possible. This criterion also allows you to know the family situations over the years. As for age, this is part of the aim of sustaining the participation of children; The younger they enter the Reforço, the more time they will benefit from accompaniment. The criterion of the financial situation is of course also taken into account.
We made home visits to welcome the new children enrolled, and took the opportunity to carry out small reading tests. These moments are always a valuable source of learning for us, as they allow us to better understand the reality of families, their life context, the specific needs of each child, their school and learning level.
The virtuous circle
In order to help young people better understand the circular functioning of the environment, we have launched a small concrete and accessible project that they can easily carry out at home: the making of a mini compost from the organic waste of the project kitchen. This simple gesture allowed us to address concepts such as natural recycling, waste reduction and respect for the earth, while making children responsible for their impact on a daily basis. A great way to link ecology and education, starting from the concrete.
For their part, the teenagers of the ECO group have embarked on an original activity around anti-food waste. They made a cake from vegetable peelings, as well as a juice ("suco") made from the skin of a yellow melon. A great way to approach cooking differently, while raising awareness of the challenges of recycling and recovering food.
Renewable energy
When we discussed the topic of ecology with the teenagers, they quickly expressed a desire to better understand alternative energies. We therefore took the opportunity to deepen the subject through a concrete workshop: the creation of models representing the main forms of renewable energy. Together, we explored the principles of solar, wind, hydro, and tidal energy (wave energy). This activity combined creativity, scientific reflection and ecological awareness. We were able to complete this activity with a visit to the Energy Museum, which was a great discovery for everyone. The models, interactive experiences and adapted explanations allowed the young people to concretize the concepts covered in the workshop. An enriching outing, which aroused their curiosity and allowed them to get out of the neighborhood for a few hours.
Civil security intervention
We also had the chance to welcome the civil security for a series of presentations spread over three half-days for each group of children, in the morning and in the afternoon. The children were thus able to be made aware of several essential themes: first aid, environmental protection and the principles of a balanced diet. These interventions, both educational and interactive, aroused a lot of interest and allowed everyone to learn in a concrete way useful gestures for their daily lives. The children were very proud because they were able to receive a diploma for having followed this training.
Professions Week
As every year, the project aims to broaden the horizons of children by introducing them to inspiring people and varied professional environments. The objective is clear: to show them that there are a multitude of possible paths, beyond the dream, very present here, of becoming a professional footballer. We had the chance to invite several speakers who came to share their life paths and their profession with children and teenagers. Each one testified with simplicity about their choices, their efforts, the obstacles encountered — but also the pride of building a useful and fulfilling career. These exchanges made an impression on the young people, who asked many questions, some of them very personal.
In the same dynamic, three local companies have opened their doors to welcome our teenagers: Leal Academy, gym in the Uruguai district. Polo Salvador, a company that produces and sells polo shirts in the Uruguai district, Hotel Vila Galé d'Ondina, which allowed young people to discover the backstage of the hotel sector, highlighting all the different jobs present in a hotel. Each group of children was keen to share what they had learned during this period. The teens enthusiastically learned about digital tools like PowerPoint and Canva to prepare structured and illustrated presentations. The youngest, on the other hand, made beautiful handmade posters, which they presented with pride. These moments allowed everyone to value their learning and to gain confidence in their ability to pass on to others. These visits were very powerful moments, where our young people were able to project themselves differently into the future, between curiosity, astonishment and sometimes, a new spark in their eyes. They allowed them to understand that work can also be a place of accomplishment, and that everyone, in their own way, can contribute to building something beautiful and useful.
Learning to save
The group of teenagers had the chance to participate in a first aid training course spread over several half-days. A great opportunity for these teenagers, who were able to acquire simple but essential gestures, both for themselves and for others. Beyond the technical aspect, this training has strengthened their sense of responsibility and their desire to be useful. Some have also shared situations where they have already witnessed accidents or emergencies, without knowing how to react. Today, they feel more prepared, more confident, and above all proud to be able to help if the opportunity arises.
By Associacao Joao de Deus | Volunteer of the project
By Yves Engelmann | Volunteer of the project
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
