Feed & Educate: Keep Kids Safe in Brazil's Favelas

Dear Readers,

The year 2024 has been a wonderful period for the children in our educational support program, filled with deep human connections. Through these lines, we would like to share some of the joy and emotions they experienced this year—moments made possible thanks to your invaluable support.

Year-End Outing

The day was masterfully organized with the help of the reforço’s cooks, who prepared enough food to satisfy each child present.

For a beach trip, it was quite a sight—70 excited children eagerly rushing to the bus, all hoping to claim the best seat. Even though they live near the sea, most of these children rarely go to the beach due to a lack of transportation. So, without hesitation, they ran straight into the water. It was pure joy to witness all those smiles, laughter, and games—(almost) without quarrels or the need for discipline. The beach offered a shallow area extending over 200 meters, making supervision much easier.

Tio Xavier’s shoulders quickly became a diving board, and when his sun-reddened shoulders called for a break, he transformed into a swimming instructor. "Okay, thanks for the advice, Tio! I’m going to practice," whispered 8-year-old Robert to Xavier at the beginning of the day. And just before leaving the water for good, he shouted for everyone to hear, his face beaming with joy: "I can swim! I can swim! Tio taught me!"

Smiles and unforgettable memories in abundance...

Children’s Day

Last year, we mentioned the importance of this celebration for Brazilians, both young and old. This year was no different—countless children flooded the streets, where locals had set up various games: trampolines, sack races, foosball, firecrackers, and even quiz challenges to win candy.

At the reforço, the entire staff put on a play for the children. It was a great success—not because of our acting skills, but for the team spirit it fostered and the joy it brought to the children. Judging by their bursts of laughter, they must have realized that a theater play could be even funnier than a TikTok video!

Encerramento – Being Children

The reforço program concluded with an afternoon of sharing with families, featuring performances of songs, dances, and a play performed by the children. It was the result of weeks of dedication, rehearsals, and confidence-building, culminating in a truly “Maravilhoso” performance.

We are always amazed by the children’s ability to surprise us. As a little anecdote—after a month and a half of learning, we held a dress rehearsal 24 hours before the play. It was a disaster—none of the children knew their lines, and some refused to speak into the microphone. But the next day, the performance was better than ever!

The day ended with a distribution of gifts and food by our local Santa Claus, Paolo (a devoted reforço volunteer). With stars in their eyes, the children went home ready for the holidays to begin.

The end of the year also brings changes. With a mix of gratitude and sadness, we say goodbye to Eva and Angela, who are leaving the reforço. Their joy, patience, and skills have been invaluable to the Azul and Verde groups. We wish them the very best in their new adventures.

Environment

For two weeks in September, we organized various activities to raise the children’s awareness about environmental protection, showing them that small, everyday actions can make a difference. Topics included waste sorting and mindful water consumption. At the end of this period, we held an exhibition where families were invited to discover the children’s work.

The teenagers created models representing different biomass systems and made a video highlighting the most polluted areas in the neighborhood, followed by a collective cleanup operation. With the younger children, we crafted exhibition panels and small artistic pieces centered on environmental themes. Additionally, two afternoons were dedicated to cleaning up the hillside.

Outlook for 2025

The year 2025 will start for the children of our project in early March. Around twenty children have left the program for two main reasons: they have exceeded the age limit of 15 or now attend school full-time. This opens up spots for new enrollments, bringing joy to families who have been waiting for years to join the project.

2025 will continue in the spirit of the previous year, maintaining traditional themes such as the Lenten campaign, the careers forum, the Month of Mary, São João, and more. These topics will be explored from new angles with fresh activities while staying within our resource limits. The major events of 2025 will also provide opportunities to introduce new educational themes, continuously stimulating the children’s curiosity.