Indigenous Youth Achieving Dreams in Brazil

Report for January through March 2015

2014 ended on a high note, with several of our youth graduating and achieving their dreams. We have a lot planned for 2015 and many of our youth are looking for opportunities to do more career exploration. The Indigenous Youth Achieving their Dreams project - together with Global Giving – makes those opportunities a reality.

Today’s report will highlight the story of Benicio. Benicio is only 21, but he has already participated in the Systemic Community Approach and Community Therapy programs and has grown tremendously, identifying more strongly with his indigenous culture and developing his talents and skills.

Benicio is currently studying at two universities, the State University of Ceará and the Federal University of Ceará. While maintaining this heavy course load, Benicio has also explored indigenous body art and how to keep the art form alive. He designs and sells t-shirts to earn enough money to free him up to teach classes on indigenous body art. He has been so successful in the endeavor that he has been invited to other communities to offer his classes. In addition, he is now a member of MSMC’s Indigenous CRAS (Social Assistance Center) team, which is a part of MSMC’s larger AME (arts, music, and theater) program.

As you can see, Benicio is thriving! He participates in various indigenous rituals, represents his people (the Pitaguary) in important events on indigenous and human rights, and helps teach career development classes. Through your support, Benicio has taken full advantage of the Indigenous Youth Achieving their Dreams project and feels empowered and rooted in his indigenous culture. A big thank you to all of our supporters!

Activities accomplished, January through March 2015:

• New student enrollment in technical degree programs at the Technical School of Maracanaú
• Pajé (indigenous leader) Barbosa and Benicio Pitaguary participated in an event on Cultural Anthropology with the social work team from the Maracanaú city government.
• Indigenous painting workshops led by Benicio Pitaguary at the CRAS, serving children and teens
• Helping teens find work through programs such as Jovem Aprendiz (Youth Apprentice)
• House visits to Pitaguary families in Monguba and Santo Antônio, including the provision of medical and psychiatric services when necessary
• Visit to the indigenous community of the Anacé people in São Gonçalo
• Meetings with the leadership and school members of the Pitaguary school in Monguba on preventing drug and alcohol addiction among kids and teens via a project offered after school that would provide support to both students and their families
• Participation in various traditional community festivals and spiritual rituals (Toré, Pajelança and Cabana de Suar)

Conclusion:

2015 is going to be a great year! 2015 will be focused on preventing drug and alcohol addiction among kids and teens in the indigenous Pitaguary community by offering them extensive programming and a safe space that will help them dream big.

Your continued support will help MSMC continue to lift up its community and make sure that all of its members have the opportunity to succeed. 

Hello MSMC supporters!

We are back with more great news. During these months, MSMC continued its mission to help indigenous youth in Ceará, as well as expand its work to other indigenous communities in Brazil.

Remember that the focus of this project is to inspire indigenous youth to dream and to go after their dreams. MSMC helps them achieve their dreams through educational and professional support, among other forms of assistance.

We begin by highlighting the story of Judimar (Juca) Fernandes.

A little background first: In 2012, members of the MSMC team visited some indigenous tribes in the Amazons. Among the tribes was the Dessana, which is the last tribe along the Black River (Rio Negro), right on the border with Colombia.

During their visit with the Dessana, MSMC team members met many youths who had given up on having dreams; they lived without ambition and some even contemplated suicide. But one young man they met, Judimar (Juca) Fernandes, thought differently.

Since November, Juca has been pursuing his dream to complete a technical certificate program in IT. He has made significant sacrifices to make this happen, even temporarily moving from his small, Amazonian village to the city of Fortaleza, Ceará (where MSMC is located) to attend classes. Congratulations Juca on your commitment to your dream!

Per usual, MSMC has stayed very busy. Over the last few months, MSMC has accomplished the following:

• Enrolled new students in various technical programs at the Technical School of Maracanaú
• The spiritual leader Pajé Barbosa participated with MSMC in the First Seminar on Indigenous Peoples and Mental Health
• Held the first Indigenous Youth and Traditional Communities of Ceará Camping Trip
• 2 Pitaguary indigenous youths have graduated from the technical program in Nursing
• Various home visits to Pitaguary families from Monguba and Santo Antônio, in which medical and psychiatric services were provided when necessary
• Art, music, and culture workshops for 15 youths at the Indigenous Cras Social Assistance Center, through the AME Maracanaú Project
• Participation in various traditional festivals and community and spiritual rituals (Toré, Pajelança and Cabana de Suar, for example)
• Offering of Christmas mass at the Monguba community, which included a distribution of toys to the local children

As you can see, 2014 was a busy, productive, and enriching year. MSMC focused on activities and projects that helped develop a sense of belonging to the community, valuing of one’s culture, and helping the youth get organized and dream big. Thank you for making this possible and we look forward to another year of great achievements with your continued support!

Links:

• Learn more about Izabela!