Yes to Life! Help Vulnerable Kids Stay Drug-Free

Hello donors! Whereas it's fall in the northern hemisphere of the world, here in Brazil, it's spring with summer fast approaching. It's a fun time, and we have fun updates to share with you.

For the past few months, we have been working to strengthen the programming we offer at our Yes to Life site in the Marrocos neighborhood of Fortaleza - a neighborhood that is plagued by poverty and gang violence. Yes to Life creates a safe, nourishing, and fun place for kids to just be kids.

Since our last report, we've brought lots of art therapy projects to the kids, including fingerpainting and card making. We also took the kids to the Cineteatro São Luiz theater, a cultural heritage site in Fortaleza, where they saw a play called "Koi-Guera" that talked about the indigenous peoples of Brazil.

What we are most excited to update you on is the new playground we launched at the Marrocos site, in honor of Children's Day, a holiday celebrated in Brazil on October 12th. A playground is a natural place for play, but it is also a great environment to learn teamwork and cooperation. Playing in a group requires negotiation: who will go down the slide first, how to take turns on the swings, etc. It can be hard to learn to wait your turn and make sure everyone gets to play! As with everything we do, we are laser focused on providing a safe and fun environment for kids, while also nurturing positive values and habits, including respecting each other, empathy, patience, and collaboration. If you ever come to visit us in person, we'll make sure you get a turn down the slide. ;)

As always, we are so grateful for your support.

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