Family/Community Program - Why constantly changing?

Some Community demands:
(Dialogues with Iolanda Maltaroli , SML President)

 

Dialogue 1: (Boy with hidden gun)

– Aunt , let me in?
– Okay , honey. But no weapon.
– Aunt, get me a job, for God’s sake!

 

Dialogue 2: (Community women at Solar door, complaining to Iolanda)

– It´s impossible. I have no job, I’m in the mud. I wanted to learn as well. Acting, dancing, singing, playing, arts, sports, everything… You only offer this to teenagers. For me, 30 years old, it’s all closed. I never had a chance. Will I die like this? – Okay, let’s think about it, dear.

 

With the proof of prevention as a priority, in addition to the Education Program, we decided to start the materialization of constant demands to open Solar for community youth (out of our other programs) and for adults, with no age limit. They ask us not only the same courses we provide to our teenagers, but nocturnal elementary school.

 

Permanent monitoring of most vulnerable families allows us to point to lack of professionalism, education and culture as causes of poverty, exclusion and violence. These families without support perpetuate the situation of unemployed adults and young people unprepared, preventing upward mobility.

 

There was a great expansion of this work from 2011 to 2016, but Solar still does not solve all requests for courses and we only reorganize family lives within our few worldly possibilities.

 

Actions Relief

1. About community families: It works predominantly with community families who do not have children at Integral Education Program, but sometimes it makes na exception, when necessary. Actions are diversified according to the family situation.

• Families Assistance (weekly visits to each home, with ecumenical prayers – if accepted, clothing donations, monthly food baskets, medicines, referrals and follow-ups to A.A. , N.A., hospitals, shelters, asylums, schools, vocational courses, Adult Literacy, EJA – Youth and Adult Education).
• Donations to pregnant women: newborns layette, milk, diapers; baby tract guidance. To elderly: adult diapers, wheelchairs, etc.
• “Home Builders” Group: for some extreme cases of poverty – this group performs civil works house (floor, painting, electrical wiring, water plumbing, gas, furniture donations, appliances, decoration, how to live in a house training (clean, stowage , bath, cook, laundry, etc.) . This work is carried out by a group of volunteers with various types of profession.

• “Casa da Manjedoura Support Centre” Project.

– New name of Casa da Manjedoura, because of social goals changing.

It is small loft belonging to SML, bought and renovated by a donor in early 2010 , with 91 m2 of total area and 76 m2 of useful area, in Buraco Quente region, in Cantagalo, a place of extreme poverty and social vulnerability. It has 2 equipped apartments, a basement and a part coverde slab, with the possibility of building another floor.

 

From 2010 to 2015 – “Casa da Manjedoura”

Very dysfunctional families, but with social progress probability, remain there in furnished spaces for 2 to 4 years, receiving all assistance to leave the place with resources to pay rent in their new homes and to sustain family life.

 

For that, they receive full support: childrens registration in Integral Education Program; food baskets, several donations; return to school and professional courses guidance; medicine to diseases cure, referrals to hospitals, N.A.; counseling, psychologists; prayers and Gospel reading in family visits.

 

In 2015, it was transformed into halfway house, recieving families of “Homes Reconstruction” project while their homes are reorganized.

 

Total of 6 families with 26 people supported, that now have their homes and families in a better social situation.

 

Starting at 2016 – Casa da Manjedoura Support Center

It refers to strategy changes and original objectives in the use of the House to better serve the greatest number of people around. It is in reorganization process (May 2016).

 

Goal:
Affective host and changing lives contribution through simple educational activities, recreation, physical education and ethical-moral Christian values ​​to children, youth and adults of the the house surroundings.

 

Actions and public:

For children aged 8 to 12 years enrolled or not in public schools: Arts workshops, handicrafts, Math and Portuguese school reinforcement; English classes, Computation, ethical and moral values ​​Christians through Gospel stories or parables.

For youth and adults: Arts Workshops , handicrafts, English classes, Computation, Physical Education, Management techniques, ethical and moral Christians values​.

 

1. About SML integration with community and institutions

• Solar space assignment to the community (theater, library, sports courts, Art Gallery, classrooms, open spaces, etc.) for community meetings or government institutions actions (as UPP, Regional Coordination of Social CRAS Assistance, Families clinic, etc.) and internal and external civil institutions to support the Community.

• As Culture Point for residents common use

Arts performing (theater, dance, music) at the Theatre, Plastic Arts and Crafts Exhibition in the Art Gallery, Community Library (story telling, research, books loan, writers and illustrators lecture) .

• “Back to School Project” Actions: Solar Integral School night class

– Adult Literacy (by a Banco do Brazil retirees volunteer group, who were trained by Education specialists)

– EJA – Education for Youth and Adults: Elementary II and High School (under SESI management until the middle of the year. From the 2nd half of 2016 on, under Roberto Marinho Foundation management).

• “Children in Motion” Project, a partnership with Hillel group of Jewish students, on Sundays, at Solar court, for children from 3 to 12 years old, with games, arts and multiple recreational activities (since 2007).

• Health and civil rights basic actions (occasional):

Social actions fair: by the government, for example, with special sales of books stalls; by Lyons Club: pressure tests, heart failure, glucose, with guidance and/or treatment referral; working papers issuance, legal advice and other services.

• About Evangelization: Saturdays from 8h30 to 12h – Spiritist Religion and Christian-Moral Principles to community families that wish and freely attend.

 

At Solar:

– “Babies group” (newborns from 2 – 11 months old)
– Children and Youth Evangelism ( 3-15 years):
– Study and prayer public meetings for adults and seniors.
– Young Mothers Group – for early mothers.

 

At Caranguejo:

– Christian-Moral:
For children: recreation, arts, storytelling.
For adults: prayers and open discussion of their lives facts, Gospel study.

 

Goals

1. Use CEC structure – Complementary Education Center of Integral Education Program, for youth and adults outside this program, solving their demands of Theatre Workshops, Dance, Music, Visual Arts and Crafts in Community from 2016 progressively.
2. Complete, from 2017/2018 on, “Back to school” project with elementary School I night course, in addition to the already functioning: elementary School II and High School.
3. Structuring and start up Casa da Manjedoura Support Center in 2016 (see at Relief Actions).