For over 20 years, Viva a Vida has used education, art and culture to transform communities. Today, our Afroteca provides a safe space so that around 130 children and teenagers in the Cordoaria Quilombo can learn, create and strengthen their identity against a backdrop of racism, rights violations and limited opportunities. Our work uses literature, play and community mobilization to strengthen the self-esteem, citizenship and agency of Afro-Brazilian children, teenagers and their families.
Children in the Cordoaria Quilombo face a structurally racist education system, that devalues the history of Black and Indigenous people and is shaped by low expectations, unequal access and a Eurocentric curriculum. Relevant laws are not enforced, leaving huge gaps in access to Afro-centered literature and opportunities for Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous children and adolescents. This negatively impacts their racial identity and self-esteem, and thus their full social and emotional development.
Our work strengthens children and adolescents' identity, self-esteem, autonomy, and emotional intelligence. Afro-centered literature workshops and a return to traditional games help to address racism and prevent violence, democratizing access to reading for families and preserving Quilombola knowledge. The Afroteca is a space for creation and self-expression, fostering ties with the community, filling gaps and ensuring significant improvements in well-being, and in educational and social skills.
Through art, culture, and literature, around 130 Quilombola children and adolescents are strengthening their links to their ancestral heritage, taking pride in their origins, and developing the self-esteem required to confront racism and lead full, peaceful lives. Some of them will become community leaders, turning knowledge into action, helping to build a safe community, more engaged in the defense of rights. Adults who will tell their own stories, transform their lives and their community.
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