Building a future for 200 youths in Sao Paulo

Arca is very proud to announce that in less than a year we have completed the expansion of our centers. Since we launched our first campaign on GlobalGiving in April 2021, and thanks to your generosity, what was then just a collection of wooden boards gave way to a 3-storey building, extending our socio-educational center, Arca do Saber.

On February 2022, Arca do Saber's team has welcome the 130 children who were very excited to come back from the summer break and discover the new classrooms. 

The new rooms will allow to divide the number of children in smaller groups and offer new activities such as computer science and computer-based tutoring in maths, reading tutoring and theatre. The children will also continue their regular classes such as arts, music, English, and French lessons, capoera, streetdance, rugby, circus and judo. 

There will be a room dedicated to medical and psychological consultations. A psychologist was recruited part-time to attend the children in need, especially in this post-pandemic context. Arca's psychologist is already helping the educators and volunteers to implement some activities for the children focusing on non violent comunication and emotional intelligence.

On Arca do Crescer' side, a new classroom allows us to organize more professional trainings and we have also increased the number of young people following some mentoring sessions. Many students that graduated by the end of 2021 have already received job offers and have started their new career. 

 Arca's projects are growing thanks to your support, we still need your help to make them running. Please spread the word abour our work. 

Although we have not yet completed all the construction work, Arca has become very lively again with the return of the 130 children.

Smiles are back with the resumption of activities: dance, music, capoeira, arts, rugby. The children are eager to speak and to forget the long months isolated at home. 

Thanks to your help, we have built new classrooms and we have recruited 2 new educators, Camila and Taina, to split our big number of children into small groups. These educators understand the specificities of Arca's children because they too are from the community. They are graduates in pedagogy and like Rose, who is 54 years old and has just finished her degree, they are a symbol of tenacity, willpower and of how the opportunity to study can really change the lives of people in the favela.

The computer room is still to come but we already know that it will be ready in January. "Se Deus quiser", as we say in Brazil!

Finally, we want to share with you the immense joy we had in organizing an outing for the children in early November. It was the first field trip outside the favela for 2 years! The children took a bus early to exit Sao Paulo megalopolis and to reach an amusement park at the edge of the forest. What a day! The weather was perfect and the children and teenagers really enjoyed being outside and discovering different kind of attractions. When they came back at night, they had a lot of stories to tell to their families. 

It is all these daily or extraordinary joys that we want to share with you because it is you who make them possible!

Continue to support Arca and spread the word about our project and together, let's prepare a wonderful Christmas for Arca's children.