Building a future for 200 youths in Sao Paulo

The start of the 2025 school year took place at the beginning of February in Arca, both for the children at the Arca do Saber centre and for the young people and adults at the Arca do Crescer vocational courses. The new activities and training courses introduced in 2024 are proving to be a great success, as evidenced by the number of applications received. 

Thanks to your support, Arca can continue to improve and expand the actions it undertakes and directly impact the future of the residents of the favela Vila Prudente.

Among the achievements of 2024 is the programme of initiation and reflection on the use of digital technology. This project, carried out in Arca, not only gives the 130 children and teenagers access to a computer they don't have at home, but also focuses on preparing them to use technology efficiently and safely, empowering them to be aware and active digital citizens, ready to contribute to building a better world. At the end of the year, the 1st Hackathon took place in Arca do Saber on 16 December.

Circus activities were also developed in 2024, enabling the children to work on a wide range of skills, including physical ability, a sense of comedy, group work, showmanship and self-confidence. The end-of-year show was a source of pride for parents, teachers and children alike.

In 2024, the Arca do Crescer vocational center graduated 272 students, with a high representation of women (78%) and self-identified blacks (64%). In addition, many young people are former students of Arca do Saber, underlining the importance of integrated initiatives that promote educational and professional trajectories. 95% of participants in the vocational training program offered by Arca do Crescer agree that the course was a good investment of their time.

“When I started the administration assistant course, I thought I would only work in an office, especially using computers. I was surprised by subjects I didn't know about and was very impressed by the topics on digital marketing, Google tools, visiting stores, human rights and so on. I would 100% recommend taking a course at Arca, and what's more, it's free. I really enjoyed it! Wherever I go, I'll only talk about Arca do Crescer”.  Deryck Barros, 16 years old - Administrative Assistant Course 

In 2025, with your help, we'll continue to do just as well.