Feed a Hungry Child in Brazil Today

Dear Supports

Students at Educandário Creche Comunitária Sonho da Vovó Clara – an independent, community school offering free of charge education and food to the children of Mata Escura in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil – have just returned to classes after a 2 week break for the São João holidays. Although religious in origin, São João (or St John) has changed over the years to become a celebration of the countryside and rural traditions. In the regions surrounding Salvador, Brazilians celebrate by dressing in simple country styles, preparing traditional foods and dancing to forró – a musical style originating in the North East and based on a combination of accordion, zabumba bass drum and triangle. School staff arranged a São João celebration at the school – a great opportunity for the children to learn about these traditions and their rural roots. Many of our students’ parents migrated to Salvador’s favelas from the state of Bahia’s enormous rural interior in search of work. Bahia’s countryside is harsh, towns are isolated, the land is dry and difficult to cultivate, industry is almost non-existent and deprivation is rife. Opportunities are so limited that young people are forced to migrate to major cities such as Salvador to seek a better life for their families There have been some other big developments at the school in recent weeks. Our wonderful schoolteacher Andrea has been petitioning a local educational organisation to come to the school and provide some workshops for the teaching staff. Her tireless efforts came to fruition last month when the organisation sent a team to the school for 2 days of workshops with the teachers and students. They helped the school staff to create new ‘play’, ‘creativity’ and ‘relaxation’ zones in the classrooms and imparted many ideas on teaching methods and activities. They also coordinated a number of fantastic craft sessions with the children – some photos of which you can see below. A great time was had by all the students and the teachers gathered loads of new ideas and inspiration. 

Another bit of dogged persistence from Andrea also came to fruition last month, when a Salvador based street art group came in to brighten up the school with fabulous new murals and conduct a graffiti workshop with our older children. The school looks colourful, unique and vibrant since their visit and the inspiration and positive role models they offered to our older students were wonderful to witness. For the first time ever our older kids think the school looks ‘muito legal’…or ‘very cool’! One of the new murals features a representation of Vovo Clara (Grandmother Clara) from whom the school derives it’s name. Vovó Clara was a local woman, Maria. Maria was born on 12th August 1912 to a very poor family. She married young, had 6 children and raised a further 5 grandchildren. Although she was illiterate, she always instilled in her children the importance of education and despite great financial and social constraints 2 of her children went on to graduate as teachers - an incredible achievement for a family facing such difficulties.

This achievement brought Maria particular pride as teaching had always been the profession she had most admired and wished she had been able to pursue. Since an early age she had harboured a dream to open a creche and community centre to help the needy in her local community. As she entered old age she increasingly began to offer shelter and food to abandoned and needy children and vulnerable elderly people in the favela. She became well known locally by the nickname ´Vovó Clara´ or ´Granny Clara´ and worked tirelessly to help those in need - opening her humble residence to all those who needed her help and treating them as if they were her own children.

Maria tirelessly continued this benevolent work for many years and was a much loved figure in the local community. Unfortunately she eventually became frail and on the 26th January 1993 she passed away, aged 81, not before she had returned to school and learnt how to read and write - her belief in the importance of education never waned.

For 10 years after her death, her son Eraldo did not stop pursuing the dream of finally opening Maria’s creche. In 2000 he achieved his aim and the Educandário Creche Comunitária Sonho Vovó Clara opened it´s doors, offering free education, childcare and food to Mata Escura´s neediest children. We are so happy there is now a lasting tribute to Maria on the walls of the creche so that her story will be passed on to our future students. 

With Grattitude,

Brazil