Little Butterflies: supporting abused kids, Brazil

Dear Donors,

Brazil, after the insurrection of the 8^th of January in which several hundred of Brazilians demonstrators took the streets of Brasilia in support to the former president Jair Bolsonaro, is facing a new legislature. The newly elected president Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva is opening a different political phase for Brazil. In the past years the Country has become a great exporter of raw material imported in particular by China. The People's Republic of China since 2009 has overtaken the United States as main Brazil’s export market and every year China purchases tens of billions of dollars of soybeans, beef, iron, poultry, wood, sugar cane, cotton and oil.

The recent trip of President Lula to Beijing in April has clarified the new Brazilian political strategy: Brazil intends to once again strengthen political and economic relation with China in order to attract direct investment and overcome the stage of massive exports of raw materials.

In this phase of national change, the project “Little Butterflies” celebrates its 10 years! Aleimar in collaboration with our local partner, the Archdiocese Psychological Support Service for Families (SAPFAM) of Manaus, has never stopped to provide legal, health and psychological support to a great number of children and teenagers who have been victims of sexual abuse. Our local representative, Father Hudson, has come to Italy to visit our staff in Milan and during his stay we had the opportunity to talk in person and to share experiences and future development of the project.

Father Hudson has reported that during the pandemic new technological items have been introduce and have allowed the local staff to maintain and to improve all the services provided to the young recipients. This opportunity has to be implemented thanks to the introduction of more items like computers and tablets that will allow to provide online psychological support through video calls. The project will be able to reach also the children that live in the neighboring villages of Manaus, who will beneficiate of this service without moving.

Moreover, SAPFAM would like to open a new center in which all the professionals that support all the children will work in order to create a single point of reference for the minors: this will allow them to be followed by a coordinated team, reducing the chances of reliving the trauma suffered.

The project is ambitious, but we are sure that all the services dedicated to the children supported will be improved and they will receive a better assistance. Your support is fundamental and together we can stand by the side of the children of Manaus.

Thank you!