Prevent Youth Involvement in Drug Trafficking

For the last 10 years our commitment with Julio Otoni community has been active.  Some hundred volunteers from all over the world have had the opportunity to participate, express their love and give their contribution to the improvement of the slum community and also for the children, which is our major focus.

For the last two months we have worked very hard to bring to the community an initiative of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro which main goal is to bring digital education to underserved communities.  We succeed!!! This week, on September 23rd., a brandy new computer room furnished with 12 computers was inaugurated  in our community center at Julio Otoni.  There will be classes given by professionals for adolescents and adults, older than 12 years old. This means a big step in puting the Julio Otoni community in the map of local social policies.

Thanks to this initiative we could also renovate the house which is reformed, painted and looks very nice. The renewal of the spring. season, which started on September 23rd.. Such a joy to see our efforts flourishing.  The 90 year old resident Maria Jesuina dos Santos was present at the inauguration. She was one of the first settlers at the favela in the 1950s. Two of her great grandchildren are enrolled at the programs we carry.She express her appreciation for the fact that the project has had a continuity over all these years...

Another person present was Sheila, which is a teacher of the community that helps children with their homework at the Julio Otoni community center. Sheila gave the testimony of her daughter that has learned photography at the center and is now a professional photographer.

So we were all very happy to see that after 8 years we are stronger, new partnerships and commitment of all... We take the opportunity to thank the help of all the people even the ones that believe in us from far away.

Links:

• article by the secretary of science and technology of Rio