The largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil is the home of a multicultural population of more than 200 million. Although the country possesses a vast wealth of natural resources and is among the 10 largest economies in the world, Brazil ranks 13th worldwide in economic inequality.
A significant proportion of the population suffers from discrimination, prejudice, and extreme income inequality. About 10 million people live below the international poverty line, and 50 percent of them are Brazilian children. Challenges include inadequate education, poor health care and lack of housing.
ChildFund has served children in Brazil since 1966. Help make a difference and sponsor a child in Brazil today.
Families: Health Care & Early Development
To strengthen family and community bonds, ChildFund and our local partners offer workshops on children’s rights, development and protection, as well as community events and home visits from trained staff, who teach caregivers about child care, nutrition and social opportunities for their children. ChildFund also supports preschools and day care centers to serve as healthy environments for child development. In 2015, ChildFund Brazil’s “Taking Care of the First Years of Life” program benefited more than 8,200 children in 31 areas.
Education in Brazil
ChildFund Brazil promotes access to high-quality education and works closely with schools, offering awareness workshops with the school community on topics such as inclusive and democratic education, child empowerment within school life and the role of the family in education. Family and community environment workshops promote a culture of peace and help reduce violence in schools. Schools also receive support for the formation and strengthening of school councils, with effective participation of children, adolescents and parents.
To complement their school activities, students participate in socio-educational activities focused on citizenship, social justice and peace. In 2015, more than 34,000 children ages 6-14 took part in our “Educated and Confident Children” program.
Youth
For Brazilian teens and young adults, ChildFund offers awareness and learning workshops on themes related to the rights of children, with the aim of strengthening their understanding of their rights. We also support efforts to combat violence against youth, encouraging dialogue and civic involvement. Youth groups and networks open the way for them to participate in campaigns, movements and decision-making processes at the community, municipal and regional levels, and in partnership with civil society. Brazilian youth also learn about citizenship, leadership and the labor market. More than 12,000 teens took part in “Skilled and Involved Youth” projects in Brazil in 2015.
Partnerships
ChildFund Brazil works with local partner organizations throughout the country, providing children and family members with education, good nutrition, livelihood support and tools to combat social problems like drug abuse, gang and domestic violence, and child labor.
Providing Safe Drinking Water in Brazil
In parts of southeastern Brazil, drought conditions have caused a shortage of water for agriculture and even a lack of clean drinking water for some families. Over the years, ChildFund has worked with local partners and regional government agencies to help train community members in eastern Brazil to monitor water quality, making sure it’s healthy enough for drinking. They collect samples, which are tested for coliform bacteria and other waterborne pollutants, and share information with the rest of the community. The “water watchers” project has helped communities be prepared for droughts and water shortage, as well as creating greater awareness among families.
ChildFund has also partnered with Procter & Gamble’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water program to provide clean water for 24,252 people in Brazil’s Jequitinhonha Valley in nine municipalities. In less than two years, this partnership achieved its goal in guaranteeing access to clean water. P&G has provided water purification packets to communities all over the world for more than 10 years, allowing anyone — even children — to purify dirty water in a matter of minutes. In October 2015, we began working with P&G to train 300 community volunteers in this region to educate families about water purification efforts.
