About BrazilFoundation
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BrazilFoundation is a non-profit established in New York in 2000 with the goal of generating resources for initiatives that promote social change in Brazil. With offices in New York and Rio de Janeiro, the Foundation raises funds in the US for social projects in Brazil in the areas of areas of education, health, participatory development, human rights, and culture. In 10 years, BrazilFoundation has developed a sizeable donor community in the US. The Annual Gala Benefit, now in its eighth year, has generated resources for grants and technical support to a network of 208 small and medium-sized nonprofits in Brazil.
Projects supported by the Foundation are selected by way of an annual selection process, receive financial and technical support during 1 year, and are monitored and evaluated. Leaders of supported projects participate in management and communications workshops.
Additionally, BrazilFoundation has channeled funding – following diligent review – to 100 nonprofit organizations recommended by donors (individuals and corporations in the US) who wish to support organizations of their choice in Brazil.
BrazilFoundation’s Project Bank provides corporate support to organizations previously supported by the Foundation that have achieved solid results.
The Friends Campaign is a network of supporters who through an annual contribution of $30 participate in Foundation events and enjoy benefits and discounts offered by the Friends campaign business partners in The US.
In Brazil, BrazilFoundation also offers services to corporate partners that strive to optimize investments in social programs of private businesses and institutions that seek to strengthen the entities they support.
Another initiative, the Carioca Fund, is a program that seeks to raise resources for project investments in the areas of education, vocational training and job opportunities for underprivileged youth in the State of Rio de Janeiro.
In ten years, BrazilFoundation has raised over $12.5 million dollars and supported 308 social projects in Brazil.
For more information, please visit www.brazilfoundation.org
LIST OF THE 2010 SELECTED PROJECTS:
Selected projects by thematic area
EDUCATION
ACAIA na Linha Nove
(ACAIA on Line 9)
Instituto ACAIA
(ACAIA Institute)
São Paulo/ São Paulo
Institute ACAIA works to improve the quality of life of residents from Favela da Linha, a community located in a precarious area controlled by drug traffickers. The Institute offers workshops, classes and services to residents and a pre-school program for local children. The project ACAIA na Linha Nove will focus on attending children aged six and under, their mothers and grandmothers, while adapting the organization’s structure and spaces to cater to the general needs of the community.
Alfabetização e Negritude
(Literacy and Afro-Brazilian Culture)
Centro de Estudos e Defesa do Negro do Pará – CEDENPA
(Center for the Study and Advocacy for Afro-Brazilians of Pará – CEDENPA)
Belém/ Pará
CEDENPA has identified communities in the state of Pará beyond the reach of public education policy, especially in quilombola communities (settlements comprised of descendents of escaped slaves). Alfabetização e Negritude’s goal is to promote literacy among three groups totaling 45 quilombolas as well as 15 other Afro-Brazilians from poor communities. Based on the teaching method of Paulo Freire, the project intends to highlight and value Afro-Brazilian culture and to raise the collective self-esteem of quilombolas.
Cuidando do Verde que tem Vida
(Caring for the Living Green)
Associação de Moradores do Sítio Jardim
(Sítio Jardim Neighborhood Association)
Fortim/ Ceará
Incentive Award
Fisherwomen from Sítio Jardim realized that tourism has negatively impacted the local ecosystem, their main source of income, and have recognized the potential of involving local youth in the defense of social and environmental sustainability. The project Cuidando do Verde que tem Vida will mobilize a group of 25 children and adolescents to promote sustainable use of natural resources. The youth will be involved in cleaning and planting near the river banks and will be educated with the tools to influence and mobilize the community about the sustainability issues, potentially influencing local environmental policy.
Escolas Populares Cooperativas
(Cooperative Schools)
Instituto Coração de Estudante
(The Heart of the Student Institute)
Pentecostes/ Ceará
Founded by College professor Manoel Andrade, Instituto Coração de Estudante has been transforming municipalities across Ceará by preparing local youth for the college entrance exam. Three hundred students from the Institute have been admitted to the well-regarded Federal University of Ceará. With BrazilFoundation support in both 2003 and 2005 they invested in teaching materials, classrooms, as well as food and transportation for teaching assistants. Notably, the project has been replicated in 50 neighboring communities leading to the creation of 13 new Cooperative Schools. With the need to systematize the coop school teaching methodology, BrazilFoundation is providing another grant to PRECE to systematize this successful approach, to evaluate the teaching methodology, produce instructional materials and carry out a training seminar on the Cooperative Learning methodology.
Igualdade na Diferença
(Equality in Difference)
Associação para Apoio e Integração do Deficiente Visual – PARA-DV
(Association for the Integration and Support of the Visually Impaired – PARA-DV)
Araraquara/ São Paulo In Brazil, public authorities have launched an educational policy to include student groups who are excluded by society without a viable plan or concrete guidelines to implement it. Recognizing this gap, Igualdade na Diferença will teach Braille to 50 blind and partially blind pre-school age children. Students will also learn computer skills, basic health care, and customized exercises to develop motor skills.
Projeto Cluberê
(Cluberê Project)
Sociedade 1º de Maio de Novos Alagados
(May 1st Society of Novos Alagados)
Salvador/ Bahia
Public school students of Nova Alogados have difficulty perceiving their schools as a resource for education and their teachers as facilitators of knowledge. Projeto Cluberê aims to improve the relationship between 120 local children, adolescents and their teachers by making learning more relevant and attractive to students through educational and socio-cultural activities. The project also seeks to encourage families to be more actively involved in their children’s school life.
HEALTH
Água Limpa, Alimento Saudável e Saúde no Quintal de Casa
(Clean Water, Healthy Food and Health in the Backyard)
Rede de Mulheres Produtoras do Pajeú
(Network of Woman Producers of Pajeu)
Afogados da Ingazeira/ Pernambuco
High rural to urban migration in the Pajeú region is one of the area’s main challenges. In Afogados da Ingazeira, residents of the housing complex Miguel Arraes are poorly nourished and live in un-hygienic conditions. Água Limpa, Alimento Saudável e Saúde no Quintal de Casa intends to stimulate food production in home gardens as a way to rescue self-subsistence traditions. The project also aims at raising awareness about the land and the environment in the new urban setting. About 100 women and their families will benefit from the sustainable food gardens. They will also learn how to make and sell eco-soaps produced from cooking oil collected from local snack bars.
Promotores da Vida: Adolescentes Construindo uma Sexualidade Saudável, Responsável e Planejada (Promotors of Life: Adolescents for Healthy, Responsible and Planned Sexuality)
Movimento de Mulheres em São Gonçalo
(Women’s Movement of São Gonçalo)
São Gonçalo/ Rio de Janeiro
Early pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rates among teenagers in São Gonçalo are alarming. The Promotores da Vida project will take sexual debates to public schools, emphasizing sexual and reproductive rights through seminars and discussion groups. Three hundred children and adolescents will be involved in the project. They will be prepared to learn and share their knowledge with families and neighbors. Detected cases of violence will be sent to child protection centers.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Cultura Revirando as Estruturas de Violência
Culture Overcoming the Structures of Violence)
Coletivo Leila Diniz - Ações de Cidadania e Estudos Feministas
(Leila Diniz Collective: Civil Participation Actions and Feminist Studies)
Natal/ Rio Grande do Norte
Cultura Revirando as Estruturas de Violência’s goal is to combat gender discrimination and to consolidate a culture of gender equality in Natal, a city with high rates of violence against women. Through seminars, workshops and informational activities to bring new cultural standards to light, the project will work with several groups: 25 female community leaders, 400 students and young artists. A Cultural Day Event will also be held to spread the values and principles of the project.
Justiça para Além das Grades
(Justice Beyond Prison Walls)
Associação de Amigos e Familiares de Pessoas em Privação de Liberdade
(Association of Friends and Family of People Deprived of their Liberty)
Belo Horizonte/ Minas Gerais
Today there are a total of 12,000 incarcerated people in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte. Prisoners and their family members often report torture and mistreatment to the Association. The project Justiça para Além das Grades will extend legal assistance to 337 participant families. The project will inform participants about their rights and will forward complaints to human rights defense services. Through the data produced, the project also hopes to influence public policy to make necessary changes to the prison system.
PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT
Brotinhos do Riacho Olho D’Água
(Little Sprouts from Riacho Olho D’Água)
Centro de Educação Comunitária Rural – CECOR
(Center for Rural Community Education- CECOR)
Serra Talhada/ Pernambuco
Along the banks of the Riacho Olho D'Água stream, a rural area of Pernambuco, families suffer the consequences of environmental degradation. Litter and deforestation for agricultural purposes contaminate water and threaten local residents’ health. Brotinhos do Riacho Olho D’Água intends to raise awareness of environmental issues through local joint efforts to plant trees. The project will work with 72 families, 17 teachers and over 1000 students on environmental protection and on the implementation of an educational booklet. Six teenagers will be trained to inform members of the community about environmental issues.
Chegando Perto
(Getting Close)
SOS Ação Mulher Família de Uberlândia
(SOS Action for Women and Family in Uberlândia)
Uberlândia/ Minas Gerais
Silence is one of the greatest challenges in the fight against domestic violence, a crime that affects mainly women. Fear of retaliation by partners and the lack of information make retrieving information from victims a difficult task. Chegando Perto is a pilot project that will offer psychological, legal, and social assistance to victims of violence at the Basic Family Health Care Center of Uberlandia, which attends about 4,000 patients. It is estimated that 300 women will benefit from the project.
Escola e Participação Cidadã
(School and Social Participation)
Associação SEDUP – Serviço de Educação Popular
(SEDUP Association – Popular Education Service)
Guarabira/ Paraíba
In the swamplands of Paraíba, families recognize the region’s poor teaching standards in the schools. Teachers pass students who have not met literacy requirements to advance grades. SEDUP developed a project to bring together parents, guardians, and teachers to discuss educational activities so families can actively participate in the school curriculum. The project will involve three local schools and 25 parents, benefiting a total of 780 students. SEDUP has plans to implement this model in other communities in the city.
Formação de Lideranças do Movimento de Defesa dos Direitos dos Moradores em Favelas: Resgatando a História e Construindo o Futuro
(Creating Leadership for the Movement in Defense of the Rights of Slum Dwellers: Rescuing History and Building the Future)
Movimento de Defesa dos Direitos dos Moradores em Favelas de Santo André – MDDF
(Movement for the Defense of the Rights of Slum Dwellers of Santo André – MDDF)
Santo André/ São Paulo
Brazilian slums are home to workers – and their families – who provide services in middle-class neighborhoods or work in the cities’ industrial districts. The MDDF is a social movement that since 1977 has been advocating for the right to own a home in the slums of one of Latin America’s most industrialized cities. This project aims to train 25 new local leaders citywide in recording and documenting the history of the Movement, with the long-term goal to influence public housing policies.
Fortalecimento da Feira Livre dos Agricultores(as) Familiares de Veredinha
(Strengthening Verendinha’s Family Farmer’s Market)
Centro de Agricultura Alternativa Vicente Nica – CAV
(Vicente Nica Center for Alternative Agriculture – CAV)
Veredinha/ Minas Gerais
Small farmers in the Jequitinhonha Valley face difficulties in selling their products because of the distance from major markets and the low added value of their products. To overcome these challenges, 50 farmer families from Veredinha formed an association that works to increase production, create and consolidate an open-air market, while developing the capacity of producers to manage this initiative. This project will provide micro-credit opportunities for production and marketing activities. Fortalecimento da Feira Livre dos Agricultores is continuation of a successful project supported by BrazilFoundation in 2007 in the town of Turmalina, Minas Gerais.
Jovem Desafio
(Youth Challenge)
Associação de Formação e Reeducação Lua Nova
(New Moon Education Association)
Sorocaba/ São Paulo
Jovem Desafio aims to transform the lives of 50 youth who face social exclusion due to poverty and drug abuse. The project’s goal is to develop their professional potential and entrepreneurship skills, highlighting the positive aspects in their lives. The Association had BrazilFoundation’s support in 2004 to attend pregnant teenagers and after having achieved great results, it will now expand its activities to encompass boys.
Projeto Macaúba
(Macaúba Project)
Instituto de Elaboração de Projetos, Assistência Técnica, Social e Ambiental – AGROTER
(Institute for the Development of Technical, Social and Environmental Assistance)
Augustinópolis/ Tocantins
In two small communities of Augustinopolis, the source of income of 15 families are dependent on the abundant Macaúba plant through a long, dangerous and rudimentary extraction of its coconut and nut. Projeto Macaúba project will purchase equipment to simplify this process by enabling the production of derivatives in a quicker and safer manner, while generating income for community members.
CULTURE
Memórias da Cultura
(Memories of Culture)
Fundação Brasil Cidadão para a Educação, Cultura, Tecnologia e Meio Ambiente (FBC)
(Brazilian Citizen for Education, Culture, Technology and Environment Foundation)
Icapuí/ Ceará
Fundação Brasil Cidadão, a BrazilFoundation grantee in 2005, has significantly expanded its activities in the local development of the city of Icapuí. Artisanal fishing, natural remedies, festivals, and crafts make this town a valuable cultural heritage site. The project Memórias da Cultura intends to consolidate the schedules of artistic and literary events with the goal of eventually establishing an Eco-museum.
Música Instrumental com Inclusão Digital
(Instrumental Music with Digital Inclusion)
Projeto Crescendo com Deus
(Growing with God Project)
Natal/ Rio Grande do Norte
In a poor community of Natal, local youth have few prospects, no access to social services, and are exposed to violence and drug abuse. Música Instrumental com Inclusão Digital offers music as well as lessons in community engagement offering participants a positive environment. The project Crescendo com Deus will offer computer, theater and music classes to 80 children and adolescents from the community. The activities aim to awaken the values of participatory development, concern for the environment as well as professional training.
Oficina Cultural: O que Não é Fantasia?
(Cultural Workshop: Isn’t Everything Fantasy?)
Associação de Parentes e Amigos dos Pacientes do Complexo Juliano Moreira
(The Juliano Moreira Family & Friends Association)
Rio de Janeiro/ Rio de Janeiro
Carnival is a cultural event of great importance in the lives of patients of this psychiatric hospital, this is the reason why it was the topic chosen to for the project Oficina Cultural: O que Não é Fantasia? aims to value carnival costume and floats, which are produced solely with recycled materials and developed by the patients. It is expected that about 300 people will directly benefit by the project’s activities.
Styllus da Terra
(Styllus Land Dwellers)
Associação de Moradores da Fazenda de São Paulo
(Farm-dwellers Association of São Paulo)
Canindé/ Ceará
With little to no access to cultural services, youth from three settlements in the region develop cultural activities to keep local traditions alive. The initiative to expand and strengthen the cultural group emerged from the efforts of an 18 year-old girl, who was born on the farm before it became a settlement. The project Styllus da Terra will engage 60 young settlers to promote an appreciation of northeastern Brazilian culture and provide theater production services for festivals of neighboring settlements.
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