Tuesday, November 20, 2007
To round off this trip, we had a very hot and sunny day on Sunday, visiting hipie feria one more time before going to Casa Dourada and Casa Branca to say goodbye to all the children in the care of Voice for Change.
The flights were all on time and all went smoothly until the last leg of the Amsterdam to Birmingham team, which was delayed by faults on the plane(s) for about an hour and a half - but everyone is now home, and learning to cope with life in a cooler, darker and wetter climate today!
The team - of Carl and Kate Love, Becca Blanch, Des and Pauline Mathias, Margaret Green, Richard and Audrey Akers, Keith and Denise Colman - has had a great experience and achieved a very great many things over the past two weeks, and thanks to every one of them for making this trip such a success. Hopefully it will have been a never-forgotten experience, and it certainly has been one which has touched the lives of many, many needy children in Brazil.
As the team left behind in Brazil settle down again to their daily tasks of caring for children who have received such bad treatment, or live in such poverty, or who need so much help in order to become fully functional in society and have real hope for their future, the work of Voice for Change goes on, and the team returned home will have played an essential role in encouraging an helping that work to go on.
If you would like to go to Brazil with us, please let us know, and ask for an application pack!
If you can help us by sponsoring a child, giving a gift this Christmas, or even just buying your Christmas cards to support us, please go to www.charitygiving.co.uk/shop and nominate Voice for Change as your charity.
Thanks for following this blog - we will publish more photos, and also news as the days and weeks go by, so keep us as one of your favourites, and keep coming back!! Volta sempre!!
The flights were all on time and all went smoothly until the last leg of the Amsterdam to Birmingham team, which was delayed by faults on the plane(s) for about an hour and a half - but everyone is now home, and learning to cope with life in a cooler, darker and wetter climate today!
The team - of Carl and Kate Love, Becca Blanch, Des and Pauline Mathias, Margaret Green, Richard and Audrey Akers, Keith and Denise Colman - has had a great experience and achieved a very great many things over the past two weeks, and thanks to every one of them for making this trip such a success. Hopefully it will have been a never-forgotten experience, and it certainly has been one which has touched the lives of many, many needy children in Brazil.
As the team left behind in Brazil settle down again to their daily tasks of caring for children who have received such bad treatment, or live in such poverty, or who need so much help in order to become fully functional in society and have real hope for their future, the work of Voice for Change goes on, and the team returned home will have played an essential role in encouraging an helping that work to go on.
If you would like to go to Brazil with us, please let us know, and ask for an application pack!
If you can help us by sponsoring a child, giving a gift this Christmas, or even just buying your Christmas cards to support us, please go to www.charitygiving.co.uk/shop and nominate Voice for Change as your charity.
Thanks for following this blog - we will publish more photos, and also news as the days and weeks go by, so keep us as one of your favourites, and keep coming back!! Volta sempre!!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
We started early this morning so that the men were able to go to the vila as both Jacson And Jorge were prepared to start early also - this was to errect the vfc logo boards that had been worked on during the weeks. It took 4 men to hold up the main painted board to bolt it into position.
The rest of the team were either decorating the Casa Branca building to a situation of completion, or occupying the children their main activity was to play uno, when the children were not debating whose turn it was.
After lunch for which we were all gathered together - some when over to see the finished article ) vfc logo ) at the community centre while others were entertained in cooking chocholate brownies with the children and still some others could not resist going shopping yet again !!!!
Tonight we are all invited to a B B Q at Casa Branca along with visitig Skip, Debbie and their family of 3 boys.
The rest of the team were either decorating the Casa Branca building to a situation of completion, or occupying the children their main activity was to play uno, when the children were not debating whose turn it was.
After lunch for which we were all gathered together - some when over to see the finished article ) vfc logo ) at the community centre while others were entertained in cooking chocholate brownies with the children and still some others could not resist going shopping yet again !!!!
Tonight we are all invited to a B B Q at Casa Branca along with visitig Skip, Debbie and their family of 3 boys.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Another morning of sun has meant the logo is now finished and an extra piece of wood has had the website address painted on. Des and Carl continue to paint the second coat on the house and it is looking really good. Audrey has been painting the gate with some of the children.
Margaret and Pauline have been working with the children on the next stage of the project, to paint the picture frames that were started on Wednesday, they are nearly completed and just need the stands sticking on. The children are very excited about having their photos taken and printed which will take place tomorrow.
The plaster hands that were made earlier on in the week have been stapled on to paper to display them.
Margaret and Pauline have been working with the children on the next stage of the project, to paint the picture frames that were started on Wednesday, they are nearly completed and just need the stands sticking on. The children are very excited about having their photos taken and printed which will take place tomorrow.
The plaster hands that were made earlier on in the week have been stapled on to paper to display them.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Today the sun has shone! In the morning the majority of the team took the Casa Dourada children to the zoo as it is a national holiday. The children loved it and were very excited to see all the animals. A particular attraction for the Brits was a beautiful white peacock.
Carl, Kate, Denise and Margaret stayed at Casa Branca and put up shelves in the kitchen, providing much needed space.
This afternoon we cracked on with the painting. Carl and Des attacked the house walls, giving them a second coat. Richard, Keith, Becca and Audrey worked on the VFC logo.
Denise, Kate and Pauline went to Casa Dourada to cook chocolate brownies with the children.
Carl, Kate, Denise and Margaret stayed at Casa Branca and put up shelves in the kitchen, providing much needed space.
This afternoon we cracked on with the painting. Carl and Des attacked the house walls, giving them a second coat. Richard, Keith, Becca and Audrey worked on the VFC logo.
Denise, Kate and Pauline went to Casa Dourada to cook chocolate brownies with the children.
Yesterday was our first day of proper rain. As it had been forecast to be the warmest day this week we had set it aside to give the house a second coat of paint. Richard cracked on with painting the voice for change logo on our salvaged wood. The logo will be screwed onto the commity centre wall in the Vila later on this week.
Margaret and Becca went to the Vila to help Darla in the morning, as we weren´t sure if Priscilla was still ill (she had been rushed to hospital earlier on in the week with pains). We were pleased to see Priscilla back to work and looking well. The girls were doing the clay puppets with about 20 children so Becca was happy to see that the training last week was being used so quickly. After lunch the rest of the team came to the Vila as this was when the families had be told to come and collect their photos. The afternoon session children were playing board games and making birthday cards for Darla. They involved us in their games and had a go at speaking English to us. Becca and Pauline were swamped with requests to stencil around pictures from colouring books.
Becca found the day quite emotional as it was the last working day with the Vila children - today and tomorrow are public holidays. Three of the children had written a letter to Becca saying that she was their best friend from England and never to forget them, as they would never forget her.
Keith brought 3 trees and the children planted 2 outside the centre and a fruit tree in the enclosed playground. We hope that the outside trees will not be stolen. They loved doing this as the tree project has been the subject of their activities in the Vila recently. The original tree planting project had been refused by the government as they will be tarmacking the roads next year, so planting a few on the centre´s land was a way to lessen the disappointment of the children.
Margaret and Becca went to the Vila to help Darla in the morning, as we weren´t sure if Priscilla was still ill (she had been rushed to hospital earlier on in the week with pains). We were pleased to see Priscilla back to work and looking well. The girls were doing the clay puppets with about 20 children so Becca was happy to see that the training last week was being used so quickly. After lunch the rest of the team came to the Vila as this was when the families had be told to come and collect their photos. The afternoon session children were playing board games and making birthday cards for Darla. They involved us in their games and had a go at speaking English to us. Becca and Pauline were swamped with requests to stencil around pictures from colouring books.
Becca found the day quite emotional as it was the last working day with the Vila children - today and tomorrow are public holidays. Three of the children had written a letter to Becca saying that she was their best friend from England and never to forget them, as they would never forget her.
Keith brought 3 trees and the children planted 2 outside the centre and a fruit tree in the enclosed playground. We hope that the outside trees will not be stolen. They loved doing this as the tree project has been the subject of their activities in the Vila recently. The original tree planting project had been refused by the government as they will be tarmacking the roads next year, so planting a few on the centre´s land was a way to lessen the disappointment of the children.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Had another good day. The weather has been mainly quite overcast, but we have been able to get on with the painting without getting too hot. It has been good to finally get a coat of paint on most of Casa Branca. It really is a huge house, when you come to paint it! It looks really good, even though it is going to need a final coat, hopefully tomorrow.
In the morning, Keith, Denise, and Kate, accompanied by Val, went to Fazenda Rio Grande to visit another project for poor people, at the invitation of Mauricio. It was helpful to exchange ideas, and very encouraging to see how their centre has grown over the 13 years since it started, in a very small way, with a Saturday morning football match for local children. It is now working with children and families from the local favela, providing help and support with the aim of keeping families together and preventing the problem of abandoned street children.
Margaret and Pauline spent the morning with the Casa Branca children, painting and decorating the plaster casts of their hands which they made yesterday.
In the afternoon, Keith, Carl, Des and Richard went to the Vila to continue with the photographic project, whilst the girls, under the direction of Jacson, continued with the painting of the house.
This evening we are having pizzas delivered here for our tea, before a group go off to the local football match - Curitiba, who are top of the league, against Portuguesa, who are second. Should be a very exciting match. Both Jacson and Tuim are going, so Denise, Pauline, Kate and Margaret are babysitting the children here at Casa Branca. We´ll let you know the result later!
Kate
In the morning, Keith, Denise, and Kate, accompanied by Val, went to Fazenda Rio Grande to visit another project for poor people, at the invitation of Mauricio. It was helpful to exchange ideas, and very encouraging to see how their centre has grown over the 13 years since it started, in a very small way, with a Saturday morning football match for local children. It is now working with children and families from the local favela, providing help and support with the aim of keeping families together and preventing the problem of abandoned street children.
Margaret and Pauline spent the morning with the Casa Branca children, painting and decorating the plaster casts of their hands which they made yesterday.
In the afternoon, Keith, Carl, Des and Richard went to the Vila to continue with the photographic project, whilst the girls, under the direction of Jacson, continued with the painting of the house.
This evening we are having pizzas delivered here for our tea, before a group go off to the local football match - Curitiba, who are top of the league, against Portuguesa, who are second. Should be a very exciting match. Both Jacson and Tuim are going, so Denise, Pauline, Kate and Margaret are babysitting the children here at Casa Branca. We´ll let you know the result later!
Kate
Monday, November 12, 2007
Labels: Fishermen with Stingray. The guy in the orange shirt cut off the sting which he is holding up.
Back to work with a vengence. Pauline and Denise at Casa Dourado used plaster bandages to make face masks for Jonathan and Lucas, Carolina couldn`t sit still long enough for that so had one made for her hand instead.
Darci very kindly lent us her two washing machines so the "washer woman" member of the team was kept well occupied.
At Casa Branca the work continued, rubbing down, replacing rotten wood and removing clinging ivy. As I write paint has just arrived for painting the house.
The new Voice for Change sign is in the process of being made, Richard and Audrey have been preparing the wood for painting. The base coat has been put on, but as the weather is rather over cast today the rest of preparation will take place another day. The team is learning to be very adaptable with whatever tools are at hand.
The team`s photographers, Des, Karl and Becca are at the Vila going into the homes of families, hoping to make new contacts with new children and their parents. They are taking their photos and are also equiped with a printer so that they can give the copy to the families.
Darci very kindly lent us her two washing machines so the "washer woman" member of the team was kept well occupied.
At Casa Branca the work continued, rubbing down, replacing rotten wood and removing clinging ivy. As I write paint has just arrived for painting the house.
The new Voice for Change sign is in the process of being made, Richard and Audrey have been preparing the wood for painting. The base coat has been put on, but as the weather is rather over cast today the rest of preparation will take place another day. The team is learning to be very adaptable with whatever tools are at hand.
The team`s photographers, Des, Karl and Becca are at the Vila going into the homes of families, hoping to make new contacts with new children and their parents. They are taking their photos and are also equiped with a printer so that they can give the copy to the families.
The team have had a lovely break enjoying rest and relaxation at Cananeia, a time spent getting to know each other better in beautiful surroundings. Twenty eight of us stayed in two hotels from Friday evening until Sunday evening. We went on a boat trip on Saturday, stopping off for a walk in the rain forest, up to a waterfall and then enjoying a cooling swim in the water. A few of us were daring enough to jump in!
We then rejoined the boat and stopped off for a late lunch at a beachside restaurant, also enjoying a swim in the ocean and the surf, the water was surprisingly warm.
On Sunday we again went on a boat trip but not as long as the one on Saturday, we watched some fishermen, there were a couple of very large stingrays caught in the nets as well as other fish, which we were able to take photographs of and to see up close.
We spotted some dolphins swimming close to the shore and some people swam with them. We enjoyed lunch which consisted of the catch from the morning, including salad and other seafood. Then we joined the boat again and went back to our hotels for a final tidy up and the journey back to Curitiba, once again ready to start work at Casa Branca on Monday morning.
We then rejoined the boat and stopped off for a late lunch at a beachside restaurant, also enjoying a swim in the ocean and the surf, the water was surprisingly warm.
On Sunday we again went on a boat trip but not as long as the one on Saturday, we watched some fishermen, there were a couple of very large stingrays caught in the nets as well as other fish, which we were able to take photographs of and to see up close.
We spotted some dolphins swimming close to the shore and some people swam with them. We enjoyed lunch which consisted of the catch from the morning, including salad and other seafood. Then we joined the boat again and went back to our hotels for a final tidy up and the journey back to Curitiba, once again ready to start work at Casa Branca on Monday morning.
Friday, November 09, 2007
This morning Becca, Des, Pauline and Carl went to the Vila to help out with the dance class. Carl took some more pictures of the children and printed them out ready for them to take home. The children were keen to have a group photo and all wanted a copy each. We are hoping that this will encourage families to come to the Voice for Change community centre next week for family portraits, and encourage them to engage their children in the project.
We are now about to leave for our weekend away at the beach with the Brazil Voice for Change team, including the house parents. This means there will be no updates to the blog until Monday. Thank you all for supporting us and continuing to read the blog. More on Monday......
Becca
We are now about to leave for our weekend away at the beach with the Brazil Voice for Change team, including the house parents. This means there will be no updates to the blog until Monday. Thank you all for supporting us and continuing to read the blog. More on Monday......
Becca
Thursday, November 08, 2007
It was our last training session today. The puppets were finished and Denise summarized and ref lected on the 3 days of learning. The Brazil team have been enthusiatic about the puppet project and seem to have taken on board some of the key points of play therapy. At the end Jackson and Tuim had an impromtu wedding with their puppets. Darla and Luiz Claudio also did a little sketch.
The team back at Casa Branca replaced a lot of the wooden eaves and prepared the house ready for painting.
Becca
The team back at Casa Branca replaced a lot of the wooden eaves and prepared the house ready for painting.
Becca
Labels: A group photo of the morning session children at the Vila, who came to have their photos taken.
Thursday morning and the children at Casa Branca have had a great time with the team, building a Matchbox town, which has been kindly donated by some friends of VfC - pictures later hopefully! There is a fire station, airport, garage, and much more, whic has taxed their construction skills (and the team´s too!), their motor skills, their imaginative play, their co-operation and their patience!
It has been a great experience with everybody on the floor together, working and making conversation, solving problems across the language barrier!
Others have been continuing work outside on this lovely sunny day, repairing the eaves of the house and getting ready for painting it next week.
Six of the team - Carl, Des, Becca, Curtis, Pauline and Neil - have gone to the Vila (favela) to set up a photography ´studio´ready to take photos of the children there, and their families too ... it was amazing to go in there at 9.30 this morning to see all the children working away at making frames for their photo - and whole families beginning to arrive, dressed so smartly, washed and hair brushed, all ready to have a family portrait taken ... this will provide them with a memory and a souvenir for many years to come ... we will continue this project next week, and hope for more children and families to come along for their ´foto´!
We are also starting to collect wood to make into a logo to put on the front of the building - see the blue building on the photo below - and Keith went on the rubbish tip to get some wood from there. You can read about these tips, and see the pictures of people on them, sorting through for something to eat, or something to use, and be moved - but what you can´t experience at a distance is the smell on that tip, which almost made me physically sick just being there .. and the flies, and the rotting material, and the bugs, and the desperate feeling that you wanted to get off the tip and out of there as quickly as possible .... how on earth do the children who live in these places survive?
please don´t forget that you can support the work of VfC by sponsoring a child if you click on www.vfcbrasil.com - and every penny you can give goes to help the work here in Brazil.
You can even support the work by buying your Chrtistmas cards online this year at www.charitygiving.co.uk/shop - we will appreciate your help and support in every way you can manage!
It has been a great experience with everybody on the floor together, working and making conversation, solving problems across the language barrier!
Others have been continuing work outside on this lovely sunny day, repairing the eaves of the house and getting ready for painting it next week.
Six of the team - Carl, Des, Becca, Curtis, Pauline and Neil - have gone to the Vila (favela) to set up a photography ´studio´ready to take photos of the children there, and their families too ... it was amazing to go in there at 9.30 this morning to see all the children working away at making frames for their photo - and whole families beginning to arrive, dressed so smartly, washed and hair brushed, all ready to have a family portrait taken ... this will provide them with a memory and a souvenir for many years to come ... we will continue this project next week, and hope for more children and families to come along for their ´foto´!
We are also starting to collect wood to make into a logo to put on the front of the building - see the blue building on the photo below - and Keith went on the rubbish tip to get some wood from there. You can read about these tips, and see the pictures of people on them, sorting through for something to eat, or something to use, and be moved - but what you can´t experience at a distance is the smell on that tip, which almost made me physically sick just being there .. and the flies, and the rotting material, and the bugs, and the desperate feeling that you wanted to get off the tip and out of there as quickly as possible .... how on earth do the children who live in these places survive?
please don´t forget that you can support the work of VfC by sponsoring a child if you click on www.vfcbrasil.com - and every penny you can give goes to help the work here in Brazil.
You can even support the work by buying your Chrtistmas cards online this year at www.charitygiving.co.uk/shop - we will appreciate your help and support in every way you can manage!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
The team at Casa Branca have had a fruitful morning. Audrey and Pauline have played outside with the children, drawing around their bodies and colouring them in. Des, Carl and Jackson have been preparing the outside walls of the house for painting. Whilst Richard and Becca have been on the roof. Richard has been preparing the walls, scraping them and fillering up holes. Becca has been cleaning the shutters with the pressure washer.
On a lighter note, Becca has just announced that she is needing to find some higher factor sun cream for today, as the lotion she has isn´t strong enough! Sorry about that if you live in a cold climate!
At the same time, the Christmas lights are going up everywhere here now - and hopefully Lionel is doing the same in Norfolk!
Our days are very full, and with our intermittent internet connection, communication with the outside world isn´t too easy! The team here are all in very good spirits, and doing well, working hard and enjoying all they do! They send their love to all their friends and families, and thanks for taking time to read this blog and support us!
At the same time, the Christmas lights are going up everywhere here now - and hopefully Lionel is doing the same in Norfolk!
Our days are very full, and with our intermittent internet connection, communication with the outside world isn´t too easy! The team here are all in very good spirits, and doing well, working hard and enjoying all they do! They send their love to all their friends and families, and thanks for taking time to read this blog and support us!
We had some bad news yesterday, when we discovered that Dhaniel, a favela boy who has been at VfC for a few years and who has been a great helper to Darla, wa shot three times on Saturday night as he was out walking with a friend (who was also shot, and has been murdered, because he got more bullets than Dhaniel).
He is now in hospital recovering.
The avaerage life expectancy of kids who are involved in the gang wars and drug rings of South America can be as low as 20, especially for boys, and this is what we are trying to help the children who come to Voice for Change avoid in the future, by giving them the skills and ambition to have a different and better lifestyle. This work really is a matter of life and death ...
Dhaniel was a victim of the margins of this, as he wasn´t the intended target, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He is now in hospital recovering.
The avaerage life expectancy of kids who are involved in the gang wars and drug rings of South America can be as low as 20, especially for boys, and this is what we are trying to help the children who come to Voice for Change avoid in the future, by giving them the skills and ambition to have a different and better lifestyle. This work really is a matter of life and death ...
Dhaniel was a victim of the margins of this, as he wasn´t the intended target, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Neil and Curtis (the Founder, and Chair of UK Trustees) arrived safely late last night, and over the next fews days they will visit the various projects we have, catch up with the team in Brasil, and meet up with all the children we are caring for.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Tuesday has gone really well, with Jorge coming to help strip guttering from the top of the house, and Carl, Des and Richard all cleaning, walls, repairing broken guttering and generally making good at Casa Branca.
Kate and Audrey have spent the whole day at the Vila, with Darla and Priscila and had an insight into the way they work with the kids they see there every day. in the afternoon we have held our first training session of the week, taken by Becca, where the whole Brasil team was there, making puppets to use in threpeutic play, and exploring how this can be used to help the children in our care, who come from such difficult emotional backgrounds. It was a very helpful session, and will be continued tomorrow.
At Casa Dourada today Richard and Margaret helped the children there to make a template of the VfC logo which we will put onto the front of the Vila Centre before the end of next week. The weather is beautiful (especially for November ) at a pleasant 24 C - making great working conditions
We are now waiting the arrival of Neil and Curtis, who are coming for the rest of this week.
We have had a very satisfying day, and everyone is pleasantly tired but content! Now sitting in the early evening sunshine, waiting to go out for dinner at another charruscarria!!
The poverty here is just as great as ever, and we seem to have seen more rubbish collectors and children on their carts, and beggars on the street, than ever .... is there any way out for them?
Kate and Audrey have spent the whole day at the Vila, with Darla and Priscila and had an insight into the way they work with the kids they see there every day. in the afternoon we have held our first training session of the week, taken by Becca, where the whole Brasil team was there, making puppets to use in threpeutic play, and exploring how this can be used to help the children in our care, who come from such difficult emotional backgrounds. It was a very helpful session, and will be continued tomorrow.
At Casa Dourada today Richard and Margaret helped the children there to make a template of the VfC logo which we will put onto the front of the Vila Centre before the end of next week. The weather is beautiful (especially for November ) at a pleasant 24 C - making great working conditions
We are now waiting the arrival of Neil and Curtis, who are coming for the rest of this week.
We have had a very satisfying day, and everyone is pleasantly tired but content! Now sitting in the early evening sunshine, waiting to go out for dinner at another charruscarria!!
The poverty here is just as great as ever, and we seem to have seen more rubbish collectors and children on their carts, and beggars on the street, than ever .... is there any way out for them?
Monday, November 05, 2007
Monday 5th November
Our first proper working day. After breakfast we went through who was going where and what tasks we would be doing, and had a prayer time.
Becca and Pauline went to the Voice for Change centre in the favela with Darla and Priscilla. More about this later.
Margaret and Richard went to Casa Dourada, where Richard made a large model with Lucas whilst the other children were at school. Three of the children at Casa Dourada have extra sessions in the mornings as they have special educational needs. Later Jhonathan came home and joined in. Margaret was able to spend time with Darci, who is the foster-mother at Casa Dourada, giving her encouragement.
Denise, Audrey and Kate made masks with the children at Casa Branca until they had to get ready for school. They go to school in the afternoons only. Carl and Des spent some time with Keith and Jackson assessing what needed doing at Casa Branca and started by ordering a skip. They then went out to get some tools, ready to prepare the outside walls for painting. As the skip had arrived by the time they returned, they concentrated on having a good clear up. A family from one of the favelas came by as they were taking the rubbish out to the skip, and loaded their horse and cart with much of the stuff being discarded. Many people from the favela make their living from selling on the rubbish they collect.
Keith and Denise met with some of the people who sell their handicrafts at the craft fair, and bought quite a selection of goods to resell in the UK to raise money for Voice for Change.
Kate
Our first proper working day. After breakfast we went through who was going where and what tasks we would be doing, and had a prayer time.
Becca and Pauline went to the Voice for Change centre in the favela with Darla and Priscilla. More about this later.
Margaret and Richard went to Casa Dourada, where Richard made a large model with Lucas whilst the other children were at school. Three of the children at Casa Dourada have extra sessions in the mornings as they have special educational needs. Later Jhonathan came home and joined in. Margaret was able to spend time with Darci, who is the foster-mother at Casa Dourada, giving her encouragement.
Denise, Audrey and Kate made masks with the children at Casa Branca until they had to get ready for school. They go to school in the afternoons only. Carl and Des spent some time with Keith and Jackson assessing what needed doing at Casa Branca and started by ordering a skip. They then went out to get some tools, ready to prepare the outside walls for painting. As the skip had arrived by the time they returned, they concentrated on having a good clear up. A family from one of the favelas came by as they were taking the rubbish out to the skip, and loaded their horse and cart with much of the stuff being discarded. Many people from the favela make their living from selling on the rubbish they collect.
Keith and Denise met with some of the people who sell their handicrafts at the craft fair, and bought quite a selection of goods to resell in the UK to raise money for Voice for Change.
Kate
Sorry for not much information yesterday. We kept losing the internet connection.
So back to yesterday...
The children at Casa Branca met us with much affection. After a group photo the children went off to play and were keen for our attention. A few of the children climbed up a tree to the hieght of the team´s balcony. I (Becca) played basketball with some of the others.
After breakfast we went to the hippie-fair, a local street market selling homemade crafts, some of which the stallholders had made themselves. Denise and I had a deliciously refreshing drink which was basically a huge, green coconut with a straw sticking out of the top! Keith and Val had a sugar cane drink. Again pure produce. We watched the sugar cane go through a crushing machine and the juice came out the other end. Some of the others went to a cafe and tried Brazilian coffee.
In the afternoon we went to visit the children at the other house - Casa Dourada. Again we were met with eager, excited children who were full of endless energy. A skipping rope provided much fun and even Pauline had a go. The rest of the adults took turns turning the rope. Some of the children showed us their art work which they were very proud of.
Onto the evening... we went to CCC church, where both of the houses go to. Fortunately we knew two of the songs so could sing them in English. We didn´t stop for the sermon due to the language barrier!
Went on to eat all you can restaurant. It was amazing for £2 a head. We chose our salad - an extensive choice. I tried several items of food - I hadn´t a clue what they were and still didn´t after eating them! Waiters brought out meat after meat after meat......they didn´t stop until the last person said no more. I tried hump of bull - very tasty. A few daring people squeezed in dessert and then we returned to Casa Branca and began to plan the week ahead. Retired to bed at a reasonable hour.
Pauline and I are going to the favela (slum) tomorrow, a few people are going to each house to work with the children and Keith and Denise are going out to do some business with local traders. More news later. Off for breakfast.
Becca
So back to yesterday...
The children at Casa Branca met us with much affection. After a group photo the children went off to play and were keen for our attention. A few of the children climbed up a tree to the hieght of the team´s balcony. I (Becca) played basketball with some of the others.
After breakfast we went to the hippie-fair, a local street market selling homemade crafts, some of which the stallholders had made themselves. Denise and I had a deliciously refreshing drink which was basically a huge, green coconut with a straw sticking out of the top! Keith and Val had a sugar cane drink. Again pure produce. We watched the sugar cane go through a crushing machine and the juice came out the other end. Some of the others went to a cafe and tried Brazilian coffee.
In the afternoon we went to visit the children at the other house - Casa Dourada. Again we were met with eager, excited children who were full of endless energy. A skipping rope provided much fun and even Pauline had a go. The rest of the adults took turns turning the rope. Some of the children showed us their art work which they were very proud of.
Onto the evening... we went to CCC church, where both of the houses go to. Fortunately we knew two of the songs so could sing them in English. We didn´t stop for the sermon due to the language barrier!
Went on to eat all you can restaurant. It was amazing for £2 a head. We chose our salad - an extensive choice. I tried several items of food - I hadn´t a clue what they were and still didn´t after eating them! Waiters brought out meat after meat after meat......they didn´t stop until the last person said no more. I tried hump of bull - very tasty. A few daring people squeezed in dessert and then we returned to Casa Branca and began to plan the week ahead. Retired to bed at a reasonable hour.
Pauline and I are going to the favela (slum) tomorrow, a few people are going to each house to work with the children and Keith and Denise are going out to do some business with local traders. More news later. Off for breakfast.
Becca
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Hi,
We have had a great day full of lots of new experiences.
The day began with breakfast and then we met the children who live in the house we are staying at (Casa Branca).
a quick posting to let you all know that we arrived at 2.30 am after a 3 hour delay at s paulo on the last leg of the jouney! all was very smooth apart from that, so we crawled into be at 4.45 am uk time!
we have a few beary eyed, but all excited yeam members this morning!
the children at casa branca are very pleased to see us, and we are just going to have breakfast!!
the day here started off very sunny, but is a bit overcast at the moment!
more later!!
everyone sends their love to you ... have a nice day!!
we have a few beary eyed, but all excited yeam members this morning!
the children at casa branca are very pleased to see us, and we are just going to have breakfast!!
the day here started off very sunny, but is a bit overcast at the moment!
more later!!
everyone sends their love to you ... have a nice day!!
Saturday, November 03, 2007
we're off!!!
