*** THE CHRONICLES ***
37) Visit to the SOS Children’s Village Manaus - Brasil
Versão Português - by Google.
The calendar marked October 25 2008. I got up at dawn, before the sun showed signs of life, and jumped into the road with the last shadows of night. The only witnesses to my departure were the usual drunks who still swarmed the streets after a long vigil Saturday night.
I had more than 100 kilometers to go before reaching Manaus, where the kids from the SOS Village in that city were waiting for me for another visit.I knew that it would be a hard day as the topography of the land had largely ignored the previous endless plains to become permanent ups and downs, which with the climatic characteristics of the area, turned into a torture for my legs and body.
I prayed for the sun to stay away and that some clouds could save me once again from an ensured roasting with heat in excess of 40 ° C and exacerbated by the humidity that seemed to exceed 100% by far! For a few hours I could move with the relative cool of the early morning until the sun was up in the sky making me feel like a rotisserie chicken again.
Little by little I was approaching the city, making a thousand and one stops to enjoy the moments under an occasional shade or to continue taking incredible amounts of fluid, which seemed to leave my body instantly through my pores as soon as I drank it.
Finally, the coveted sign saying "Bemvindo to Manaus”, appeared. A big smile crossed my face and I plunged into the crowded highway access to enter the big city. It was quite long ago that it did not enter into a city so vast and scattered, so it was overwhelming to see so much traffic and cement together!
I stopped at a pay phone and after contacting the people from the SOS Village, we coordinated a meeting point to guide me into their facilities. It was 3 pm when we arrived at the entrance gate of SOS Children's Villages Manaus, I was exhausted by the harsh 130 kilometers traveled and my skin was burning hot from the sun that had burned it for hours, but what awaited me there was more than worth the effort done.
As soon as I entered, I was surrounded by curious children from the SOS Village who immediately showed me that my basic "portuñol" (note: mixture of Spanish and Portuguese) was something precarious for understanding the amount of things I was asked in unison. I was called "uncle" with a characteristic accent that made them even more lovable. As I could, I answered every question among the laughs that my particular "accent" generated while giving away some trips on Maira, which was still packed with luggage.
A persistent Village
Upon entering the facility I was impressed by the large thatched roof, the "chapéu" which served as a corridor linking the different structures of the Village and that in turn was used as a recreational area. Although time had taken its toll and it was obvious that it needed maintenance, its presence was imposing. It was the “largest Village in the world" (mais grande do mundo), like so much else in Brazil.
The SOS Children's Village is located in Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas State, with nearly one million inhabitants. This State, located north of the country is largely covered by tropical jungle and a river landscape, and until the early nineteenth century it was inhabited almost exclusively by descendants of the indigenous population. From 1840 the rubber industry grew attracting a strong colonization of Brazilians of European descent to the place. Thanks to the wealth brought in by the monopolization of the product, Manaus became a city full of splendor. However, its decline began a few decades later when it was possible to acclimatize rubber trees in Asia, thus ending the monopoly.
Creating a Children's Village in the Amazon was not easy to concrete. The project's origins date back to 1979, when Mr. Georg Rodenbach made the first attempt to raise awareness and call on this. However, the commitment of local political authorities to donate the land never materialized.
Just in 1992, thanks to the persistence of Georg Rodenbarch, was possible to donate the land to realize this dream. It was through an old German businessman who knew the experience of Hermann Gmeiner, who in his tour by Brazil was moved by the situations of social vulnerability that some Brazilian children suffer.
In 1993 the foundation stone for the construction of the Village was laid, but the following year there was a problem that delayed the launch for its construction: the settlers of the Movement of the Landless" (Movimiento de los Sin Tierra )occupied the premises and only after several negotiating attempts they managed to clear the area.
The architectural design of Severiano Mário Porto combined the indigenous culture with modern European art, but again the economic difficulties facing the country at the time and the implementation of the Real Plan delayed the start of work.
Finally, and after years of waiting, on October 28, 1997, the residential complex for the SOS Children's Village of Amazonas was officially opened. It is located about 7 miles from downtown Manaus, and was built on flat land of approximately 64,500 sq. meters. Currently, it consists of 14 family houses (one out of the Village, in the neighborhood rehabilitation plan), in which 132 children found a new home. The infrastructure of the SOS Children's Village, which incorporates the house of the director of the village, a house for the so-called SOS aunts, a guest house, a small theater, a library, a volleyball court and an administrative and service area, which includes a training center for SOS mothers. The children attend public schools nearby, where there are supermarkets and hospitals, which are easily accessible by public transportation.
In 2001 a Village Cultural Center was created aimed at children and adolescents in the community and to provide cultural activities and education. Seeing the need to work more effectively with society the center shifted towards preventing neglect and child labor. Thus the SOS Social Center that happened to push forward the Social Family Strengthening Program arose. The Social Center also works as a day care, providing care during the workday for about 680 preschool children. The Social Family Strengthening Program integrates three districts today (Israel, Nueva Paz and Barrio Alborada), providing monitoring of social development for 318 families and 419 children.
There is also an SOS Youth Facility in the downtown area, which offers accommodation to 13 young people from the village during their academic and professional training.
SOS Children's Villages in Brazil
The first SOS Children's Village facilities in Brazil date back to late sixties, because a large proportion of the population lived in extreme poverty for decades. In 1967 the SOS Children's Village Porto Alegre, located in Rio Grande do Sul, opened and it was followed in 1986 by Poá in São Paulo and Brasilia in the federal district. During the seventies, where there was a very high inflation rate, five new SOS Children's Villages were set out to provide family-type foster long-term care to some of the many needy children. Some time after that. seven more villages were built.
It's been 40 years since the opening of the first SOS Children's Villages in Brazil and in that time the national association has established schools, medical centers, training centers for young adults, as well as cultural centers for children and young adults of both the village and the neighboring community.
SOS Children's Village aims to prevent child abandonment because in most cases the most beneficial for the child is growing up with her biological family. To this end, the National Association of SOS Children's Villages in Brazil has launched programs to strengthen families. Thus, the association provides assistance and helps families improve themselves their lives through training and childcare, among others aspects.
At present there are in Brazil 15 SOS Children's Villages which are responsible for approximately 1,700 children and young adults, and 14 SOS Social Centers, which serve some 6,000 children and 4,300 families.
Learning with the children
I spent about six days in the Manaus Village, during which I was able to improve my level of communication with the kids, who seemed to be immune to the linguistic disaster that I generated with my particular way of speaking.
I was able to go to all the households, including the one that lies outside the Village, and thus share the everyday moments with them, either playing ball, sharing lunches and dinners, fighting in pillow battles, or simply riding with Maira or just passing the time. The girls organized a dance in which they demonstrated their artistic skills by showing the traditional dances of the region, including the popular "Boi", full of complex choreography that was executed with masterly coordination.
While I could record the moment with many memorable images, due to a legal provision that exists in Brazil, I couldn’t use to illustrate this chronicle those pictures of children and young people under 18 years in which they could reveal their identity.
Before leaving they organized a special breakfast at which all the people of the village met and where I was handed the souvenir for the kids at SOS Children's Village of Mar del Plata. Una experiencia gratificante y revitalizadora, como en cada visita a las Aldeas SOS del continente. It was a rewarding and revitalizing experience, as in every visit to the SOS Villages in the continent.
Investing in Children is believing in the future
The important work that SOS Children's Villages does it’s only possible through the selfless contributions of people. That’s precisely why it needs of your generosity to continue working. Approach the organization and help with your donation!
To contribute directly to the SOS Villages in Brazil you can do it via the following contact:
Aldeias Infantis SOS Brasil
www.aldeiasinfantis.org.br
Phone: +55 11 5573-1533
Fax: +55 11 5579-9551
e-mail: faleconosco@aldeiasinfantis.org.br
THANKS YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!
Acknowledgments
Sandra Greco da Fonseca, National Director of SOS Children's Villages Brazil, for generating the means for this visit to be possible.
Ruth Guimaraes, director of SOS Village Manaus, for the warm reception and attention given in the days I spent with you.
To the technical and administrative staff, especially Ilka Lemos, social worker, and Marlet Andrade, teaching assistant, who took their precious time so I could develop my activities in the Village.
To the children, young people, aunts and moms SOS from the SOS Village Manaus for their countless demonstrations of love and affection.Obrigado!!!! Obrigado!!
