Part of the role of Youth President is an overseas trip, which led me
all the way to Brazil! I arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Friday and spent a few
days getting used to the heat and enjoying the beautiful city.
Today the trip
really began! I visited the Central Institute of the People (ICP) which is a
social project that has been running since 1906. The project is based at the
base of Providence Hill where 5500 people are crammed into a brightly coloured
patchwork of shanty houses. The government are investing in the area at the
minute but still there is a lot of poverty. ICP, which is 50% funded by the
government and 50% by the Methodist Church and a small amount of other
donations, serves the community by providing baking and computer classes where
people can learn skills to make them more employable, a nursery, a medical
centre, a music programme (which has developed a 20 strong orchestra!) and a sports
programme.
I was shown
around the nursery school where 350 children aged 4 months – 4 years are cared
for from 6.45am-5.15pm and receive 3 meals and a shower. This provision is a
lifeline for mothers as it means that they can work. Classrooms are very basic
but what really struck me were the simple, sweet decorations obviously handmade
by the teachers. Individual name labels for each child’s book box have been cut
out by hand and bunches of orange balloons adorn the walls.
We met with the director of the programme, Ronaldo, and
Marselo, a deacon who is responsible for all the social programmes in the Rio
de Janeiro district. One of the pictures shows myself and Marselo, in front of
the medical centre. To our left is Igreja Metodista Centenaria Garboa
(the local Methodist church) and to our right is the nursery. As Marselo said
to me, a lovely picture of 3 core principles of the Methodist mission
throughout history - education, health & social care, and spirituality. It
was interesting to talk with Marselo and my guides, William (Youth President in
Rio) and Flavia (involved in mission in World Cup) about how young people (and
all people) can be inspired to engage more with social projects and see these
works as a fundamental part of God’s kingdom and the expression of their faith.
In the
afternoon we visited the 1st Cathedral of the Methodist Church in
Brazil, a lovely building adjoining the first Methodist chapel that was built
in Brazil (in 1878). We also went to a cafe where I tried Acai – a sort of soft
sorbet made with a purple berry, which for some reason made me cough like mad!
Thanks for posting this Hayley it's so interesting to hear about the impact Christians are having.... you don't hear about this when they do TV progs about the Government's programme to improve Providence Hill... Brill :) Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Brazil and I'm glad to know you're here. I really hope you're enjoying these days!
ReplyDeleteWas looking up People's Central Institute, written up in United Methodist Women's old (2003) Response Magazine. They had received a grant to increase size of day care to 100 children! What a growth...Thanks for reporting. Judy Church, Modesto, CA
ReplyDelete