Neuza and CIACAC

A rather long blog post but pleaseeee read till the end!!

After explaining in a bit more detail about Parada de Lucas (see previous post) I also thought it high time to write in more detail about the work being done by Neuza here at CIACAC (Centro Integrado de Apoio de Criancas e Adolescentes da Comunidade.)

Just last month I helped out with organizing a party as CIACAC celebrated 11 years of being open and helping children within the community of Parada de Lucas.  All these years of keeping children off the streets and providing activities have essentially been thanks to one woman who dedicated her life to helping them ….Neuza Nascimiento.

Neuza decided to make a difference to her community when her 11 year old son said he wanted to go to the baile funk.  I have already mentioned my rather mentally scarring night at the baile funk (see previous post) so I can see exactly why this affected her.  Knowing that this wasn´t a particularly positive environment for kids she didn´t want her son to go alone so knew she would have to go with him, as this is essentially the only source of entertainment for people that live here and has now become a rather important social event.  Whilst there, Neuza realized that more options were needed for the children of the community.

Whilst she knew that it would be impossible to stop people from going to the bailes she decided to start organizing trips out of the favela for the children.  After asking around the community for help she managed to sort out a free bus ride and a place that would give free food in order to provide lunch.  The first excursion consisted of 8 children, by the fourth there were 45.  At this point Neuza was still working so these trips were something she organized for Sundays.  She recognized that there was a lack of education in these children so told them that after each trip they had to write a short essay about what they had and hadn´t liked.  Those that couldn´t write were to draw a picture. 

Neuza then started to develop her ideas and activities with the kids and began holding workshops for them.  At this point the centre didn´t exist so the workshops were held in her small house.  Later, she was able to rent out a space within the favela which was given for free, however, when another NGO came into the favela (one which had more money needless to say) Neuza was kicked out. 

In 2008 Neuza was made redundant from her job and consequently was given a sum of money.  Unselfishly, she used this money to officially create CIACAC and dedicated herself only to this cause.  She began teaching classes in the morning and the evening.  Eventually she was also able to change the structure of her house in order to create a bigger space due to a donation of 11,000 reais (about 5,000 pounds) from an Italian girl that had managed to fund raise for her, and thus, the community centre was created.

Through other donations the centre now has three floors.  The first floor is where the guitar classes are held.  The second floor is where a classroom was created and is where I teach.  It is also where Neuza´s small flat is.  Just to highlight how much she has given up for this centre – she has her living room which is essentially her office and her bedroom-come- living room which she shares with her son as she gave up the other bedroom in order to create the classroom.  I don´t think there are many of us that would give up both our lives and our houses, but she has.  On the third floor is where over the past few years the accommodation for volunteers has been created.  Although volunteers have been coming to CIACAC for many years now, myself and the other 2 girls that have been part of the Spanish project are the first people to actually live and work in the community.  Whilst the flat has been perfectly fine for me it is by no means finished.  The iron roof has not been made properly therefore when it rains it leaks.  There is no window in the kitchen meaning for the past few weeks I have had a new pet which entered through this gap in the form of a rat (!!) living with me.  The list goes on in order to make this a properly functioning accommodation and for that donations are desperately needed.

I asked Neuza how she survives given that she hasn´t worked outside of CIACAC properly now for years, her answer -  “pequenos milagros” – small miracles.  When she first started the excursions she was working as a house maid, then she started ironing clothes whilst giving classes.  Now she does the odd transcript and receives donations from volunteers or payment for the accommodation, which all allows the doors of the centre to stay open.  She doesn’t allow herself luxuries and her clothes are often donations left behind by volunteers.

When I asked Neuza why she dedicates her life to CIACAC she said she doesn´t know.  She acknowledges that she is not the most maternal of people but she recognizes the need for such a centre in the community and she can´t just give up what she has created here.  I often genuinely wonder how she does it.  How she manages to keep afloat.  This month alone I have seen how difficult things have been for her when she doesn´t have the money, and in fact, this year there won´t be a Christmas party for the kids due to a lack of funds.  Whilst we could ask each child to bring something to eat, many can´t afford this so she has decided it is best not to have one.

Another project in the pipe line is to get Neuza over to Spain.  She has never left the country and currently she is daring to dream about getting there.  She has already been invited to be on Spanish radio and she has meeting with NGOs lined up in order to secure more volunteers.  She is asking all previous volunteers for donations of 15 euros but I fear it might not be enough.

As I have mentioned the flat desperately needs a window, Neuza also wants to recruit a psychologist and a professional who can give after school help. Today the washing machine broke and it seems my fridge might be kaput.  I feel so helpless as the list seems to be increasing and therefore the cost. If anyone is interested in donating some money (a little goes a long way here) then pleaseeeee let me know.  It really will make a difference.  Clothes, computers and guitars are all accepted as well.  This centre really does make a difference in the lives of the children here.

http://www.ciacac.org/apresentacao.php

Parada de Lucas

In order to fully understand the importance of the centre where I work, I think it is necessary to know more about the reality of the situation here in Parada de Lucas.

Ahhh Rio de Janeiro, a cidade marhavilhosa, a place that most people associate with beautiful beaches, caipirinhas and carnaval.  Whilst this side of Rio clearly exists, there also exists another side to this city, a more gritty, dark side which I have had the opportunity to experience – life in a non-pacified favela.

In Rio de Janeiro there are an estimated 1,000 favelas. Whilst there is a pacification programme in place by the government, as of today only about 18 are actually pacified.   Parada de Lucas is situated in the north of the city (Copacabana is South zone) and for many years now it has been run by armed gangs.  Whilst currently Lucas has a ´sister favela ‘ relationship with Vigario Geral, the favela next door, in the past these two neighbourhoods were at war, with devastating consequences for the community.

I have been to the dividing line (which happens to be where there is a school) and I just can´t get over the fact that they were at war.  There is no line, no wall, no border and therefore no protection to hide behind.  If you lived on one side then it was forbidden to cross over to the other side, for residents of Lucas this meant that access to a health centre was impossible as it was in the neighbouring favela.   Whilst drugs are still being dealt here which is what gives the bandidos their jobs and status here, 15 years ago you couldn´t move for the amount of people in the favela buying, selling and consuming.  Violence was also even more open than it is today and Neuza told me that it wasn´t uncommon to see a bandido with a wheel barrow carting a dead body to where I usually take the rubbish to.  Or, sometimes even someone alive with their head covered pleading to know what exactly they had done.  She told me a story of her son having nightmares when he was kid as although he hadn´t seen the bandido kill it´s victim (as everyone had been ordered inside their houses), her son had still heard the way they had killed him.  Unimaginable.

The war with Vigario Geral ended when Tercero Comando beat Comando Vermelho and managed to take over.  Whilst things are more or less stable here, people know that there is always a risk that the losing fraction will try to win back it´s territory (which then has repercussions for Parada de Lucas).  In fact, this happened a few weeks ago when I couldn´t come home one night as I was in the city and something was occurring in Vigario.  My friend called me and told me it was best not to run the risk of arriving in Lucas at night.  The next day many kids didn’t come to class as their mum´s were still nervous about the situation in the street.  This is the reality that many families live in.  Furthermore, just on the other side of the motorway where I get the bus from lies Cidade Alta.  They continue to be enemies and again going over to the other side is a risk. 

The bandidos control the favela and the machine guns they carry demand our respect.  To enter into the community by car it is necessary to move the tree trunks that are placed in the middle of the road to stop just anybody driving in. You also most drive with the window down or without a helmet if you are on a motorbike.   If you are not someone they recognize or aren´t with someone from inside the favela, you will most likely be stopped at gun point.  They have their rules which must be obeyed.  One example is if you are caught fighting then you will be made an example of – in the case of girls this involves probably being hit by the bandidos and then having their hair shaved off. Another rule is that you don´t steal from your own.   Nobody robs within the community – the consequences could be anything from losing a hand to being shot dead.  Don´t be fooled into thinking that this is due to a ´sense of community´ alone, no, the bandidos don´t want any problems with people calling the police to report things like that.

Describing Parada de Lucas in general terms most children tend to go to school, well, those that are lucky enough to have parents that encourage them to go.  The other day I went to an internet café to find two of my students hadn´t gone to school, but instead were spending the day playing computer games.  Teenage pregnancy is very common here as well.  It is also common for kids to have bread and fizzy drinks for breakfast as some families cannot afford to feed their children three whole meals a day.  The fizzy pop provides sugar for energy and the gas fills a space in the stomach that parents cannot afford with food.

“Living in a favela is an art, nobody robs, nobody hears, nothing is lost, those who are wise obey those who give orders.”