Teacher Beatriz and some students

The MA Drum Corp.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2006:
JUST GIVE ME SOME KIND OF SIGN
Several years ago the city of Rio began a project to name all the streets in every favela, so that, when necessary, emergency vehicles could find their way through the community. 

The project fizzled and never was completed, but in the last few months a representative from city hall approached us about funding the remainder of the project in Morro Azul: basically paying for the street signs to be made (painted) and then posted throughout the community.

As it is now, everyone who lives in Morro Azul has one address; there's no mail delivery or anything like that. The mail is delivered at the bottom of the hill and it's up to everyone in the community to sort through and find what belongs to them.

This will give everyone in Morro Azul an official street address. Every street will have a name, every house will have a number. It will make it possible, ultimately, for services such as postal delivery and emergency response to be made available.

I was eager to do this, but we didn't have the money to fund it. (It's about $500.) Ana Claudia went to work on it and was able to raise the entire amount through outside sources (or should I say "inside sources" since the money was raised in Brasil).

Regardless, Project Brasil has the money now and are working with the city to have the signs made and installed on every street. It should take about 4-6 weeks. We'll keep you posted, no pun intended.

I feel like I have to say something like this often: this might like seem like a such a small thing, having street signs. We take it for granted. In Brasil, it's the difference between being a ghetto and being a neighborhood. This will help to instill pride in our community. Thanks to all those who contributed to make this possible; thanks to Ana Claudia for a job well done.

The top picture is a sample of the street sign that will be posted. The second picture is a map of Morro Azul.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2006:
IT IS POSSIBLE
A few weeks ago Globo ran a story (here it is) about Cavalâo, a favela near Rio that has experienced an impressive turn around. The community, the churches, the NGOs worked together to make Cavalao a safe place to live. Their efforts paid off; there have been "no shots fired" (i.e. no drug gang activity) in 3 years.

Instead, there is a day care for children, job-training for young adults, educational classes, medical services, and, of course, several thriving churches. Children can now play outside anytime. People can go out after dark. The community isn't blocked off at night and patrolled by drug traffickers. The government didn't make this happen, those who live and work in Cavalâo made it happen.

One trafficant named Gilson (pictured at right) upon returning to the favela after a stint in prison, could not believe the changes. He had expected to go back to the work for the gang. Instead, he is in job training. He's one example of a life turned around. I don't know if he's also experienced a spiritual transformation, but the stage has been set for it to happen. His future looks much brighter now than before.

I believe that this kind of turn around is possible anywhere for those who are willing to make it happen. Even Morro Azul. During my next trip to Brasil I will be visiting Cavalâo, meeting with some of the leaders to learn more about how they accomplished the "impossible."

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2006
SIGNS SIGNS EVERYWHERE A SIGN
For the last couple of months we've been working on getting street signs for the Morro Azul community (see below.)

Through a city project designed to help favelas become like neighborhoods (called Favela Barra) every street in our community now has a name, every house has a number, everyone has an address.

The project has been stalled for a couple of years, and earlier this year the city asked us if we could administrate completion of the street sign project. (Basically, that means they asked to pay for it.)

Project Brasil, through the help of the church in Catete, raised the money locally (about $500USD), enough to pay for the signs to be painted and installed.

Ana Claudia picked up the signs this week and brought them to our office in Morro Azul. They will be posted on each street sometime in the next couple of weeks.