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| 2008 |
ABC meets with Pele
Pele was in London in December 2007 to launch a new initiative in support of a childrens medical research facility in Brazil. But he took some time out to meet with ABC Trustees, Jimena Page & Graca Fish and CEO, Andrew Webb.
We hope very much that there will be opportunities for Pele to get involved with ABC during 2008. In the meantime he signed a football, Brazil team shirt and photo which we will auction later in the year.
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ABC Trustee Graca Fish with Pele
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project update: Cinema Nosso | Rio de janeiro
Project leaders at Cinema Nosso have been developing their vision for the future of the organisation with the aim of making the maximum impact on the lives of disadvantaged young people. Their plans are wide-ranging and ambitious, but from the progress made in the last six months, they have the energy and organisation to be able to fulfil their dreams.
changing name
At the beginning of the year, the project decided to change its name from 'Nós do Cinema' (We in Cinema) to 'Cinema Nosso' (Our Cinema).
This better reflects the progress of the project over the past few years; it is not merely concerned with working in cinema and the cinematic arts, but in all aspects of the media and, beyond, in giving disadvantaged young people a voice through cinema, television and other visual arts. In Brazil, 'Cinema Nosso' expresses better the initiative and leadership embodied in the projects' students.
changing place
The project has moved to a central location in Rio, into a house donated by ABC patron Fernando Meirelles. The house – in the 'Sobrado' style of the late 18th century – needs some refurbishment to its four floors, which is already underway. Once all the works are completed, the house will provide Cinema Nosso with substantially expanded space in order to develop their work further.
They will use the new space as a their main base for teaching audiovisual skills and as a cultural centre where they will present shows, exhibitions, lectures and workshops with a special focus on involving the communities in which they work.
developing networks
Furthermore, there have been positive developments in the relationship with Pastor Waldemar School, where Cinema Nosso works with fellow ABC project partner, Crescer e Viver.
The school is an Integrated Centre of Public Education (CIEP), and Cinema Nosso supports the educational facilities with audiovisual resources and by exhibiting films. They integrate this work into the wider curriculum, providing teachers with a useful and engaging starting-point for discussion with their classes.
Together with Crescer e Viver and the school, Cinema Nosso is developing the future of the school and building a network of social programmes, to ensure that its effect is as wide and beneficial as possible.
multi-media
Cinema Nosso's project magazine, 'Ocas', has also seen changes this year. It had previously been used to advertise course information and new projects, but it now also includes input from the students themselves.
They are encouraged to write articles and showcase their projects, providing another medium through which they can express themselves. They also hope to be able to develop student and teacher blogs in the future, and use the full power of internet communities to support their media arts work.
an international presence
This year has seen involvement in many film festivals, in Brazil and across the world. In particular, Cinema Nosso was chosen by a French organisation working with marginalised youth, OMJA, to host a Brazilian version of the French festival, 'Generation Court'.
The festival aims to increase awareness of the conditions and experiences of young people's experiences in different countries and allows young people on the periphery of societies in cities such as Paris, Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo to communicate through film and with each other. Later in the year, they hope to complete an exchange, with 10 young people from Auberville in northern France going to São Gonçalo.
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Cinema Nosso was founded as an acting workshop for 'Cidade de Deus' ('City of God') |
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Project update: Viva a Vida feature in Consortium for Street Children report
Viva a Vida is the only residential drug rehabilitation centre for adolescents in the region and is aiming to expand its services to provide for younger boys as well as creating a new centre exclusively for young girls.
This is a pioneering project for the region where the social attitude towards drug-dependent children is one of negativity and they are all too often blamed for the escalation in crime rates and drug trafficking.
Since February 2005, 78 drug-dependent boys have used Viva a Vida's services which includes a 6 to 18 month residency of activities such as individual and group therapy, art and vocational training and educational and sports exercises. The 3 year after-care program designed to facilitate the challenge of living without drugs.
The recently published report entitled "State of the World's Street Children: Violence" featured a case study which contains an over-view of the treatment involved at the project. You can read the case study by clicking here or to access the full version please visit www.streetchildren.org.uk.
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click above to download the Viva a Vida case study |
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march-april 2008 |
Jungle Cineclub supports the ABC Trust
JungleDrums is partnering with the ABC Trust and Rich Mix to present a season of the best of Brazilian films with a special focus on the social origins of violence and how this has been portrayed in Brazilian cinema.
The monthly presentations will stretch over 8 months (2nd Thursday of every month – except August) and will showcase seven groundbreaking films including a special preview screening of the long awaited, critically acclaimed and winner of the Golden Bear Award, ‘Elite Squad’, by Jose Padilha.
Each event will also feature a selection of Brazilian short films prior to screening the main feature film, and there will be Q&A sessions with special guests, including film directors, actors and other industry professionals. And to round off the evening there will be a Brazilian party in the Rich Mix bar with selected Brazilian DJs and VJs.
This new annual initiative follows-on from JungleDrums’ success in 2005 when they ran the first Brazilian film festival in the UK called new Brazil and celebrated 10 years of the renaissance of Brazilian cinema.
Other films for 2008 will include Bus 174 (Jose Padilha: 2004), and Black God, White Devil (Glauber Rocha: 1964)
Launch on April 10th with special preview screening
The launch event on 10th April is sure to be a sell-out as it features the UK premier ‘City of Men’ (directed by Paulo Morelli and produced by ABC patron Fernando Meirelles) a story of the struggle experienced by slum-dwellers Acerola and Laranjinha during a gangster war in a Rio favela. There will also be some short films from ABC partner project Cinema Nosso – and a great Brazilian DJ has just been confirmed.
For tickets and information, contact the Rich Mix on telephone number: 020 7613 7490 or go to their website for more details: www.richmix.org.uk
Film – 7.30 – 10.00pm: £7
Music and bar – 10pm - Midnight: £3
Become a member of Jungle Cineclub
You can also become a member of the Jungle Cineclub - for just £30 a year you get:
* Priority access to all film screenings and Q & As
* Free access to all film parties
* Discount on tickets for up to three guests
* Discounts to other events, such as Discover Latin America Film Festival
* A special gift
Visit JungleDrums website for information on Jungle CineClub and many more events. www.jungledrums.org
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 elite squad
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project update: Solar Meninos de Luz l Rio De Janeiro
Solar Meninos de Luz, based in the Cantagalo area of Rio de Janeiro, has gone from strength to strength over the last year and December saw the students taking part in and creating an end of year full of theatre, music and dance activities.
The cornerstone of Solar’s approach is the idea of prevention; their aim is to ‘prevent the destruction of potential with which every child is born’. By preserving and developing this potential, the project gives the children opportunities to not only fulfil their aspirations but also to become leaders of the social changes needed within their communities.
For many of the children at Solar their daily realities include extreme family poverty and unemployment and in their neighbourhoods there is high prevalence of violence, drug-trafficking, alcohol and drug addiction and prostitution. Being able to go to such a great school means they develop the skills and knowledge they need to create better futures for themselves and their families as well as building a broader perspective on their social realties and how they can be part of the change in their neighbourhoods.
The activities in December brought together students, teachers, families and people from the surrounding community to fill their theatre space to see the end of year shows. The Solar Childrens Choir performed beautifully after which the project leader announced plans to create a music school for 2008. There was also a nativity play and a fledgling choir made up of nursery children.
There was also a magician who put on an entertaining and interactive show for the children, many of whom were seeing a magician for the first time. The curiosity, happiness and amazement shown by the children moved many of the attending parents and family members.
The play 'The fabulous story of Dr Fritzlang' on the theme ‘What would happen if children’s stories stopped being told?' by Vinicius Messias and Mario Hermeto was performed by ten students and was a resounding success – so much so that it looks like it may well become a regular feature of school life.
The capoeira class received their new coloured belts in a ceremony which recognised their achievements during the year and was attended by 12 capoeira masters from the state of Rio de Janeiro. And in a slightly different but no less important vein there was a contest to elect the most beautiful afro hair-style - a creative and fun way of valuing the African heritage in Brazilian society.
To read more about the project, click here.
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 Solar Meninos de Luz
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graduation ceremony
 theatrical show
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project update: Cinema Nosso - new developments
Now in its sixth year of operations, Cinema Nosso uses film and video as a tool for educating and empowering at-risk youth from the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
Their programmes offer young people the opportunity to learn and express themselves through the filmmaking process. Brazilian youth are heavily influenced by film and television, yet few have access to the tools and knowledge to produce films or work in the media arts. Cinema Nosso empowers this youth as they explore, discover, rewrite and appropriate their own image and history through audiovisual works, the most powerful tools today.
Over the next five years they have plans to expand the breadth and number of the courses offered – including an advanced level class for experienced students providing them with practical work experience in the media production field and the opportunities to produce promotional videos and commercials for local companies and organizations. Cinema Nosso also aims to create and sustain a space where youth and families in the community come to learn and exchange ideas and to become a centre for a larger network of media-based initiatives in Brazil and Latin America.
As a first step Cinema Nosso moved to a new building just under a year ago, with generous support from Fernando Meirelles, ABC Patron. Since then they have been refurbishing parts of the building as and when they can – but with the new grant of £33,000 from the ABC Trust and Lily Hastings-bass Memorial Fund they are now able to take some big steps forward.
The grant is funding two substantial developments: the first is establishing a new Editing Room along with the latest professional equipment, and the second is the creation of a new Community Film Screening Facility which has required some major refurbishment as well as a new projector and screen.
The Lily Hastings-Bass Editing Room
The editing room is named after Lily Hastings-Bass in memory of the young woman who fell in love with Brazil before tragically dying in a road traffic incident in her university city of Dublin. Her family and friends are working with ABC to raise money in her memory and it is thanks to their hard work and generosity that these new developments have been possible.
“The Lily Hastings-Bass Editing Room will be at the heart of creativity at Cinema Nosso, where students craft their stories and learn vital technology skills.” Amber Levinson, Board member of Cinema Nosso
As well as the refurbishment of a room and installing air-conditioning and desk and tables where students can work individually at their work-stations or collaborate and exchange ideas in groups, there will be professional audio-visual equipment including five new computers and software and a digital mini DV video recorder allowing students to digitally edit their projects - using the same technology that modern field professionals use.
Luis Nascimento, Director of Cinema Nosso said, "The idea is to build a studio for the editing of images, sound and animation that will meet the demands of our classes as well as be available to strengthen partners—small community groups who are using video as a tool and lack the proper infrastructure."
The Community Film Screening Facility
The Cinema Nosso headquarters is also being revamped with a brand new film screening facility in which to showcase the project’s work as well as that of other NGOs. This addresses directly one of the main issues they face – which is that many Rio inhabitants have no way they can see films. Local young people and families will be encouraged to come and watch the screenings and participate in the social and cultural discussions provoked by the films.
This new facility is directly in line with one of Cinema Nosso’s main goals: to become a centre for culture, exchange and community strengthening, using film as a tool. The work required to reach this goal involves not only equipping the space, but creating activities that will bring partners as well as individuals and families from the community together for screenings, discussions, and other group activities.
A new programme of activities
The programme of activities will be planned by a part-time coordinator to ensure that the film screening space hosts 2 - 5 events each week. The programme will include screenings of the young film-makers’ work, as well as films complimenting the curriculum in schools as a way of motivating children in their classroom subjects. In addition, classic films and a themed series aimed at highlighting current issues such as women in film and the environment.
Cinema Nosso films showing in London
As part of the ABC and Jungle Drums film festival that is due to launch in London on April 10th, we hope to be showing some of the short films produced by students from Cinema Nosso. The first film in this new series will be a special preview screening of City of Men (a follow-up film to City of God and due for general release later in the year).
To read more about the festival and the programme here.
Background Note: The Cinema Nosso Audiovisual School
The Cinema Nosso Audiovisual School offers classes and workshops where students work to complete the production of short films, giving students the chance to take their ideas beyond the camera. Theoretical classes are given in dramatic arts, scriptwriting, direction, photography, sound, costume design, editing, animation and film history. Technical classes are also taught in computer science, lighting, and production so that students learn how to use professional audiovisual equipment. In addition to creating and working on television and media productions, Cinema Nosso has developed an outreach program to share their work through organized events and workshops in private schools, where Cinema Nosso original films are shown. These workshops facilitate a dialogue between the participants, increasing awareness and active participation within society.
To read more about Cinema Nosso, click here.
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project update: Circo Picolino
Ricardo Matos dos Santos, a 20 year-old Circo Picolino circus arts educator, known as an exemplary young man was shot dead when playing football with some friends in Boca do Rio, only 5 minutes down the coast from the Circo Picolino project itself.
Witnesses described seeing a car drive up, two men got out of the vehicle and fired first at Robson de Souza Pinho, a 19-year-old who, according to the police, had been involved in muggings and drugs. Ricardo raised his hands to prove his innocence and tried to show his documents but he was shot down and killed.
When Ricardo’s body was released his father could not believe it was his son, saying “He looked monstrous, not my well-brought up boy. My boy was an exemplary citizen; he even represented Bahia in other regions.” A neighbour stressed Ricardo’s good character, “I never saw him involved in anything bad”.
Ricardo had progressed through the circus from childhood to become an arts educator with so much promise for his future. A fellow Circo Picolino artist, unable to contain his tears, remembered his hardworking friend of 10 years, saying he dreamed of being able to support his family, “He was killed as if he was just nothing, he didn’t even have the right to defend himself.”
Tiago Alves, ex-Picolino worker sent this message to other NGOs “The brutal execution of the artist and our friend Ricardinho has shocked all of us, relatives, friends, social organizations, communities. It puts all of us in a constant state of risk for our lives. [There were] …eight shots and many tears, much suffering, and feelings of injustice and impotence in face of impunity.”
Ricardo’s father said that whoever killed his son were cowards; he didn’t want to accuse civil police, although many suspect the involvement of a police death squad.
Circus artists paid homage to Ricardo at the funeral and joined a protest against his death blocking off a main highway into Salvador. Circo Picolino is in mourning, the circus displays a banner demanding justice and is flying a black flag. They have been doing all they can to protect Ricardo’s family from further violence and to bring the crime to the attention of the local, national and international NGO community.
Circo Picolino continues its work to help children develop their skills and confidence to have a better future, and the determination and resilience of the project is certainly never more important than at times like these.
Update: from Atarde online news 20/03/2008
Three military policemen were identified by witness accounts and arrested on Wednesday 19th March accused of the murder of the circus artist Ricardo Matos dos Santos.
Investigator Andréa Gonçalves has said that there is a fourth person involved in the incident who has yet to be identified:
“We believe that the ‘reason’ for the murders was the robbery of two bicycles and a mobile in Pituaçu Park, attributed to Nenga and Robson, just days before the double homicide.” One of the victims of this recent robbery is the relative of a military official who would know police working in the area.
The investigator said not to discard the possibility of the soldiers having participated in other murders. “We have no proof to back this up, but maybe there will be further action after the pictures appear in the media”, she clarified.
To read more about the project, click here.
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May 2008
event: Festinho |August 29th - 31st 2008
ABC music festival is back!
After the success of festinho last year, we are moving to a new venue with a larger capacity of 1500 and have already brought together a great line up.
Within the beautiful countryside surroundings of Kentwell Hall, Suffolk, Festinho presents an eclectic mix of everything from dance, folk, electo, rock, dubstep, drum n bass and disco. The line up so far includes festival favourites The Blockheads, the Latin-African blended music from Faze Action, electronica from Digitonal and Brazilian music label Batmacumba and DJ Cliffy will be showcasing all that's hot on the Brazilian scene.
There is also a lot more on top of all this great music - there will be art exhibitions, a children's carnival and samba and percussion workshops to mention just a few other activities going on.
All the proceeds will go to the ABC Trust and with artists playing at little or no cost, many others helping out, and a great volunteer team working hard to make this the best festival yet - we can now offer you early bird tickets at a discount price!
Early Bird Weekend:
Adult £50 | Child £25 | Free for Children under 5
Check your diaries and buy tickets from here: www.festinho.com
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event:Jungle Cineclub launches with success
The Jungle CineClub Brazilian film season supported by ABC Trust launched successfully after a sell out opening night. Following the popularity of 'City of Men' six more groundbreaking films will be screened to showcase the best of Brazilian cinema and film-making talents. The event was initiated by Jungle Drums to also highlight the social roots of violence affecting young people in Brazil today.
Launch night success
The launch night attracted a large audience, with tickets selling out 3 days in advance for the UK premier of ‘City of Men’ (produced by ABC patron Fernando Meirelles). Actor Douglas Silva who played Acerola made a special appearance at the East London based Rich Mix cinema for a Q&A session. The after-party was hosted by special guest DJ Delores, who treated the crowd to his explosive blend of electronic dance beats and traditional Brazilian sounds. ABC also drew a raffle prize and gave away 5 pairs of tickets, and a specially signed poster of City of God by its director Fernando Meirelles.
This was the beginning of an 8 month long festival initiated by Jungle Drums to raise awareness of the social issues affecting young people in Brazil today, and to bring Brazilian cinema and film-making talents to a UK audience.
This event is a wonderful opportunity for the ABC Trust to raise awareness about our work, cause, and generate supporter interest from a new creative and enthusiastic audience.
ABC would like to continue this success throughout the Jungle CineClub festival and would like your support by buying tickets and spreading the word.
Jungle CineClub Season
The monthly presentations will stretch over 8 months (2nd Thursday of every month – except August) and showcase several groundbreaking films including a special preview screening of the long awaited, critically acclaimed and winner of the Golden Bear Award, ‘Elite Squad’, by Jose Padilha.
Each event will include Q&A sessions with special guests, such as film directors, actors and other industry professionals. And to round off the evening, there will be a Brazilian party in the Rich Mix bar with selected Brazilian DJs and VJs.
This annual initiative follows on from Jungle Drums’ success in 2005 when they ran the first Brazilian film festival in the UK called ‘New Brazil and celebrated 10 years of the renaissance of Brazilian cinema.
For tickets and information, contact Rich Mix on telephone number: 0207 613 7490 or go to their website for more details: www.richmix.org.uk
Film & after-party – 7.30 – 10.00pm: £7
after-party only – 10.00pm – Midnight: £3
Become a member of Jungle Cineclub
You can also become a member of the Jungle Cineclub - for just £30 a year you get:
- Priority access to all film screenings and Q & As
- Free access to all film parties
- Discount on tickets for up to three guests
- Discounts to other events, such as Discover Latin America Film Festival
- A special gift
Visit JungleDrums website for information on Jungle CineClub and many more events. www.jungledrums.org
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'City of Men' actor Douglas Silva
 Dj Delores
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fundraising: Buy Once Give Twice
ABC have been lucky enough to become a founding partner charity of the new auction website called 'Buy Once Give Twice'.
Our first auction lot is a fantastic Arsenal package.
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the legendary 1989 Arsenal team and join Arsene Wenger, George Graham, current first-team stars, and members of the 1989 squad in a champagne and canape reception for only 89 guests; in addition each guest will receive one of an exclusive print run of 89 of an elite series of sporting publications (which sell for £4000) - a truly superb narrative supported by magnificent images; and each copy is signed by the legendary 1989 squad, and by Arsene Wenger.
The evening also features speeches from Arsene Wenger and George Graham; entertainment from the very brilliant Dara O'Briain; a VIP Tour round the Emirates Stadium and you will be joined by celebrity Arsenal supporters - including Matt Lucas, Clive Anderson and Marco Pierre White.
Travel to and from a London address is included, as is a luxury gift bag worth up to £1000, which includes a 1989 replica top. The event takes place in the Private Members Club at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday 29th January 2009.
Please see the full details on their website.
www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk
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June 2008
event: Jungle CineClub - Elite Squad
The Jungle CineClub Brazilian cinema season (supported by ABC Trust) is set to present the long awaited, controversial and award winning film ‘Elite Squad’. The screening of the thought provoking film, which recently won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival is expected to be another sell out night on Thursday 10th July.
This event is a wonderful opportunity for the ABC Trust to raise awareness about our work, cause, and generate supporter interest from a new creative and enthusiastic audience. You can support the ABC Trust by buying tickets to the screening and spreading the word.
Elite Squad:
In this ground breaking film, critically acclaimed director Jose Padilha features Brazil’s controversial special police force and explores the effect of the violence involved on the country’s ordinary citizens, particularly young people. The film has been highly criticised for glorifying violence. However, the film is highly relevant to this year’s theme of Jungle CineClub Brazilian film season, which aims to highlight the social roots of violence and to celebrate Brazilian cinema.
Elite Squad is the fourth film to be screened at the East London based Rich Mix cinema as part of an 8 month long film season, which launched with the sell out opening night of ‘City of Men’ (produced by ABC patron Fernando Meirelles). Actor Douglas Silva who played Acerola made a special appearance at the East London based Rich Mix cinema for a Q&A session. The after-party was hosted by special guest DJ Delores.
www.jungledrums.org
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fundraising: Illumination
Students at Marlborough College in Wiltshire raised £1,000 for Lily Hastings Bass Memorial Fund. A night of music, art and poetry called ‘Illumination’ which traditionally marks the end of the academic year at the college was used to collect donations for an Old Mulburienne, Lily Hastings Bass. Lily’s parents set up a memorial fund with the ABC Trust in honour of their daughter, who fell in love with Brazil but sadly died after an accident.
www.abctrust.org.uk/memorium
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project:Roupa Suja l Rio De Janeiro
A report from ABC CEO Andrew Webb
The community of Roupa Suja is located high up on the hills of Rocinha, one of the largest favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Numbering around 5,000 people Roupa Suja is the poorest neighbourhood in Rocinha, and can only be reached by walking up steep, twisting, broken alley-ways. The housing is very ad hoc and is built from left-over building materials with none of the essential public services - sanitation, electricity or clean water - now found in much of the rest of Rocinha.
As a result the narrow walk-ways have dirty water standing in pools or running down the hills which creates health problems and makes it difficult for children to play safely on the streets. As children grow older there are few opportunities and they face the inevitable pressures to drop out of school and to get involved in drugs trafficking, prostitution and different kinds of child labour as a means of survival.
The Project
In 2003 a group of women from the area created Uniao de Mulheres Pro-Melhoramento da Roupa Suja – loosely translated as the ‘the United Women’s group for the Improvement of Roupa Suja’. They were determined to see how they could improve the area in which they lived.
Five years later their hard-won success is a testimony to the dedication and commitment it takes to work in such tough surroundings. Their focus is one of confronting the heart of the problem – which they see as being social exclusion. Much of their work is aimed at their younger generation - providing children and young people with the skills, confidence and independence they need to succeed in the face of the many difficulties they will encounter.
On a shoe-string budget and amidst many sacrifices the group now have 4 strands to their work.
Creche and Day-Care
The first is the operation of a crèche and day-care centre for 50-60 children aged from 4 months up to 5 years old. It is open all day for 5 days a week and provides essential care for young children as well giving parents the opportunity to go to work. This often means earning no more than 400 reais a month – approx £130 a month – but it is just enough on which to get by.
The After-School Programme
The second and perhaps most central strand is the running of a small school – the Oficina do Saber – which means ‘Workshop of Knowledge’ – and which the ABC Trust helped start with funding in 2006. It is the only project of its kind in Roupa Suja – and sets out to reinforce the basic education the children are getting.
There is space for 50 children who range from 6-14 years old. The school itself is based in 3 tiny rooms and every day the children come in two shifts – 25 in the morning and a further 25 in the afternoon. They get support on all of the basic curriculum – but especially with reading, writing and numeracy. There are also some extra-curricular activities like football, capoeria or even something as simple as visiting the beach – which otherwise seems a world away.
The success of this work is there for all to see: the children they help manage to remain in school and all of them are now in higher grades with some moving on to high school. Moreover parents report that their children are much more motivated to study and really enjoy learning.
Computer Literacy
The after-school programme is teamed-up with the Mundo Informatica – which is a computer literacy programme where young and old alike can learn basic computer skills. They are particularly proud of the fact that several of the young people who have learned there are now teaching others, and of last years ‘graduates’ there are now 10 working in computer related jobs and earning a good basic income.
Programme for Adolescents
More recently a new, and as yet very informal, programme has been set up – a kind of transition programme for adolescents (aged 15-23) who may have been involved in some way with the drugs and gangs culture but who are desperately looking for a way out.
Marcia told me about a boy, 15 years old, who late one night, had to carry his friend home on his back after he had been shot in a violent clash in neighbouring Vidigal – and soon after they got back his friend died. The very next day he had come to her and asked for help – help that would literally to save his life. He was looking for a second chance – and with Marcia and her team he got it. They managed to find him an on-the-job training opportunity and he really focused on making the best of it and staying out of trouble. After 18 months he got a good job which pays well enough for him to contribute to his family income and start thinking about the future.
Marcia
The person behind all of this is a very unassuming, hard working woman called Marcia Ferreira da Costa – and she would be the first person to point out that there are many others who also deserve recognition for the work they are doing. Marcia was born in Rocinha and started to help teach and help her fellow students when she was just 12 years old. She clearly had some kind of calling even then – and now at 38 years old, a qualified teacher, mother and life-time resident she is determined to give as many opportunities as possible to the young people of her community.
Support Needed
The project gets by on a patchwork of support from a number of sources – support which gets stretched as far as possible. An Italian NGO provides funding for the crèche and day care facilities, and there are local donations and modest fees paid by families who use the services; a local organisation partners with a US NGO to provide support for the computer workshops; and they get some local support for basic food and schools supplies.
However, there is very urgent need for direct support for the school project. The funding they need is approx £6,000 a year - which means £120 for a year’s education for each child on the programme.
Marcia knows they have to keep it going at all costs. Teachers are volunteering in their spare time when they can; they collect and sell anything which will make a profit – which includes collecting the drinks cans and bottles left by visitors. For Marcia it simply isn’t an option to stop. But the fact remains they badly need our support.
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Additional Information
The illiteracy rates in Rocinha are the highest in Rio. Public schools do not have enough places; even then they are often far away so sometimes children can’t make the long journeys required; and if they do get to a school they find the classes are huge – 50-60 children. The result is that general education for children from Roupa Suja is very poor.
Everyone in Rocinha is touched in some way by the tragedy of daily life. Marcia’s nephew was shot in a cross-fire incident in a violent clash between gangs and police - and she has countless heartbreaking stories which in many ways make it all the more amazing that she perseveres - but as a result she also has the success stories that make it all worthwhile.
One boy in class was thought to be particularly slow and disruptive but it was only after getting some close attention from one of the teachers that they realised that he had a problem with his hearing and a severe heart problem. They took him to the health clinic and after a course of treatment and with some special teaching he is now doing very much better.
I asked Marcia if there was a particularly important age to be present in children’s lives if they were to make a difference. She replied that there seemed to her to be three ‘moments’. At 6-7 years old children start going to local schools but can very quickly can fall behind – or simply don’t start reading and writing. It is here that they need encouragement and basic support in reading, writing and basic numeracy and given a sense that learning is not only important but fun too.
At 9-11 years old children start to come into contact with some of the drugs traffickers in the area who adopt recruitment strategies which at first seem harmless but can rapidly envelop a child. The first step is to approach a young child and ask them to deliver a small package and in return they will get 10 reais (about £3). At this point it is important to be keeping children occupied, away from contact with gangs on the streets and becoming conscious of some of the choices they will have to make in life.
At 14-16 years old they can get much more involved – the money gets much attractive but life is much, much more dangerous – and once a young person gets wrapped up in gang-life it can prove to be almost impossible to escape. Marcia told me that many of the young people she knows who become part of gangs tell her that they don’t expect to reach their 18th birthday. This is where young people need to have had a good basic education and can read and write well which means they can go to high school or find a job which provides an income, and just as importantly have a sense of right and wrong and where a life in drugs or prostitution leads.
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Click here for more info on Roupa Suja
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project: ABC projects receive grants
The ABC Trust has been awarded grants totalling £35,000 for the following projects:Casa Teatro Popular and Sociedade Irmãos Solidários (SIS). Both projects based in Salvador, have received grants from the JAC Clark Charitable Trust.
Circo Picolino - social circus arts project has been awarded £12,500 from a trust which wishes to remain anonymous.
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fundraising: ABC 10K team raise £7000
A team of 16 people collectively raised £7,000 for ABC by taking part in a 10K race challenge this year. The Asics British 10K London Run takes place every year in July, and this year included a staggering 26,000 runners who joined the course starting at Hyde Park Corner and finishing at Whitehall.
ABC thanks our team of 10K runners for completing the challenge and for all their fundraising efforts. Their contribution will help further the work we do through the local NGOs which we support in Brazil, and ultimately help many vulnerable children and young people. All moneys raised will go towards providing care (which includes shelter, food and health care), as well as education, training and inspiration through arts based activities.
Click here to see ABC 10K Team 2008
The rise of charity challenges:
The concept of participating in an adventurous challenge and helping to raise funds for a good cause at the same time, has become an increasingly popular phenomenon, with more and more individuals choosing to take part in physical activities in far flung places in support of numerous causes.
Companies are also increasingly opting for charity challenges as part of their team building exercise and as a way of promoting corporate social responsibility. Companies have come to understand that such charity challenge activities also strengthens their business in the long term, as it instils a sense of team spirit and motivates individual staff members. It also gives companies the opportunity to implement their ethos of social responsibility by aiding charities which focus on social projects and community development in the UK and abroad.
There is a wide range of charity challenges to suit both individuals and company groups, which include activities such as trekking, kayaking, climbing, cycling, horse riding, fishing and parachuting in the UK, or overseas destinations such as Cambodia, Mexico, India, Brazil, and many more.
ABC challenges:
ABC has partnered with several established and experienced tour and challenge operators to offer our supporters a variety of choices.
We are currently recruiting people to take part in these challenges including running the Rio Marathon in 2009. You can find out more about our challenges by clicking here or you can contact us directly.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish good luck to the individuals who are currently preparing to run marathons in Chicago, Buenos Aires and Athens.
Click here to find out more about ABC charity challenges
Thanks to our 10K runner team 2008:
Louise Corbin l Chad Slater l Harald Simon l Cameron Gray l Robert Boyne l Kate Gamester l Jane Oliver l Nancy McDonnell l Laura Humphries l Jaimina Patel l Helen Wiggs l Jimena Paratcha l Patrick Walker l Brigitte Blackburn l Jonathan Blackburn l Fernando Soares
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ABC 10K 2008 Team
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event: Festinho - countdown to ABC music festival
If you missed the Big Chill festival this year, you can still enjoy a more intimate eclectic music festival with Festinho in just two weeks! For those who have not yet bought tickets, we are offering a special Brahma beer giveaway, click here for more.
Festinho – is an annual music festival weekender organised by the ABC Trust which began in 2005 and formerly called ‘minichill’. Since then, the event has been growing bigger and better through word of mouth and the generosity of numerous volunteers and suppliers who have helped to make this event happen year on year.
This year, the humble festival is taking place in the grounds of Kentwell Hall in Long Melford based in the lush green countryside of Suffolk.
Besides a fantastic line-up of musicians and bands representing a wide range of styles, there is a wide variety of activities on offer to suit everybody’s taste including children's. For example, play areas for kids, face painting, workshops in samba and capoeira as well as a special family camping area dedicated to those planning to make this event a family weekender.
For everybody else, there is plenty of other festival activities you can experience including BBQ, body and soul healing sessions, live visuals, film re-scores, cream teas, nightly campfire and of course catch all the great bands in the outdoor stages and the infamous disco shed.
Brahma Beer Give Away:
Anyone that has bought or buys a ticket before 22nd August will be automatically entered into a draw to win a bottle of Brahma beer for every hour that they're at Festinho (3 crates in total). That makes it one bottle of Brahma beer for every hour of the festival.
Anyone that bulk buys 6 tickets to the festival via We Got Tickets or Ticket Web will automatically get a crate of Brahma to share with their group on arrival at Festinho!
The ticket draw winner will be announced on 23rd August by the Festinho group on the official festival website.
So if you do not want to miss this opportunity, you can book your tickets through the Festinho website here.
If you are unable to join us this year, please spread the word among everyone you know.
We hope to see you all then.
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Kentwell Hall - Long Melford, Suffolk |
fundraising: Led Zeppelin Memorabilia exhibition
A special Led Zeppelin memorabilia exhibition at Knebworth House in aid of ABC Trust is now officially open to the wider public. A special online raffle has also been launched to give fans the opportunity to win two especially signed items by Jimmy Page. For more information please click here.
The exhibition:
This year marks the 40th anniversary of legendary rock band Led Zeppelin. And to commemorate this special occasion, a memorabilia exhibition has been organised by a dedicated fan as a tribute to Led Zeppelin for what they have given to their fans for so many decades all over the world. ABC is honoured to be a beneficiary to ‘Memories in Music 1968 – 2008’ as we are honoured to have Jimmy Page as our founding patron.
‘Memories in Music 1968 – 2008’ exhibition is now open to the general public at Knebworth House until 3rd September. Led Zeppelin played their last concerts in the UK with the four original band members on the grounds of Knebworth House in August 1979.
A wide range of special items which belonged to the band and individual band members including ABC founding patron – Jimmy Page will be on display throughout the event. This includes original tickets, programmes, posters, handbills, clothing, badges, albums and photographs, all of which have been generously donated to the exhibition by fans from around the world. The exhibition will give Led Zeppelin fans the chance to share in the memories other fans have of the band by seeing memorabilia they have held over the years. The exhibit will stand in the family library of the historic house.
Memories in Music will be open daily and admission to the exhibit is free with a ticket to the House and Gardens. All proceeds will go to the ABC Trust.
For more info, you can contact Knebworth House or visit:
www.knebworthhouse.com
Jimmy Page signed items:
In addition to the exhibition, the organiser Annie Hollinshead is also running a special online raffle for dedicated Jimmy Page fans from around the world. The two prizes include a Meridian F80 table top radio, CD and DVD player and a Jon Ellinor painting of Led Zeppelin, both of which have been personally signed by Jimmy Page.
To win the prizes, all you have to do is visit the website below, answer a question for each prize, pay £2 per entry (you can enter as many times as you like), and submit your details: www.memoriesinmusic.com
All proceeds from the raffle will also got to the ABC Trust.
ABC thanks all those who contributed and helped to make this exhibtion happen.
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Led Zep exhibition ticket
Original Led Zep concert programme
Knebworth House
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event: ABC Gala Screening with Walter Salles
Internationally acclaimed film-maker Walter Salles recently launched his new film ‘Linha De Passe’ which was screened to a UK audience for the first time at the ABC gala screening in Curzon Mayfair.
The director of ‘The Motorcycle Diares’ and ‘Central Station’ made a special appearance to introduce the film to ABC supporters and completed the evening with a Q&A. The audience took the opportunity to ask questions and many also had the chance to personally meet him after the screening.
ABC thanks Walter Salles, Pathe and Curzon Cinema Group for their support and contribution. We also thank everyone for supporting ABC Trust by coming along to this event.
A special thanks to our wine sponsors for the eveing:
Wineservice Ltd, Wine Importers & Wholesalers, Tel: + 44 (0)1342 837 333, Fax: +44 (0)1342 837 444, sales@wineservice.co.uk
Linha De Passe:
Sao Paulo. 20 million inhabitants, 200 kilometers of traffic jams, 300,000 motorcycle messengers. At the heart of one of the toughest, most chaotic cities in the world, four fatherless brothers from a poor family try find a way out, a way beyond their preordained paths. With the backdrop of Brazil in a state of emergency, every single one looks for a way out and fights to follow their dreams.
"Linha de Passe" reunites Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas, co-directors of "Foreign Land", introducing a family of young actors making their onscreen debut.
Cast includes: Vinícius de Oliveira, Ana Carolina Dias, José Geraldo, Rodrigues Kaique, Jesus Santos, João Baldasserini.
To find out more please visit: www.linhadepassemovie.co.uk
Walter Salles:
Born in Rio De Janeiro, Walter Salles has been making documentaries and ground breaking films since 1983. The critically acclaimed director is most renowned for 'Central Station' and 'The Motorcycle Diaries', both of which also received several awards around the world.
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Lead actor Vinicius de Oliveira
Linha De Passe
Film-maker Walter Salles
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project: ACER l International Day to combat child labour
For the second year running ABC partner, ACER (Associação de Apoio à Criança em Risco) marked the International Day to Combat Child Labour on June 12th with a series of awareness raising events in the Diadema area of Sao Paulo.
Child labour in Brazil is twice as high as in any other country in Latin America and is one of the major reasons why children do not get a chance to attend school. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) there are 1.7 million children aged between 5 and 10 working Brazil today.
As a result - ACER's 23 staff, 8 mediators, 5 monitors and 3 volunteers were all directly involved in running a campaign in the Serraria neighbourhood, based in the Cultural Centre as well as outside on the main market road.
Cultural activities were led by the ACER capoeira group, which presented the Puxada de Rede, a capoeira circle and a samba de roda, with the children who were there, and the Roots of Brazil programme used its drumming to attract and entertain the public.
Children took part in popular and collaborative games, and watched a film about the campaign to combat child labour. There was also a puppet show and reading was encouraged with the distribution of books and story telling sessions.
In addition local businesses and residents were made aware of the importance of combating child labour, and the severe consequences it has for a child’s development, with huge banners and leaflets being distributed at various places in the neighbourhood.
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Click here for more info
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project: Roupa Suja receives new grant
The Board of the ABC Trust recently agreed a two year grant to the after-school programme run by a local NGO based in an area called Roupa Suja, which itself is located in Rocinha, one of the biggest favelas in Latin America.
The after school programme – known as the Oficina do Saber (office of knowledge) was started in 2006, with support of ABC Trust. It provides classes for 50 children, 6 -14 years old, reinforcing basic education and providing important extracurricular activities.
There are 2 classes in the morning 8 -11am, and 2 classes in the afternoon 1-4pm, with 10-15 children per class. Children are taught the basic skills (reading and writing, maths etc.) with the aim of keeping children in school, combating illiteracy and keeping them off the streets. In addition they take time to address important social issues in the community (i.e. health issues, pollution, drugs, citizenship etc) through special reading projects, discussions, outings in the community, musical or artistic projects etc. involving other community organizations or small non-profit projects.
The grant of £6,000 per annum provides money for school supplies, much needed snacks for the children and salaries for two teachers and a part-time project coordinator. Overall this translates into £120 per student for a year of crucial education to ensure they get the chance to find jobs later in life instead of getting involved in drugs trafficking or getting stuck with little hope for the future.
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music lesson at Roupa Suja, click
here for more info on the project
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frundraising: ABC schools partnership
Pupils from Gravesend Grammar School for Girls held a series of fundraising activities, including a non-uniform day, and raised £562 for ABC Trust. The pupils’ hard work and the generosity of everyone involved will go towards helping the most vulnerable young people of Brazil.
This is a wonderful example of what students here in the UK can do to help young people their own age who live in different countries and are much less privileged. Such initiatives also exemplify one of the ways in which schools can get involved with the Action for Brazil’s Children Trust.
However, beyond fundraising, there are many other ways in which students and schools can help further our mission to make a long term impact on the lives of the poorest children, families and communities of Brazil.
By connecting with our partner projects in Brazil or using our education tool kit, students in the UK will hugely benefit from a wider understanding of not only issues affecting young people in the areas where we work but also about global poverty and the power of using education and working through the arts as a way to overcome the challenges.
Materials for schools:
Our partner projects in Brazil work directly with and for children who suffer from poverty, lack of opportunity and exposure to violence and drugs. In order to help introduce the issues which affect children in Brazil and help explain our projects, we can provide schools with information and materials which teachers can use in their class to help start discussions.
Global Awareness:
In recent years, there has been a shift in attitude in the UK education system as a whole, whereby schools are being encouraged to integrate global awareness across the curriculum and the general ethos of schools. This initiative was introduced to enhance British pupils’ understanding and knowledge of the social issues such as poverty and the environment which affect people from around the world. The ultimate objective is to prepare young people for life as global citizens in a rapidly changing interdependent world.
More and more schools are gradually beginning to put this concept into practice in a number of ways, including giving students the opportunity to learn about particular communities from another country and the issues which affect these communities by integrating opportunities to learn the subject in their lesson plans. Another effective way by which pupils are widening their knowledge and understanding is by connecting with schools in other countries.
ABC Partnerships with schools
ABC is very keen to be part of this change and would like to form long term partnership with schools, and help connect pupils here in the UK with young people supported by our projects in Brazil. This would lead to developing a deeper understanding about the issues which affect their day to day lives as well as examples of how such challenges can be overcome. ABC would also like to see young people from UK and Brazil get the opportunity to exchange information, experiences, and creative skills through collaborative initiatives. There are numerous possibilities in terms of how pupils can connect with our projects, which we are open to exploring.
If you are interested in getting involved with ABC or would like to discuss ideas, please get in touch.
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event: Festinho nominated for UK festival award
This year’s Festinho proved to be another wonderful weekend for ABC. Nearly 1000 people attended the festival at Kentwell Hall in the lush green countryside of Suffolk in Long Melford.
ABC is proud to announce that the boutique family friendly festival has been nominated for the UK Festival Awards, click here to cast your vote.
Festinho 2008
This year four music stages entertained the festival goers with a wide variety of eclectic sounds to suit everyone’s taste. Our fantastic line-up included highlights from the Bays, Hextatic, DJ Cliffy and Samba band TRIBO. Many partied on at the disco shed until the early hours, whilst others enjoyed a more intimate evening around the camp fire.
A wide variety of activities were on offer throughout the weekend, which included sauna, therapeutic massage, samba workshop, capoeira lessons and art class. Children also had plenty to do, which ranged from face painting, playing games and costume dressing. They happily showcased their vibrant costumes when they took part in a parade with samba band TRIBO and capoeira dancers.
A special thanks to our star fundraisers….. A group of young boys and girls took the initiative to sell cakes and raffle tickets to raise funds for ABC. Sophia, Ashon, Jane, Alice, Felix, and Hugo successfully raised £650! ABC highly appreciates all their efforts, and enthusiasm.
ABC also thanks the Festinho team for all the hard work, energy and passion which they put into making it all happen again this year. And thanks to everyone for coming and supporting Festinho, we hope you all enjoyed the festival as much as we did, and look forward to seeing you all again next year.
Award for Festinho
Festinho has been nominated for the UK FESTIVAL AWARDS in the following categories:
- Best Small Festival
- Best Line-up
- Family Festival Award
- Best Toilets
If you enjoyed Festinho, please cast your vote by visiting the official website: www.festivalawards.com
Your vote will help raise Festinho’s profile and develop this wonderful event, as well as help raise awareness and vital funding for ABC.
Thank you for your support
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 Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk
TRIBO on stage
Star fundraisers - Cake sale
Main stage |
event: Led Zeppelin tribute concert
A special tribute concert to celebrate legendary rock band Led Zeppelin's 40th anniversary is set to take place in aid of ABC Trust. The event will also provide fans with a rare opportunity to win special memorabilia signed by ABC founding patron Jimmy Page.
The special gig will take place on Friday 7th November 2008 at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, which will feature a charity auction, special guest speakers, exclusive footage and more.
Win rare Led Zeppelin memorabilia
The event will provide fans with a unique opportunity to bid for very rare poster size photographic prints which will be personally signed by Jimmy Page and dedicated to the winning bidder.
All proceeds will go to ABC Trust which will help the most vulnerable children and young people of Brazil.
To view the auction lots and for more details about the event please click here
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One of the rare Jimmy Page
signed prints on offer
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Project: Oficinas Quero - supporting young people to take opportunities to change their futures
São Paulo , Oficinas Querô:Funding target £20,000
For a 16 year old living in Santos (near Sao Paulo), change seems impossible. Young people here are excluded from the booming economy of the 3rd largest city of the world.
50% of the city’s young population aged 16-24 must work to help their families make ends meet. Unable to complete high school and trapped in precarious living conditions, any free time is often spent on the streets.
Oficinas Querô started in 2005 by providing actor training workshops to prepare 40 young people from this neighbourhood to participate in the film 'Querô'. On the completion of the film, the film maker Carlos Cortez and the young actors realised a special transformation had occurred over the film making process.
Together with UNICEF, Cortez created a formal education programme and ‘Citizenship and Entrepreneurship through Cinema’ began to help young people from low income backgrounds, after school, 5 days a week.
The objective of the programme is not necessarily to only prepare young people for the audiovisual job market, but to prepare them to be able to identify and articulate their dreams and empower them to realise them.
Success and competition
The features produced at the project have been presented at many festivals, and this year they have been invited by the São Paulo film festival to produce two films, one for a main screening and the other, a behind the scenes documentary of the festival itself.
But right now, this inspiring project has been picked out amongst thousands as one of 12 finalists in the BBC World and Newsweek World Challenge 08.
This global competition finds projects from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level. The winner will receive a grant of USD $20 000 to put back into their project and two runners up will each receive USD $10 000. One representative from each of the three finalists will be flown to The Hague, The Netherlands to attend the award ceremony in December 2008.
Help ABC to support Oficinas Querô
ABC sees Oficinas Querô as an innovative project offering a range of training and inspiration to the young people of the Santos region, and even though they have already achieved so much, there is so much more they can do. They have plans to start a school outreach programme as well as very difficult work within the juvenile justice system.
They need equipment more than anything as much of their funding from within Brazil does not allow them to spend money on these items. We are raising an appeal to anyone who can make donations towards our fund to the project or you can offer lighting equipment, cameras and editing tools to keep this project producing excellent work and reaching more young people
Talk to us if you have any contacts or ideas that can help: Andrew 0207 4949 344
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“Today’s youth is responsible for the transformation of the Brazil of the future” Samuel de Castro, student. |
| Shaping their own lives |
| Audiovisual training teaches young people how to use the equipment needed to make 3 short films. Everyone learns to plan, develop, finance, edit, produce and launch their films. |
Entrepreneurial skills develop through creating films as participants learn how to run a business and are confident to use these skills in other fields of work.
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| Being challenged to think critically about the world, these young people find ways of becoming more active citizens and make changes in their lives. |
Nildo, age 19, was born in the favela on the hill overlooking Santos.
Nildo had a major role in the film Querô. He attended the project for two years after making the film and is now part of the team which created the production company Querô Filmes. Advanced students from the main 'Oficinas Querô' project help produce films for local companies and other NGO's for a fee.
His passion is writing screenplays, but he also works on filming and sales to improve income at the film production company. |
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project: SIS director wins award
Lúcia Marscarenhas is a busy woman. When the entry form for the Bahia state award for, 'Service in Solidarity' was delivered to her office, she did not have time to read it. She works full-time as a Civil Servant in Salvador city. And on top of that, Lúcia also plays the role of President-Founder at the NGO Sociedade Irmãos Solidários (SIS), five evenings a week including Saturday afternoons.
But one of her colleagues completed the entry form on her behalf and on the 28th of October, the result was announced: Lúcia was awarded fourth place after being selected from 82 participants and received
R$ 3,000 (£875) for her activities as a volunteer and community worker.
"I am very glad with the result. I know this prize will make SIS more visibile and help to open doors”, says Lúcia. The money also came at a good time. “I donated everything to the project, it will be very helpful to cover some of the projects expenses”.
SIS is based in São Bartolomeu, a forgotten area of the city. The high rates of violence are part of daily life and is a constant worry for the community. SIS have been supported by ABC Trust since 2005, the project provides educational support for over 140 local children, as well as general assistance for the community. One of its latest initiatives has been organising the relocation of 65 families living in extreme poverty to council buildings. “These people live in subhuman conditions with no sanitation facilities at all”, explains Lúcia, who is the main link between the community and the state - a role which she has worked hard to develop over the last four years.
But her involvement with disadvantaged people in Salvador did not start at the SIS project. Lúcia has been acting as an agent for change for more than 20 years and first began as a volunteer serving soup for the homeless. “After some time volunteering, I realised that the problem was not the homelessness itself. I saw many people leaving their neighbourhoods and coming a long way in order to get the soup. There was a real lack of community responsibility to help each other. So I started working on family cohesion issues and with a literacy programme for the mothers in São Bartolomeu – which later extended to the children and became what SIS is today”.
click here to learn more about SIS
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“I am very glad with the result. I know this prize will make SIS more visible and help to open doors” |
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| Lúcia has been supporting the most vulnerable people from Salvador for 20 years. Click here to learn more about SIS, the project she runs. |
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event: ABC Gala Screening brings Fernando Meirelles to London
“In Brazil, we are so used to the poverty that it becomes part of the day-by-day scenario. We stop seeing it after some point”, said acclaimed film-maker Fernando Meirelles during the Q&A of his latest film Blindness. The interview took place at the special ABC Gala Screening in London on October 31st – one month before general release in the UK.
Fernando Meirelles began the special evening by introducing the film and ABC supporters had the opportunity to meet the director and Blindness writer Don McKellar after the screening.
We would like to thank Fernando Meirelles, Pathe, Apollo Cinemas and Unique Media for their support and everyone who supported us coming along.
If you missed the evening, you can still get a glimpse of the event thanks to Unique Media who filmed interviews with Fernando and others at the screening as well as the special Q&A. We will be making a short film for webcast towards the end of November.
A selection of exclusive shots of the evening captured by photographer Danny Clifford will also be available on our website soon.
about Blindness
Adapted from Nobel Prize-winning José Saramago’s novel Blindness is based on an unexplained epidemic disease that turns everyone blind. Everybody apart from Julianne Moore’s character, who pretended to be blind in order to follow her husband - the eye doctor (Mark Ruffalo) when he is placed in detention centre for quarantine.
Life gets harder as Gael García Bernal’s character claims leadership and forces a dictatorial regime restricting access for food and water.
Blindness will be out on general release from Friday 21st November.
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Fernando at the Gala Screening exclusive photo by Danny Clifford |
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Fernando Meirelles shot to international stardom following his masterpiece City of God. The filming itself inspired Fernando to set up his first social film project Cinema Nosso (supported by ABC) to help young people from the poorest communities in Rio.
Cinema Nosso has developed enormously since it first began in 2004, and now assists 200 young people in all aspects of film-making, promotes digital inclusion of the poorest favelas, and has given them the chance to learn new skills, find jobs and tell their stories to the world.
click here for more info
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fundraising: inspirational community support
Our community supporters are very much the heart and soul of ABC, because without their energy, passion and commitment we simply would not exist.
Over the years many people from the UK, and around the world, have helped further our cause by initiating inspirational, fun and creative ways of raising much needed funding for our work.
And by simply spreading the word and getting their friends, families, neighbours and communities involved, all of the initiatives have helped to raise awareness about the plight of street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil.
From a church coffee morning to a Led Zeppelin memorabilia exhibition, the choices of how you can help raise money and awareness for ABC are boundless.
Whether you are a creative art student, a sports enthusiast or a whiz at hosting dinner parties, you too can use your skills, talent and passion to help ABC
These are just some examples of the ways in which individuals have helped raise awareness and funds for our cause. We thank them all for their dedication, hard work and generosity.
Annie Hollinshead (Stevenage) - Led Zeppelin memorabilia exhibition at Knebworth - £1800
AK Wood (Yorkshire) – Church coffee morning - £810
Students from Gravesend Grammar School (Kent) held a non uniform day - £562
8 year old Samuel Lodge (Herts) – requested donations to ABC in exchange of birthday gifts for his first holy communion- £325
Judith Tooth (Suffolk) – held a summer fete with friends £158
Brit School (London) – students organised a musical - £493
Georgina Townsin (Manchester) – organised a Brazilian club night for students - £1300
Sophia Page (West Sussex) and friends – sold cakes and raffle tickets at Festinho - £652
Peter Wiltshire (Lancaster) organised a fundraising party for his 60th birthday - £1470
Marlo Perry (Australia) completed the Buenos Aires Marathon - £650
Jodi Bremer (USA) completed the Chicago Marathon - £200
Danijel Brener (Belgium) is about to embark on the Athens Classic Marathon.
Maira Iane Ferreira (Brazil) – requested donations to ABC in exchange of wedding gifts
There are many other ways in which you can get involved with ABC, please click here for more information.
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fundraising for ABC over the festive season!
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you can...
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create a Christmas fundraising party
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do a Santa run challenge
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organise a sponsored Christmas carol concert
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do a sponsored Christmas pudding contest
or sell all your unwanted Christmas gifts on eBay!
click below to find out how.
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ABC Fundraising Guide for a simple step by step guide
click here
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8 year old Samuel Lodge from Herts, raised £350 for ABC in exchange of Birthday gifts at his first holy communion
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You can also help by donating
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| project: new grant for AA Crianca |
Sao Paulo based shelter and care project ‘AA Crianca’ was recently awarded a grant for £5,000 by the ABC Trust.
This new grant will go towards two educators who play a crucial role in ensuring street children are given individual care, support and assistance to give them a second chance in life.
AA Crianca has not only helped thousands of street children by giving them shelter, counselling and legal assistance, it has also helped many re-integrate back into their families and the wider community.
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Clik here for more info
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event: Blindness Q&A
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For those who missed the ABC Blindness Gala Screening in October, you can now see the highlights of the event through our online video.
Thanks to Unique Media, the podcast gives ABC supporters a chance to see highlights of the Q&A with director Fernando Meirelles and screenwriter Don McKellar, as well as clips from the film.
Please help ABC to spread its word by sending the video to your friends!
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| Fundraising: Shop with ABC |
If you are still struggling to find that Christmas gift for someone special, why not shop with ABC and help further our cause at the same time!
Our special gifts range from a Pucci silk/cashmere scarf, a Thierry Henry signed & framed photo or a George Harrison print, which are now open for online bidding.
Or you can give vulnerable children a very special Christmas by simply buying one of the gifts from the ABC wish list.
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Click here to acess the film |
Click here for more info |
| project: ACER's birthday |
ACER recently celebrated its birthday to mark 15 years of the project’s transformative work which has helped thousands of vulnerable young people and the wider community in Sao Paulo.
ACER are rightly proud of the success they have achieved. The project was set up in the Elderado favela to tackle the high levels of poverty, violence, drug & alcohol abuse, unemployment, child abuse and illiteracy.
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Click here for more info |
january - february 2009
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project: SIS l Mothers' stories
“Girls at my daughter’s age are on drugs and are on the edge of society” says Jucilene Vaz Barbosa, mother of a 13-year old girl who is currently SIS - an education project based in Salvador, supported by ABC Trust.
This is a common image in Brazil and this fear is shared by thousands of hundreds of parents throughout the country. That is why so many parents are relieved to have enrolled their children at a project like SIS. “Without SIS I think I would see my daughter involved in crime, as it happens with my neighbours. SIS was the best thing that could have happened in my neighbourhood ”.
Jucilene’s daughter Jamile was a very rebellious child before she joined SIS seven years ago, “When she first started at SIS, the teachers noticed her rebelliousness and aggressiveness, she did not respect the teachers, she did not have any interest in studying, she did not do her homework. Her rebellious behaviour was so extreme that it reflected at home and affected our relationship, it was different from other kids”.
But since attending SIS, with the help of sessions with a psychologist, her behaviour and attitude changed dramatically, which also helped to improve relationship with the whole family. “He helped her to overcome the behavioural issues, and helped her to learn about respect and dignity. As a result she became better at communicating and changed her attitude towards studying and learning” explained Jucilene.
For Jucilene and many other mothers, SIS’ function goes far beyond the school and academic education “SIS is not only a Learning Support course, it teaches lessons in life, it prepares you for life, this is in addition to the aspects of education, health, and self-awareness which are all part of SIS’ goals”.
| This project needs funding for £6,000 this year. Please help us achieve this target by making a donation or by sponsoring the project. We are also very interested in forming long-term partnerships with schools in the UK. If you would like to support us please contact us. |
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 Ana Paula Batista has three kids attending the Learning Support Project: Abraão Batista, 9, Andressa Batista, 8 and Alexandre Batista, 11, and reveals how she feels about the project.
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Q: How has Learning Support helped your children and how will it influence their future?
A: “The Learning Support group has been helping my kids at school by teaching them to read, write and develop their mind. I think that going to SIS my kids will have the opportunity to have the life that I didn’t have. I see my kids with developed futures, graduated and working.”
Q: What progress have you seen in your children after Learning Support?
A: “They were not interested in studying before. Now, they are never late at SIS. My three kids are literate, they are learning more and more, they are discovering the world. It is so beautiful to see the happiness in their little eyes when they find out that they are capable, that they are important and loved. My relationship with them has changed a lot too, because at SIS the mothers are made to take part in that change and we learnt that we have a great responsibility with others. We also learnt that not having resources and lack of opportunities does not mean that we cannot do our part”.
Q: How do you imagine your children's lives without SIS?
A: “It would be very difficult. Living in this current situation, in this world of violence, raising three kids; educating without financial resources is not easy. SIS gives my children support, protection; and confidence. I don’t have the education to help my kids with their homework, but at the Learning Support this help is guaranteed”.
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project: Circo Picolino - says goodbye to 2008 in style
Students and instructors from social circus project Circo Picolino showcased their talent in a wonderful end of year performance and began the New Year with renewed energy and excitement.
In December, the Literacy and Much More group opened the event with a mixture of poetry, dance and acrobatics. 600 people who attended the show were also treated to another performance by some of the older children, followed by more stunts by the private and special needs classes. The show closed with an impressive grand finale by the training circus instructors’ group.
The public left the tent feeling proud by the high standard of performance, and were especially impressed by the high level of professionalism displayed by the youngest children from the group.
The brilliant results and such positive reaction from the audience are extremely important for the self-esteem and confidence of the children who attend the circus school as well as their families and the wider community. It encourages them to follow their dreams and gives them hope for a better future.
Click here to learn more about Circo Picolino
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To support Circo Picolino
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fundraising: New Year's Resolutions
Quit smoking, get fit, lose weight… these are just some of the New Year's resolutions on most people's list, how about doing a sponsored challenge? By cycling, trekking, or running you can achieve all of these goals and help thousands of street children at the same time.
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Click here for ABC challenges |
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fundraising: De-clutter and help ABC
Why not start the New Year by de-cluttering your home and help raise money for ABC Trust? If you have any unwanted Christmas gifts OR old items, you can clear the clutter, sell the items on eBay or at a local car boot sale, and help a great cause.
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March 2009 |
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project: a busy year for Cinema Nosso |
2009 is set to be an interesting year for social film project Cinema Nosso, founded by ABC patron and internationally acclaimed director Fernando Meirelles.
New film by Cinema Nosso
The Rio based project supported by ABC Trust is set to launch its latest film ‘Luto Como Mae’ (Fight like a Mother) in a few months time. The film tells the story of some of the mothers whose sons were killed by military police.
Cultural exchange
To mark ‘Brazil Year’ in France, youths from France, Spain and Latin America are heading to Brazil in May to engage with youngsters at Cinema Nosso and take part in workshops. Students at the project are excited about exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge and skills with young people from others parts of the world.
Film Festival
Cinema Nosso has quite a challenge ahead as they are soon set to take over responsibility to coordinate the Mostra Geracao Film Festival which was formerly run by the Rio Film Festival.
New Facilities
To encourage greater community engagement with the film project, a new library space full of books and collection of films will soon open.
The new screen room at Cinema Nosso which recently opened with the help of Lily Hastings Bass Memorial Fund has been given a new lease of life with the introduction of a new satellite system. This will give the youngsters as well as the wider community greater variety of films to choose from. The development has been made possible by a new partnership with satellite enterprise ‘Rain’.
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Project: New grant gives new hope for Crescer e Viver |
Thanks to a new grant, Crescer e Viver can now strengthen and develop as a social circus project and give many more vulnerable young people a hope for a brighter future. A £7,500 donation from ABC - Lily Hastings-Bass Memorial Fund will enable youngsters from the project to receive scholarship for training to help them become instructors at the project.
Graduation programme:
The new scheme is a vital aspect of the project’s long term sustainability. By enabling Crescer e Viver to employ home-grown instructors from within the project, it will give the students the opportunity to continue with the project for longer, develop their skills, learn to teach others, strengthen their connection with the project and students and earn a living to support their families.
Those aged 15 to 24 will be eligible for the scholarship. 10 youngsters will be selected from 200 pupils who currently participate in the project according to their artistic & physical skills, talent & inter-personal skills.
The big picture:
The social circus project in the centre of Rio De Janeiro was set up to tackle poverty and prevent violence from the community which affect so many young people, their families and destroy communities in many of Brazil’s cities.
Crescer e Viver continues its work to achieve its objectives by helping children develop their skills, gain confidence and promoting awareness and respect for others.
The recent news of the death of one of the administrators at Crescer e Viver is a stark reminder of why the project is so important.
A sad loss for the community:
On 31st January 2009, Sergio Fernandes da Luz was accidentally killed in a gun shoot-out. Sergio was watching a football game in Sao Goncalo with his wife and a child when he was hit by one of the bullets which were fired between policemen and bandits.
Although it is unknown who is responsible, it nevertheless ended the life of an innocent man who was an inspiration to the community and contributed a great deal to the project. Before the tragic incident, Sergio was about to introduce a revolutionary recycling initiative to help the community clean up the favelas. Sergio has been with Crescer e Viver for three months, but has been following its work since the foundation of the project.
Crescer e Viver says that they are “disgusted by the irresponsible action of two policemen, that in order to guarantee the prison of two bandits had to end with the life of an innocent man”. ABC is saddened by the news of Sergio and sends our deepest condolence to his family and friends.
The efforts and determination of projects like Crescer e Viver is certainly ever more important at times like these. We aim to continue to strengthen this project which we can only achieve with the help of our supporters.
If you would like to sponsor this project please get in touch. |
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to support Cinema Nosso
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“When I get on stage and I see the public, I feel free, I feel important, I feel I have value. Crescer e Viver is my second home. It was in this place where I grew up and where I woke up. Discipline, responsibility and self-respect are values that I will carry for the rest of my life”.
Alcimer joined social circus project Cresecer e Viver aged 10 to realise his dreams of becoming an artist and find a better life beyond the favela in Rio where he grew up. Now aged 16 Alcimer attends school, and he is training to become an educator to teach other children at the project to give them a second chance in life.
More about Cresecer e Viver |
Sergio Fernandes da Luz |
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april 2009
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| Project: Patronato - new grant for at-risk children |
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| Education project Patronato recently received emergency funds from ABC to help at-risk children and adolescents in Recife.
The new £7,500 grant came just in time as they were in desperate need. Patronato’s financial condition was so bad that before the grant was made 50 out of the 200 children who attend the project had to stop attending temporarily because they could not continue to support all the children.
The new funding has helped to re-instate all 50 children, it will also help pay for work of monitors, teachers, social workers and psychologists at PRAIAR – a special programme which was set up to focus on preventing vulnerable young people from getting involved with drugs, violence and prostitution.
PRAIAR gives at-risk children and adolescents a second chance through educational opportunities, as well as psychological and social support which also extends to their families and communities.
This is a vital aspect of Patronato’s work which is aimed at tackling social exclusion through education. Patronato was set up in the Boda community based in the area of Pina in Recife, where children and families face daily violence, extreme poverty and drug abuse.
The new grant will enable Patronato to strengthen the PRAIAR programme by funding the work of psychologists and social workers who run group sessions, and 1-2-1 sessions with individuals who need special care and attention.
The programme is attended by almost 200 children aged 7 – 16 years old and provides sessions in the following areas:
• Supplementary education
• Capoiera
• Arts-education
• IT
• Sports/ Leisure
• Handcrafts
All activities include discussions about citizenship, social and emotional behaviour, the workshops are also structured around themes related to recovering local culture e.g. folklore, dance etc, staying safe e.g. recognising and avoiding the dangers of drugs, violence and prostituition.
| You can see how important this project is to the community and the vital work they do makes a real difference to the children who attend Patronato. You can help sustain and develop this project by donating now or through sponsorship by clicking here. |
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| Kids playing Capoeira at Patronato |
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"The help that ABC Trust gave to us is very important. Without ABC's help we would probably have to ask more children to stop coming to the project. The children here are so poor, they hardly have anything to eat, and their only meal for the day is usually at the project, so it would be very sad for all of us"
"Also, if we hadn't received this grant the children that would have had to stop coming to the project permenently would probably get involved in crime because their mothers work during the day - selling sandwiches on the beach, as cleaners or prostitutes - and they have no one to look after them. So, they would spend their day time playing in the streets, where they are often invited to earn money working for drug traffickers."
Francisca Graca de Jesus, director of Patronato
To learn more about Patronato please click here. |
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| Project: Tony Clark's visit to Gueto Poetico |
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Tony Clark from JA Clark Foundation is currently travelling through Brazil to visit social projects which the foundation supports, this included a trip to Salvador where he visited ABC social circus project Gueto Poético, which left him feeling inspired and moved.
"In a distant and isolated favela we were warmly greeted by one of the founding brothers, Edivaldo, and introduced to the centre. One big room with no air-conditioning or any fans, which is quite insufferable in the Salvador heat. We were told this is where they used to live as kids and when their Mother passed away she left the house for them which they then turned into Gueto Poético.
After a chat and being introduced to the 3 teachers of Guitar, Circus and Poetry we were told how some kids have school in the afternoon so they come in the morning and vice versa with other kids. The state schools in Brazil are very bad, being over crowded so sometimes it is 50 children in a class, kids are moved up years even though they still don’t know how to read and write and there are no extra curricular activities such as these.
First the guitarists played a few songs they had been taught. The organisation has several guitars they keep for the kids for lessons and to play whenever they like. We were particularly impressed with one ‘very naughty’ boy who was a strong player and had a beautiful voice.
Second was poetry. In a line of about 7 with kids from all ages and heights they recited classics from Brazilian poetry. It was very sweet seeing a shy little girl eloquently projecting her lines to the audience.
Third was circus and before we could look up juggling balls and cones were flying everywhere. They started playing with a monocycle and you could see real enthusiasm on the kids faces.
We then all sat around for questions and answers. After I had explained who my favourite football player was at Liverpool I asked what benefits the projects brought to their lives. One boy answered it was an option, away from being an ‘Aviãzinho’ (little plane) in drug trafficking that surrounds the Favela, and gave the kids some security away from life on the streets. It was explained to us how the teaching of these artistic disciplines forced the kids to concentrate better which they carried into their schools and has meant better results.
KuKa, the other brother, concluded with a passionate speech on how Art can change and strengthen the individual. They started this project on nothing, they appreciate any help they can get, but will keep going on nothing if they have to as this is what they “have to do”.
They want to get another teacher, preferably a woman, and this will be one more salary.
We thanked Edivaldo, Kuka and the 3 teachers for their time and told them we could see the huge benefits Gueto Poético was having on the kids lives."
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Children in guitar lesson at
Gueto Poético
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Tony Clark from JA Clark Foundation - with children from SIS
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To learn more about Gueto Poético please click here.
OR you can support this project by donating:
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| Event: The world's first ever Street Child World Cup |
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The world’s first international football tournament for street children is currently being planned, and ABC Trust will be leading Team Brazil to South Africa in March 2010.
‘Street Child World Cup’ will bring street children from 8 countries around the world to take part in the international tournament to showcase the potential of street children and launch a global campaign to ensure their voice is heard and their rights are protected.
The project consists of 3 main strands which focuses on football, giving street children a voice and campaigning for change:
• Football: the football tournament itself will have 8 teams of street children, boys and girls, aged 13-16, who will compete for the inaugural Street Children’s World Cup.
• Voice: a conference running in parallel with a major arts project will tell the stories of street children to the world and will be exhibited during the FIFA World Cup itself.
• Campaigning for change: practical steps will be promoted both internationally and nationally building on the experiences of NGOs and government departments.
ABC ‘s role
The ABC Trust is a partner organisation to this initiative, a member of the central organizing committee and the lead organisation for Brasil’s involvement in this initiative.
The ABC Trust will be contributing contacts and expertise and seeking cash sponsorship, donations, gifts in kind and partnerships for not only the whole project but also the Brazil team, and the campaigning and follow-up required.
Our current needs:
We envisage three broad Brasil specific areas which will require funding and support:
1. Team & Event: Team of 10 young people + 4 NGO workers; pre-tournament preparation, expenses in South Africa and support on return to Brazil.
2. Campaign/PR etc: Support for the policy analysts and campaigners to research and identify practical steps to make major changes in Brazil – combined with PR and media-focused activity.
3. Projects in Brazil: Direct support for exemplary social projects in Brazil working with street children and those who live on the edge.
How you can get involved:
• Help us get in touch with potential sponsors to fund the team
• Sponsor this initiative directly
• Spread the word
• Make a donation
• Donate ‘gifts in kind’ e.g. football kit, flight, accommodation
• Volunteer
Whichever way you chose to get involved please get in touch
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. .
.Football signed by PELE
“I’ve played football as a teenager with the world watching me. The Street Child World Cup is a brilliant project which will help hundreds of thousands of teenagers who have been forced to live on the streets by getting the world to listen to them and give them a fair chance.”
Theo Walcott - Arsenal striker
“The Street Child World Cup demonstrates the tremendous potential of every single child, and especially street children, who are so often treated as less than human. I am proud that the first ever Street Child World Cup will take place in South Africa – and I urge all governments to guarantee the rights of this most marginalized group of their citizens to lives in which their promise is fulfilled.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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“It is great that the Street Child World Cup will use this game, which is loved all over the world, to help give kids a fairer deal. No child should have to be on the streets, so if football can be a part of making a difference, that’s fantastic.” Gary Lineker
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| may 2009 |
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| fundraising: A Forca Da Rua Success! |
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ABC’s unique graffiti guitar project ‘A Força da Rua’ (Force of the street) showed the true force of the street at a private auction event which sold 12 Gibson guitars customised by renowned Brazilian and British street artists – raising £40,000 for Brazil’s most vulnerable children.
The hotly anticipated event at London’s exclusive members bar ‘Cuckoo Club’ on 29th April kick started with a special short film about the project by film-maker Lorna Lavelle which featured the artists in the process of designing the guitars as well as a tour of the Sao Paulo graffiti scene and the ABC Trust project AA Criança.
The rest of the night certainly caused a lot of excitement among art lovers, guitar collectors and musicians who bid against each other for a chance to own the original pieces with highlights from Pure Evil, Calma and D*Face.
The bidding for the private guitar lesson with rock legend and ABC patron Brian May also added to the excitement of the night, and our thanks go to Brian who has never offered such a prize before. Lovefoxxx of Brazilian band CSS entertained our guests by DJing with her own signature sound.
The public exhibition in East London gallery theprintspace which launched the project by showcasing the 12 guitars donated by Gibson and prints of original artwork by a wide range of street artists is now closed, but you can still view and buy the prints here.
Our deepest thanks to all who worked tirelessly and passionately to help us realise this unique project and helped to raise much needed funds to provide a better future for street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil.
A Forca Da Rua making a mark towards independence:
All money raised from the project will make a huge difference to our partner projects in Brazil which help by providing education, care and the inspiration for children and young people to transform their own futures.
Most importantly, the money will enable us to deliver our long-term strategy to support locally based organisations to develop and grow. Our grant making as ever will give them greater security and sustainability.
With our help, project leaders will be able to focus their time and energy on the development of each and every child they work with. This sustainability is vital for the projects’ future development and enables greater capacity for them to have a deeper impact on the communities in which they work. It also gives them the opportunity to work towards independence – which is part of ABC Trust’s long term goal in enabling the projects to ultimately become self-sufficient.
To find out more about the project please visit the official 'A Força da Rua' website here
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Thanks to all the artists
.A special thanks to all the
.artists who lent their talent, ...
.time and support for the ABC .
.Trust: Inkie, Remi/Rough, Will
.Barras, Daniel Melim, Ramon
.Martins, Pure Evil, Speto, .
.Tinho, D*Face, Titi Freak, Kid .
.Acne and Calma
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Thanks to everyone for their support!
.Our deepest thanks also extends .
.to all those who contributed by
.lending their support for this
.unique project and helped to
.raise .much needed funds to help
.further .our cause:Gibson,
.Lovefoxx of CSS, Dazed and
.Confused, Margaret London,
.theprintspace, Cuckoo Club,
.Terence Teh, Lorna Lavelle,
.Leblon and Palma Louca
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short film: see the artists in action
Also thanks to Lorna Lavelle who supported A Forca Da Rua by producing a short film featuring all of the artists.…watch this space for the extended version.
To see Lorna's short film click on the image
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Graffiti prints on sale!
If you missed out on the guitars you can still buy prints of the original artwork by a wide range of renowned street artists as well as 2 special collaborative pieces by Will Barras(Uk) V Tinho(Br) and Kid Acne(Uk) V Calma(Br) for only £50.
All proceeds from print sales will go to the ABC Trust.
see or buy the prints here.
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Will Barras
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Tinho print |
Kid Acne
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Calma print |
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| project: Tony Clark's visit to SIS |
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I am now back in the UK from my trip to Brazil during which I had the wonderful opportunity to visit many of the projects which the JA Clark Foundation supports. I feel proud that our funds have enabled the projects to develop in a way that is having a real impact on the individual children using the projects as well as the communities in which they work.
It was especially inspiring to have witnessed projects like SIS, where I saw at first hand how the founder - Lucia’s passion and dedication is strengthening the project day by day despite their financial struggle. Lucia’s efforts just show what projects like SIS can achieve with real commitment and a little imagination.’
When we entered SIS, we were once again warmly greeted into the small school on the edge of the favela. SIS is small, cosy, clean, organized and the kids are very tidy all wearing SIS clothes. There is a definite women’s influence here!
We were introduced to the kids and shown the school. The younger ones had just finished nursery, the slightly older ones were learning Portuguese and the eldest, 10 – 13, were also in a Portuguese class. All the kids were incredibly sweet, chatty and welcoming.
We then met the founder and head organizer of the project – Lucia. She is a very passionate and industrious woman. She had been given an award for her work helping the community. As well as working full time she has plenty of initiatives to keep the funds rolling in like organizing bingo events and setting up a second hand clothes shop next to the school.
Lucia commented that it was hard to plan properly not knowing how much funds she would have year after year and sometimes would fall into big debts and not be able to pay teachers salaries. She said everyone was committed to the project so they could ride out the more difficult times but it would be easier if funders were more consistent. She told us of her plans to expand to allow more children to enter the project.
We were very impressed and see the huge benefit this project is having for the kids in the community.
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Tony Clark from JA Clark Foundation - with children from SIS
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To learn more about SIS please click here.
OR you can support this project by donating:
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| fundraising: marathon runners cross the finishing line |
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| Laura Dowley ran the Rome Marathon and raised £3,400 for ABC - Lily's Fund and Simon Brooks ran the London Marathon and raised £1,000. Running a race is just one of the many ways in which you can get involved!
If you want to do a running challenge or join ABC 10K team or to find out more about how you can get involved and help further our cause please
click here to find out more
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| event: Festinho update |
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An intimate, friendly festival in a magical setting, Festinho is a delicious cocktail of the best in eclectic music, sunny Brazilian vibes, a laid-back feel and lots of fun activities for everyone. All profits will go to our partner projects which support street children and young people of Brazil to transform their own futures.
More acts confirmed…
We’re pleased to announce that son of the late, great Simon Jeffres of The Penguin Café Orchestra fame, Arthur Jeffries, will be bringing Music from The Penguin Café to Festinho this year. This special performance will feature an array of exciting new compositions along with beloved tunes from his fathers' celebrated repertoire such as Telephone and Rubber Band and Music for a Found Harmonium. The Penguin Café Orchestra is acclaimed for its experimental classical music infused with inventive and exuberant folk.
We will also be joined by Ivor Novello nominees, The Leisure Society, as well as AGT Rave Cru, The Fontanas, Jon Kennedy Live!, hotly tipped folk band, Mawkin:Causley and the ultimate party starters, Carnival Collective.
We are also excited to have Pete Lawrence (founder of the Big Chill festival) curating an entire stage for us this year.
The line up also includes: James Yuill, Anoushka Lucas, Nancy Wallace, Dollboy, Emily Davies, Kirsty Hawkshaw, Spiro, Lindy Layton, Mixmaster Morris, Dr Em & Funky Jim
You’ll find acts and artists you know and love, and the best of fresh new talent from London to Salvador – so whether you like to rave or chill out with some folk, this is set to be the greatest musical adventure for Festinho yet.
Exciting new features & activities
We also have The Cinema Cottage, bedtime stories, capoeira, pedal-bikes powering wondrous light installations, samba workshops, Cockney knees-ups round the old Joanna, open-mic comedy acts, trolls in the woods, yoga in the morning sunshine, pillow fights, trapeze cabaret acts…and much more here.
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Festinho returns to Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk:
4th - 6th September 2009
Buy your tickets here:
www.festinho.com
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More samba action to come
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| june 2009 |
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| project: Circo Picolino - Toys changing lives |
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| Toys and games play a vital role in a child’s personal development and creativity, something many take for granted, but imagine millions of under-privileged children who live in poverty and are deprived of such basic amenities due to lack of access and funding, the concept of play is often alien or a rare luxury.
And now, this is all about to change for ABC partner project Circo Picolino who recently opened a brand new play space ‘ Espaco Bricante’ where children from the project and the community will get the opportunity to enjoy a whole universe of toys and games.
“The 'Play Space' will open a new horizon for the children. It is the possibility of getting to know a whole new universe of toys that in their every day life they don’t have access to. The children from the community are very poor and families struggle to consume their basic needs; they never had a game or a toy to play in their life before. Now they will have a room filled with them. It means a lot to them and to their parents."
The toy library will include a wide range of games and toys especially handcrafted by teachers, and children from the project will also take part in workshops to produce the toys themselves.
This aspect goes far beyond using the play space to give these children access to toys and games, it is part of a long-term initiative to develop the children’s creativity and encourage learning over material consumption.
“The purpose of the “Play Space” goes beyond giving the children an opportunity to play and to have access to toys and games, but to also help develop their skills and learning values. By giving the children the opportunity to produce their own toys through the workshops of creation of toys will help fire their imagination and develop their creativity and teach the importance of learning and skills over material consumption.”
The toy library will be used by children aged 5 – 12 years old from social circus project Circo Picolino project and two other local schools based in the Pituacu community in Salvador.
Children from the local schools will be able to use and take part in activities in the toy library, and the production of toys and games workshops as well as circus activities alongside children from Circo Picolino.
The project as a whole aims to ultimately help develop the children’s personal and social skills.
“The project will have a direct impact in the social development of these children by providing them with the opportunity to live their childhood by having access to games and toys as every other child. This is fundamental for their development. They will also be able to develop their social skills by playing with other children in a common area and sharing the toys.”
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Children using the brand new toy library
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firing children's creativity and imagination
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| Fundraising: More runners touch the finishing line |
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| Running races seems to be one of the most popular way our supporters are choosing to help raise vital funds for street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil. And most recently, three more runners successfully reached the finishing line after months of hard work with training and fundraising.
Last month, we had Simon Brooks finishing the Flora London Marathon and raising over a £1000, whilst Laura Dowley completed the Rome Marathon and raised £3,400 for ABC - Lily’s Fund in memory of her close friend Lily –Hastings Bass who tragically died in an accident after a life-changing trip to Brazil.
And now, three more runners also finished their running challenges in aid of ABC Trust.
A special thanks to Erik Karlsson from London who ran the Stockholm Marathon and raised £900, Adam Dacey – a social entrepreneur from Wolverhampton raised £187 from the Bristol 10K, and Theodora Bradford, a student from Kings College London who raised £228 from the BUPA 10,000. We are very grateful to them for all their hard work and support. All funds raised will go to our partner projects who provide vulnerable children with support, care, education and inspiration they need to help transform their own futures.
Running races for ABC makes a huge difference in enbaling us to continue to support our partner projects, it's also one of the easiest, fun and popular ways to support our cause with more and more people pledging to run races throughout the UK and beyond for ABC.
And that’s why many more have joined the ABC 10K team this year to run the Asics British 10K London Run on 12th July 2009. We are pleased to announce that we have 48 runners who are currently busy with training and fundraising, we wish them all the best for the day, and we will be there to cheer them on throughout the course of the challenge.
it’s not too late to join the ABC 10k team! we have 3 places left, so if you feel like doing a small challenge, want to get fit, have fun and help street children at the same time, why not join our 10K team? To find out more, please get in touch here.
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Latest running success for ABC...
Adam Dacey from Wolverhampton
33 year old social entrepreneur from Wolverhampton Adam Dacey ran the Bristol 10K race and raised £187 for ABC Trust after he heard about the plight of street children in Brazil through his sister and his Brazilian brother-in-law and felt compelled to help our cause. This was Adam’s first race experience which would have been a lot easier had it not been for the unexpected hot weather but despite the minor weather issue, Adam continued to run and finished the race just under an hour. He is very pleased with his fundraising success too, thanks to the generosity of his friends and family. Adam’s best tip for completing a race: “keep a happy and light mind, don’t push and don’t worry!”
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| fundraising: play for Street Child World Cup |
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| If you love the beautiful game, why not brush off those fancy foot-work by simply doing a fun football challenge with your friends, local club or colleagues to help raise vital funds for Street Child World Cup.
Street Child World Cup is the world’s first international football tournament for street children, and ABC Trust will be leading Team Brazil to South Africa in March 2010 to showcase their talent and launch a global campaign to ensure their voice is heard and their rights are protected.
But to make this happen, we need funding. We are calling on our supporters to form their own football teams and organise mini sponsored football challenges in your local area.
You can ask your local pubs, companies, school, college, university, local football club, or your colleagues, friends and family to simply get together for this fun challenge and help us realise our dream for Street Child World Cup.
Other ways you can help us raise funds for this new and exciting initiative is by appealing to your employers or company to help by sponsoring the project. In turn, companies can hugely benefit by increasing their brand awareness through our marketing and PR for this global campaign in Brazil, UK and worldwide, and strengthen the company’s corporate social responsibility agenda.
We currently need funding for a team of 10 young people + 4 NGO workers; flight tickets, accommodation, football shirts, pre-tournament preparation, expenses in South Africa and support on return to Brazil.
Street Child World Cup:
‘Street Child World Cup’ will bring street children from 8 countries around the world to take part in the international tournament to showcase the potential of street children and launch a global campaign to ensure their voice is heard and their rights are protected.
The project consists of 3 main strands which focus on football, giving street children a voice and campaigning for change:
• Football: the football tournament itself will have 8 teams of street children, boys and girls, aged 13-16, who will compete for the inaugural Street Children’s World Cup.
• Voice: a conference running in parallel with a major arts project will tell the stories of street children to the world and will be exhibited during the FIFA World Cup itself.
• Campaigning for change: practical steps will be promoted both internationally and nationally building on the experiences of NGOs and government departments.
ABC ‘s role
The ABC Trust is a partner organisation to this initiative, a member of the central organizing committee and the lead organisation for Brazil’s involvement in this initiative.
The ABC Trust will be contributing contacts and expertise and seeking cash sponsorship, donations, gifts in kind and partnerships for not only the whole project but also the Brazil team, and the campaigning and follow-up required.
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Football signed by PELE
“I’ve played football as a teenager with the world watching me. The Street Child World Cup is a brilliant project which will help hundreds of thousands of teenagers who have been forced to live on the streets by getting the world to listen to them and give them a fair chance.”
Theo Walcott - Arsenal striker
“The Street Child World Cup demonstrates the tremendous potential of every single child, and especially street children, who are so often treated as less than human. I am proud that the first ever Street Child World Cup will take place in South Africa – and I urge all governments to guarantee the rights of this most marginalized group of their citizens to lives in which their promise is fulfilled.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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“It is great that the Street Child World Cup will use this game, which is loved all over the world, to help give kids a fairer deal. No child should have to be on the streets, so if football can be a part of making a difference, that’s fantastic.” Gary Lineker |
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| July 2009 |
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| Fundraising: 10K success |
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| On Sunday 12th July, a staggering 27,000 runners took to the streets of London to run the annual Asics British 10K London Run challenge, and we were proud to have 43 runners join the ABC 10K team to help street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil.
After months of training and fundraising, all their efforts and dedication proved worthwhile as each and every runner completed the race, many with great timing and all collectively raised an impressive £14,507 for ABC Trust so far, with some continuing to raise funds.
Our deepest thanks to all the runners for their incredible support, hard work and generosity, as their contribution will make an enormous difference to vulnerable children in Brazil who have so little.
The funds raised through this challenge will enable our partner projects in Brazil to sustain as well as develop the fantastic work they do to help street children by giving them support, education, and inspiration they need to help transform their own futures.
As well as running for a worthy cause, the runners enjoyed the experience and the weather certainly helped to keep their spirits up. ABC Team of volunteers who were there to cheer everyone on near the finishing line felt very excited and proud every time a runner with an ABC T-shirt ran by.
Some of the runners also got a special treat when they reached the finishing line, a retired runner - John Greatrex from South London Harriers kindly offered ABC Trust to present our runners with an Olympic torch for a special photo.
ABC also thanks our special team of volunteers who brought the carnival spirit to the 10K with their unmissable Green and Yellow Brazilian T-shirts, Brazil flags and cheering everyone on with Brazilian coloured balloons and whistles, we hope to add some Brazilian drumming to next year!
With such a fantastic atmosphere and great success, we are already looking forward to next year’s 10K race, why not be part of this incredible experience and help a great cause along the way. If you would like to run for ABC in next year’s Asics British 10K London Run, please get in touch here OR help us by simply spreading the word!
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Special thanks to:
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Paul Potter, James Ward, Nicola & Jason Casey, Milton Wanzala from Creative Partnership in Soho.
Star fundraisers Chris Wilder, Alice Coutinho, Diane Rostaing and Simon Wolfarth
Also thanks to: Peter Blackburn, Audrey Blackburn, Joao Marcel Grilo, Fernando Nonohay, Sheila Heard, Marcel Kern, Kit Patrick, Jim Altin, Nick Savage, Lyndal Dashwood, Michael Ohashi, Jonathan Birden, Tamer Alcici, Arnold Green, Maria and Marco Penna, Tony Terry, Brian Noronha, Finn James, Nicholas Carey, Sarah E Morton, Rahel Zaman, Martin Clark, Nick Halsall.
Last but not least, thanks to our student runners:
Anisha Mistry, Daniel C Funnell & Ieuan Lewis from University College London, also Hannah Carmichael and Alex J Miles from Kings College, as well as James Brown, Alexander Heathcote, Nadine David and Letitia Hristodorescu.
And a special thanks to our long-term supporter Greg & Jenzi Silverman from Minneapolis, USA, who ran their own 10K race and made a donation as a tribute to our British 10K Team. |
ABC team of volunteers was there to cheer the runners near the finishing line 
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| Project: greener solution for Roupa Suja |
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| Brazil is renowned for its infinite natural beauty which has attracted tourists from all over the world for many decades and yet children living in urban dwellings in favelas of Rio de Janeiro grow up not having access to and are unaware of such beauty.
To change this, ABC partner project Roupa Suja recently launched a new environmental initiative in an attempt to go green so that the children can appreciate their own environment, learn how to care for it and live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle as a result. And with global warming affecting Brazil, the environmental project at Roupa Suja could not have come at a better time.
The Environmental Project
The Environmental Programme is an after school extra curricular activity which teaches children to appreciate, preserve and care for their environment. The project reaches children through classroom learning, practical skills and educational outings.
In the classroom, children discuss global warming issues that affect Brazil, and are encouraged to contribute ideas of how to prevent these disasters such as the importance of recycling, and how to apply it in their own community.
Outside the classroom, children are taken on day trips to observe, appreciate and learn about plants, trees and medicinal herbs to inspire and teach them to conserve.
Furthermore, the children are taught how to use the fruit skins to produce organic fertilizer for their plantations. The techniques used in this ecological process helps children to participate in dependable farming, and opens the doors to developing a sustainable infrastructure for their community.
By participating in the Environmental Project’s extra-curricular activities, children acquire a sense of self worth and independence, as they are able to positively contribute to preserving their surrounding environment. It also opens a pathway of potential future farmers who could profit from the bounty of their own soil.
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Children from Roupa Suja on a day trip to the Rio Botanical Garden
Educators at the Oficina do Saber show the children how to plant various types of fruits and vegetables. Having learned how to grow peppers, carrots, and herbs, the children generated their own plantation just last week!
Music lessons at Roupa Suja
Learn more about Roupa Suja here. |
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| Fundraising: play for Street Child World Cup |
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| If you love football, why not get your company involved in our fun and glamorous corporate football challenge to help raise vital funds for Street Child World Cup!
ABC is currently creating a football tournament for corporate teams which will take place on the grounds of a premier league football club where the winning team will be presented with a trophy by a premier league football player.
We are calling on our supporters to appeal to your company to get involved in this fun challenge to help realise our plans for Street Child World Cup.
Street Child World Cup is the world’s first international football tournament for street children, which will bring teams of street children from 8 countries around the world to showcase thier talent, and launch a global campaign to ensure their voice is heard and their rights are protected. ABC Trust will be leading Team Brazil to South Africa in March 2010 for this historic event.
But to make this happen, we need funding, which is why we are calling on our supporters to help us by appealing to your company to take part in the challenge, or you can simply get a team of your colleagues together for your own sponsored 5-a side footy match in your local area OR simply ask your employer to sponsor the project.
In turn, companies can hugely benefit by increasing their brand awareness through our marketing and PR for this global campaign in Brazil, UK and worldwide, and strengthen the company’s corporate social responsibility agenda.
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Football signed by PELE
“I’ve played football as a teenager with the world watching me. The Street Child World Cup is a brilliant project which will help hundreds of thousands of teenagers who have been forced to live on the streets by getting the world to listen to them and give them a fair chance.”
Theo Walcott - Arsenal striker
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| Project: ACER's fight against child labour |
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| Child labour in Brazil is twice as high as in any other country in Latin America and is one of the main reasons why many children do not get a chance to attend school. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) there are 1.7 million children aged between 5 and 10 working in Brazil today.
ABC partner project ACER is all too aware of this problem and has been long committed to combating child labour. Last year, a series of cultural activites in their local community was coordinated by the education project to mark International Day Against Child Labour.
But this year, ACER went one step further by holding a conference to unite with other NGOs, as well as congressmen, ahead of this year’s International Day Against Child Labour.
The conference symbolises a progressive step for ACER in its mission to combat the issue of child labour. The two day seminar enabled ACER to strengthen its power by uniting with other NGOs across Brazil which added weight to the way the issue is seen as well as reach decision makers who have the power to bring real change.
Strategies to combat child labour
This 2-day seminar, hosted by Fundação Telefonicô in partnership with ACER, attracted an audience of 350 professionals to discuss the obstacles of combating child labour, and concluded that three strategies would be most effective. This includes working through the educational system, family system, and working with local networks such as local NGOs, schools, government offices, parents and other local community members.
.“The conference achieved a lot of recognition, and was successful in sharing ideas and having good discussions on how to work through education, through the families and through networks. The conclusion was that not only are all three methods equally credible and effective,
but that there is a continuing need to create awareness on this issue and unite members of all realms to contribute their thoughts, experiences, advice on how to overcome the constrains of child labour”
Jonathan Hannay, ACER’s General Secretary.
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... About ACER:
The Associação de Apoio à Criança em Risco(ACER) is an NGO located in the outskirts of Sao Paolo, the neighbourhood of Diadema. ACER’s battle against child labour began in 1993 and has since been focused on programmes that assist street children, and prevents children from taking to the streets.
ACER's General Secretary, Jonathan Hannay
ACER has done a number of case studies on the eradication of child labour through the local network and the family unit. The idea is that change and improvement come from the actual people who are directly and indirectly affected. In addition, the network approach ensures that individuals are working together for positive results, always ensuring a sense of respect and reciprocity.
Click here for more info on ACER
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| august 2009 |
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projects: Players for progress, partners for change
ABC Trust has partnered with Sao Martinho to lead Team Brazil to South Africa in March 2010 for the world's first international football tournament for street children.
Sao Martinho - street children's project in Rio De Janeiro was selected by the ABC based on the fantastic results they have had over the past 30 years and the wonderful work they continue to do to help street children and the wider community.
Associação Beneficente São Martinho’s mission is to restore the human dignity of street children aged 6 to 18 years of old, whose rights have been violated, and provide means to develop support, citizenship and practical solutions through a wide range of programmes which have had an enormous impact on the lives of street children.
Their programmes focus on re-integrating street children back into their family and community life, facilitating adolescents into employment, assisting with legal protection of children’s rights, providing supplementary education, arts and sports activites. As well as introducing educational programmes for child educators, technicians
and coordinators to enable to them better work with street children.
These are very much in tune with the mission of ABC Trust, São Martinho demonstrates strong morale and drive that is positive to the theme of Street Child World Cup, and therefore will play a vital role in assisting with the organisation and implementation of the campaign.
This includes selecting the players for Team Brazil, preparing and training the team, engaging other children from the project in arts activities to aid with the campaign, organising the trip to South Africa, providing ongoing support and training in Durban and on their return to Brazil.
This is indeed a huge task, as most of the children from the project never had the chance to explore the outside world beyond the walls of the favelas in which they live.
And now, the children from Sao Martinho will be heading to South Africa in March 2010 to compete and engage with children from around the world. They will also campaign for change in front of the international media, delegates and policy makers, and become ambassadors for something which will have a lasting positive impact on their own lives.
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Street Child World Cup is the world’s first international football tournament for street children aimed at raising awareness about the plight of these children from around the world and finding practical solutions to improve their lives.
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BBC News recently featured Street Child World, click here for the report.
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In March 2010, 8 teams of street children from around the world will be heading to Durban in South Africa to showcase their talent and tell their stories infront of the international media, delegates and policy makers to ensure their voice is heard and their rights are protected. ABC Trust has partnered with Sao Martinho to lead Team Brazil for this historic event.
To get involved please contact us. |
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fundraising: ambitious cycling for ABC
Iain Hawthorn from Kent embarked on an ambitious 700 mile long cycling challenge from the North to the South of France in aid of the ABC Trust and raised approximately £1500. Here is Iain’s account of his adventurous journey.
Dieppe to Marseilles Cycling challenge – 11th to 18th July 2009
"Cycling is a peculiar addiction. The harder it is, the more you want to do it. I think it’s because you cannot remember pain and the adrenaline gives you the feeling of living ‘on the edge’. A very good friend of mine once said, “the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward” and nothing was more true with cycling 700 miles in one week, mountains included.
Many amateur cyclists take up great challenges in the year such as the popular London to Brighton Ride, but for somebody with a cycling addiction, that's not enough. So, I jumped at the chance of joining a 700 mile cycle ride from the north to the south of France in a week during the Tour de France.
Cycling 700 miles in 7 days was never going to be easy. But it lived up to every expectation – highs, lows, laughter, pain, grit & determination (quite a lot of that) and real deep friendships forged in some quite adverse situations. I must admit though, at times it was far, far harder than I thought it would be.
By far the toughest part of the whole experience was Thursday the 16th July. 120 miles covered, 7,000 feet of climbing mountains and 42 degrees of heat in the shade. I’ve never been so close to total collapse, I crawled into our hotel for the evening on the verge of total exhaustion. This was the lowest point and only sheer desire to finish with my buddies got me to that village on Thursday.
But the biggest part of the achievement was covering every mile on the bike. I knew it would feel amazing and it truly did as I cycled the whole length of France, and even rode 400 miles with a broken arm.
We were in no race to get across France, hotels we’re booked every night. As a ‘band of brothers’ we simply needed to get from A to B every day. We helped, encouraged and supported each other. We were there for each other in dark times and the good times."
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Our deepest thanks to Iain for his support and for his perseverance in seeing the challenge through. And thanks to everyone for supporting the ABC Trust by donating.
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Why Iain chose the ABC Trust:
I would do it all again tomorrow for the ABC Trust. I have two very privileged children that enjoy the comforts of a nice home and loving, supportive family. I get upset and angry when I see starving, impoverished children in the world and this was something I could do about it.
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Iain’s fundraising tip:
I sent a daily blog (make it funny!) back to everyone that donated, including the link to the Justgiving site and asked them to pass it on to anyone that would be interested. |
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project update: Roupa Suja
The Board of the ABC Trust agreed a two year grant to the after-school programme run by ABC partner project 'Roupa Suja' which is located in Rocinha, one of the biggest favelas in Latin America.
The after school programme – known as the Oficina do Saber (office of knowledge) was started in 2006, with support of ABC Trust. It provides classes for 50 children, 6 -14 years old, reinforcing basic education and providing important extracurricular activities.
There are 2 classes in the morning 8 -11am, and 2 classes in the afternoon 1-4pm, with 10-15 children per class. Children are taught the basic skills (reading and writing, maths etc.) with the aim of keeping children in school, combating illiteracy and keeping them off the streets. In addition they take time to address important social issues in the community (i.e. health issues, pollution, drugs, citizenship etc) through special reading projects, discussions, outings in the community, musical or artistic projects etc. involving other community organizations or small non-profit projects.
The grant of £6,000 per annum provides money for school supplies, much needed snacks for the children and salaries for two teachers and a part-time project coordinator. Overall this translates into £120 per student for a year of crucial education to ensure they get the chance to find jobs later in life instead of getting involved in drugs trafficking or getting stuck with little hope for the future.
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| september 2009 |
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project: ABC conference paving the way
Sharing experiences, addressing challenges and discussing strategies are key factors in helping projects realise their goals.
To help projects connect, unite and learn from one another as well as build lasting ties ABC Trust held a two-day conference in central Salvador, Bahia on 20th & 21st August with our partner projects in North East of Brazil.
The conference focused on the sharing of experiences from each project leader. At the centre for Afro-Oriental Studies, ABC Trust’s Projects Manager Aliana Monodee met with project leaders and staff from Gueto Poetico, Circo Picolino, SIS, Viva a Vida and ISMEP.
In addition to information sharing, the conference was also aimed at improving ABC Trust’s work with project partners and discussing ways in which they could work towards independence and sustainability.
Through discussions on monitoring and evaluation, members at the conference grasped a deeper understanding of how to meet the needs of funders and donors so that they can more effectively attract new donors and sustain themselves in the future.
The conference was a unique event. As many of them had never met before, even though some work in the same city, the conference enabled them to build lasting ties, feel re-inspired about the work they do, and become more connected to the shared goals which they all plan to achieve.
The conference was successful in instilling that sense of unity, so much so that project staff from SIS are now connected with arts educators from Gueto Poetico, with the intention of visiting and running music and theatre workshops. This is something that SIS had wanted to carry out for a long time with the 150 children enrolled in their education project, but they had not been able to because of time and funding constraints. With the conference, promising steps will be taken to unite the activities of these projects, so as to integrate their work and benefit one another.
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ABC Conference - paving the way to
connect our partner projects in
North East of Brazil
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Highlight: Drugs Prevention workshop by Viva A Vida
"This was an engaging topic as issues concerning drugs affect the children and adolescents in the communities of all ABC partner projects. The workshop addressed the realities of drug use and provided constructive tools to tackle the issue. Social subjects such as this, are rarely covered in public schools, for which reason projects are more aware of the need to speak freely about them." ABC Projects Manager Aliana Monodee
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fundraising: major corporate challenge for ABC
ABC Trust is proud to be a beneficiary to an ambitious corporate fundraising challenge ‘The BG Energy Challenge – Brasil’.
On 18th September, 180 employees from 60 companies in the energy sector in Brazil will embark on a major challenge ‘The BG Energy Challenge’ which involves trekking, running and mountain biking over a 2 day period in Rio De Janeiro and with the aim of raising over £35,000 for the ABC Trust.
‘The BG Energy Challenge – Brazil’ is being organised and hosted by BG Brasil (part of BG Group) which has been long committed to raising funds to help social causes through their corporate employee engagement programme.
Since 1996 the BG Group’s global events have raised more than £5.1 million for charities worldwide, benefiting local communities in the countries where they are based.
This year, BG Brasil aims to raise over £70,000, 50% of which will benefit the ABC Trust and 50% for Centre for Digital Inclusion.
‘The BG Energy Challenge – Brasil’ aims to engage employees with worthy social causes as well as promote integration through challenging activities that strengthen team spirit, foster shared goals, and promote leadership skills.
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Click here for more info on the BG Energy Challenge - Brasil
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The importance of employee engagement: The BG Energy challenge is a great example of how companies can help the ABC Trust and improve their business at the same time. Employee engagement is hugely beneficial for companies as it helps with team building skills, boosts staff morale, and strengthens the company's corporate social responsibility agenda by doing challenges and connecting with a social cause.
And this is why more and more companies are choosing to help charities through employee engagement. There are numerous challenges which companies can either organise themselves or sign up to. For information on ABC challenges please click here.
There are also other ways in which companies can help the ABC Trust, for more information please click here. |
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project: solar reaches out to parents
ABC partner project Solar recently introduced a progressive programme 'The School of Parents' to integrate families into the children's education and to strengthen its preventative approach in helping the most vulnerable.
Solar follows a policy of giving most of their openings to the most vulnerable children from the Favela of Cantagalo – one of the most violent Favelas in the centre of Rio de Janeiro. The coordinators of Solar believe that the most vulnerable children are the sons and daughters of people with alcohol and drug-abuse related problems, people involved in crimes, or single mothers and unstructured families in general.
Solar’s main approach is to tackle the problems faced by vulnerable children through prevention from an early age. It aims to reach children before they become involved in street crime, violence, and drug trafficking by providing them with good education and a good structure to build their lives on.
Now, Solar aims to strengthen its preventative approach by involving parents into school activities to help with children's development and to promote changes in the community. The 'School fo Parents' involves monthly meetings between parents, coordinators, volunteers and psychologists at Solar, where they discuss and participate in workshops related to the role of being a parent and the problems faced by most children and teenagers. They also discuss issues which affect the community.
“By attending the School of Parents, the parents are aware of what is going on in the school, so they can give continuation to our work at home. It’s also an opportunity to give them support in raising their children.” Alessandra (projects coordinator of Solar)
The School of Parents’ is a progressive way to connect parents into their children’s education programme which enables the parents to reach out, and positively affect the family unit and the community as a whole. With engaged parents, the household will become more stable for the children in the programme, which is essential for their overall development. Solar is taking impressive steps forward to achieve their goals.
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Solar Meninos de Luz
'Children of Light' - an education project which combines art & culture, supported by ABC Trust
For more information on Solar,
please click here. .
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| october 2009 |
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fundraising: BG Energy Challenge Success for ABC
BG Brazil completed the BG Energy Challenge, and raised approximately £45,000 for ABC Trust. Our deepest thanks to BG Brazil for choosing the ABC Trust as a beneficiary and thanks to all the employees and companies involved in the challenge for completing it and raising vital funds for vulnerable children in Brazil.
For the fourth consecutive year, the corporate employee engagement initiative took place in Angra dos Reis in Rio de Janeiro, where over 200 professionals from 28 companies in the energy sector gathered in New Frade Hotel to compete in the adventure sporting event which included both physical and mental challenges.
The challenge is aimed at promoting integration between employee teams as well as between companies and to help worthy social causes to strengthen BG Brasil’s corporate social responsibility agenda.
The Challenge:
On 19th September the teams embarked on the gruelling challenge over a 17 kilometre distance which took over 4.5 hours. With the aid of map and compass, teams went through the largest possible number of Control Points, tackling streams, trails, roads, mountains and other natural obstacles. They also performed mental tasks to pass through the Control Points, and teams were expected to successfully perform as many tasks as possible and reach the finishing line in the shortest time to win the challenge.
To mark the end of the challenge, the teams were taken by boat to an island nearby called ‘Fantasy Island’ where the winners were awarded with medals and trophies and a symbolic cheque was presented for the amount of £45,000 to ABC Trust. The teams partied the rest of the night until the early hours to celebrate their success.
The BG Energy Challenge raised a total of 290,000 Reais, 50% of which will benefit ABC Trust and 50% for the Centre for Digital Inclusion.
The BG Energy Challenge is held annually in countries like the UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Kazakhstan, Egypt, India, United States and Oman. Since the first event, held in 1996, in the UK, the BG Group has raised nearly $ 10 million, entirely for social projects.
Corporate support for ABC Trust is vital as it enables our partner projects to work towards long-term sustainability, there are many ways in which companies can help ABC. For more information please click here. back to top |
Click here for more info & photos from the BG Energy Challenge
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For José Vicente Miranda, senior counsel of Chevron, the BG Energy Challenge Brazil surpassed the corporate boundaries of the BG Group "Much more than a social responsibility project, the BG Energy Challenge is a different way to engage people to realize that the essence of life is to serve others. The magic of the event is the start in Brazil was given in 2006 and has no end, the donations have benefited children who had their lives transformed, "he said.
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project: SIS tackles agression and conflict
SIS – an education project set up to help vulnerable children in the favelas of Salvador has made a huge impact on the children who attend the project, but earlier this year, the project was confronted with some challenges in dealing with aggressive children, so they went to the heart of the problem – the home.
At the beginning of this year, the SIS team found it difficult to tackle the behavioural problems of several children who attend the school, where they displayed aggression and would get into conflict with each other including verbal abuse and physical violence.
Project leaders found the previous methods they had used to help overcome aggressive behaviour fruitless, so this time they invited the parents of these children to discuss their behaviour individually. They found that the parents themselves were displaying aggression, and concluded that this was the root cause – as the children were simply mimicking their attitude and behaviour at home and brought it to school.
Consequently the project leaders decided to tackle the parents and work with them on a one to one basis to help adopt a more positive way of communicating with their children at home and displaying alternative ways to tackle issues in front of their children so they adopt the same patterns in both school and at home.
Just after just two months of applying the one-to-one development session with parents there has been already huge difference in the children’s behaviour. For example, the children who were picking fights with their peers are no longer behaving aggressively, and the bad language which the children were using is no longer heard.
This new approach not only provides a solution for improving the problems with children’s behaviour but also demonstrates how SIS has begun to look at its work in a more complete and holistic way.
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Deboraci, a SIS coordinator, commented:‘Watching these children improve in their behaviour is extremely gratifying, we were pleased and shocked to see such a drastic change. It is the children themselves and what they learn and take out of our programme that inspires us here at SIS to continue working hard for their development, but without the parents’ involvement in providing their children with a healthy household, the work at SIS cannot reach its highest potential as an educational facility’. |
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fundraising: play for Street Child World Cup - corporate
If you love football, why not get your company involved in our corporate football challenge to help raise vital funds for Street Child World Cup!
ABC is currently creating a football tournament for 8 corporate teams in London to compete in a series of matches at the impressive Westway pitch on Sunday 6th December 2009 where the winning team will be presented with a trophy by a celebrity football player.
The runner up team (from the final match) will receive:
..................* a signed football memorabilia
..................* a DVD copy of the final match
..................* certificates for each player
The winning team will receive:
..................* signed T-shirts
..................* certificates
..................* individual DVD copies of the final match
A celebrity footballer will present the winning team with a trophy and a bottle of champagne to the ‘Man of the Match,’ who will also receive two tickets to a Chelsea home game this season.
Both teams will have a group photograph taken with the celebrity footballer, which will be sent to each player after the event.
We are calling on our supporters to appeal to your company to get a team together and get involved in this fun sponsored challenge to help realise our plans for the Street Child World Cup.
Street Child World is the world's first international football tournament for street children. In March 2010, 8 teams fo stree children from around the world (including Brazil) will head to Durban, South Africa to compete in a football tournament to showcase their talent and campaign to ensure their voice is heard and their rights are protected.
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“I’ve played football as a teenager with the world watching me. The Street Child World Cup is a brilliant project which will help hundreds of thousands of teenagers who have been forced to live on the streets by getting the world to listen to them and give them a fair chance.”
Theo Walcott, Arsenal striker
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BBC News recently featured Street Child World, click here for the report.
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For more information on the corporate football tournament, please click here. |
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november 2009 |
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event: a great year for Festinho
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| ABC music festival has sadly come to an end for 2009, but we are delighted that it was such a great success with fantastic entertainment, and nearly 3000 people joining us this year in Long Melford, Suffolk. We are also grateful for the support we got from VInspired AND proud to have been voted as top 10 best small festivals in the UK by the Guardian.
The weekend long celebration of this family friendly event was filled with an eclectic range of entertainment from mass pillow fights led by the Pyjarmy brigade, fun games and table football tournament hosted by ABC, children’s activities, cinema screenings in a cottage, hula hooping and so much more.
As for the music, great live performances from Crazy P, Cuban Brothers, Saravah Sol, Penguine Café, many many more, and not to mention the Carnival Collective who brought the Brazilian spirit to the festival with live drumming. The disco shed was sadly gone this year, but we had the gingerbread house to help us with late night partying in the woods and everyone had a lot of fun with a series of sing-a-longs including a great ‘ol cockney knees up’.
With so much going on throughout the weekend, the sanctuary certainly came handy for many, offering Indian head massages, yoga sessions and not to mention a chance to relax with a good cup of tea in the Tea tipee.
Festinho runs every year with the help and generosity of a huge team of volunteers in aid of raising awareness and funding for street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil. Thanks to each and every volunteer including everyone from the Festinho team, national youth volunteering service VInspired and ABC team, it simply would not have happened without their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment. A special thanks to Simon Strick, and Tom Branston for their incredible dedication, passion and energy. |
All profits from Festinho will go towards strengthening the work of our partner projects so they are able to reach out to many more street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil. So thanks to everyone for their support!
If you missed out on this year’s Festinho, be sure to book early for next year’s event, as it will be even bigger and better in 2010!
For more information on Festinho, please visit their official website here.
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Thanks to ABC volunteers Ritu Lukhman, Bianca de Speluzzi, Mitchell Cutmore, Helena Bruckermann, Caroline Harrison, Francesca Paterson
Thanks and well done to Zofia Page, Alice Colbourne & Amy Colbourne for bringing their delicious cakes to Festinho again and raising £370 for ABC.
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fundraising: Play for Street Child World Cup |
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With preparations to select Team Brazil for Street Child World Cup now underway, we are in need of funds to complete their mission of going to South Africa. Please help ABC make history happen by simply getting involved.
SCHOOLS: Kids 4 Kids Footy Challenge
Among several initiatives, we recently launched Kids 4 Kids Footy Challenge to engage school children across the UK to be part of this international project and help children their own age by simply playing the beautiful game and raising funds for Team Brazil.
Benefits for schools:
• be part of an international project
• encourage teamwork and leadership
• improve skills and techniques
• strengthen participation in sport and health
• enhance pupils’ education on human rights, poverty and SCWC
• enhance global awareness and reinforce pupils’ role as global citizens
• benefit from our PR & marketing
• win some prizes
• make history happen
For more information on the Kids 4 Kids Footy Challenge, please click here. For details on prizes and fundraising please click here.
UNIVERSITY: ABC Uni Footy Tournament
We are also appealing for universities in and around London to take part in our fun football tournament set to take place in Battersea Park on Sunday 6th December. Anyone and everyone who has a university connection can take part by simply getting a team together to show off their fancy footwork, compete in a fun friendly challenge and win some fantastic prizes, which include:
• Individual England football shirt signed by Ian Wright
• Signed Chelsea shirt by John Obi McKell
• A special trophy
• Adidas boots
• Signed and framed Thierry Henry photo
• Brazilian futsol
• Personal DVD film of the final match
For more information on the event please click here
TO REGISTER - please download registration form here.
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“I’ve played football as a teenager with the world watching me. The Street Child World Cup is a brilliant project which will help hundreds of thousands of teenagers who have been forced to live on the streets by getting the world to listen to them and give them a fair chance.”
Theo Walcott, Arsenal striker
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| december 2009 |
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| fundraising: ABC Christmas Appeal 2009 |
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Please Donate
this Christmas and help change lives like Nina's
£10 pays for learning material for a class of 25 for a month |
| This is the story of an extraordinary woman 'Nina' who endured extreme hardship on the streets of Sao Paulo before her life was transformed with the help of ABC partner project AA Crianca.
Nina was just 12 years old when she left home to live on the streets following her mother's death and a turbulent life.
“When you are on the streets you are invisible, you have no rights as a human being. The struggle for survival involved things which I am not proud of. I stole, I did drugs to escape the misery but these were the only ways for me to survive.”
After years of struggling on the streets, it was in Praça da Sé where Nina first came into contact with an outreach worker from AA Criança. "People from AA Criança came and talked to us, played games. While the police used to come to beat us, they came to protect us”.
But after years of abuse on the streets, it was not easy for Nina to trust a stranger. It took three years of meetings with the educator before she finally accepted help and left the streets for good.
Nina found shelter at AA Criança and got an education. At 16, she became the youngest assistant officer at the project. She then graduated from a prestigious university, and now she directly helps young people from the street when they arrive at AA Criança. Nina’s story is an inspiration to many people. That is why she has been invited to give lectures in Italy and Germany, and advises children in Brazil.
"It's hard to get opportunities, but once you do, you must grab it with ten hands. And you must believe in yourself. I am very grateful to AA Criança for giving me this opportunity. If they had not found me, talked to me, and recognised my potential, I would never have been able to achieve what I have now and be the person I am today".
This is why ABC Trust is passionate about supporting projects like AA Criança. ABC’s funding enables our partner projects to prevent vulnerable children from ending up on the streets in the first place, as well as give people like Nina a chance to transform their own futures by providing support, shelter, care, education and inspiration. But there is so much more we can do and need your help to make it happen.
Please get involved this Christmas by making a donation to help us continue our work with vulnerable young people to help them escape a life of poverty and build a better future. Whatever you can contribute will make a huge difference. Thank you.
Andrew Webb
Chief Executive, ABC Trust
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£25 pays for emergency food and shelter for 1 child for a week
£50 pays for essential healthcare
for 25 children
£100 pays for primary education
for a child for 1 year
£250 pays for a new computer which is crucial to their learning
£500 pays for arts & music instruments to inspire, give confidenceand build self-esteem
£1,200 pays for the vital work of a counsellor or a teacher for a year
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| january 2010 |
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| project: Crescer e Viver making waves |
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| In only a few years Crescer e Viver has become one of the most respected and recognised social circus programmes in Brazil. But this description of their work does not do justice to the real impact that their work has in influencing and touching the lives of many people, beyond the children that are directly involved in the project. Now the wider public will be able to see the results for their work first-hand through their new performance called Baião.
After 10 months of intensive training in choreography and acrobatics, the show is now finally open to the public and is being shown every week until the 28th of November in the project’s very own circus tent in Praça XI, Rio de Janeiro.
The reputation of Crescer e Viver has grown to the point that they have secured many of Brazil’s top circus and art directors to work with them. They are also getting local funding for their work, and generating an income from the performances, which will allow them to develop their plan for long term sustainability.
The cast consist of 12 young people who attend the project aged 15 to 23 years old, and all live in the surrounding favelas. They were selected to make up the Crescer e Viver Circus Company (the CIA) funded by the ABC Trust. With ABC’s support, 15 young people received a CIA scholarship which allowed them to fully commit to the activities of the circus by developing their abilities as circus professionals. In addition to their role in the CIA, the 15 members also monitor the other children and young people who attend the project. Now they are able to make professional standard performances such as Baião.
By training the young people at Crescer Viver to such a high level, the project has helped them develop their sense of responsibility, team work, commitment and above all, self confidence. For the cast members of the performance, this is also a rare opportunity to help them become real artists.
The performances by the CIA also benefit the communities as these are one of the few forms of art entertainment available to the deprived communities around Praça XI and greatly enjoy watching the shows at Crescer e Viver. It inspires them and makes them proud of their children.
The ABC Trust is now providing a second grant for Crescer e Viver to fund a new tent for the project. This will allow them to receive more children and adolescents that are interested in participating in the social circus workshops! Crescer e Viver is making the most out of the donations they are receiving, and allocating this money into creating progressive opportunities for the vulnerable children of central Rio de Janeiro.
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“Crescer e Viver has made a difference in my life. It contributed to my artistic development. The project has opened doors for me to a new world of happiness and knowledge. I left behind a world of fears in which I used to live. Today, I participate in the Peformance Baião, which is an amazing show and I am part of it. Through this show, I am in constant contact with famous professionals from the theater, dance, circus professionals, etc. Today, I teach circus arts to the beginners here at Crescer e Viver. This helped me become more confident, and today I know that I am capable of moving forward. I hope that one day when I’m an adult I can teach other people everything that I’m learning here.”
Anne Carolinne is 16 years old and lives in Morro do Prazeres in Rio and has been at Crescer e Viver for the past year. She takes part in Cia CRESCER E VIVER de CIRCO and is a member of the show BAIÃO.
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For more information on Crescer e Viver, please click here. .
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| project: Team Brazil for Street Child World Cup |
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With the first ever Street Child World Cup approaching, many progressive steps are being taken to prepare for this exciting event. The ABC Trust has partnered with Projeto Quixote, a non-profit organization based in Sao Paulo that works directly with street children.
Their work follows the same mission as that of ABC- transforming the lives of at-risk children, youth and families through education, social and cultural integration. ABC and Projeto Quixote are excited about working with each other and have already begun great developments.
"The participation in the Street Child World Cup is a great opportunity for our children. It's an opportunity for them to be able to think about the experiences that they lived in the streets from another point of view, from where they are today. Its also a chance to exchange experiences with children from all around the world, with different cultures and realities. The SCWC is a brilliant project and we feel honoured to be involved."Quixote educators
So far, Quixote has been instrumental in the selection process and developed in conjunction with ABC, a series of workshops to physically and mentally prepare the children who will make up the team. Nine children (aged 14 – 16) will be selected as team members next month to participate in the football tournament, whilst others will continue to play a key role in the national campaign in Brazil.
Quixote’s role in Street Child World Cup:
The three main activities that Projeto Quixote is providing for the children include football training, workshops about life on the street, and media workshops. Children will be training twice a week, during four hour sessions until the tournament in South Africa I March 2010, with the objective of improving their football skills and become a team.
The workshops about life on the street are instrumental in allowing the children to share their stories and experiences with one another, and are designed to encourage them to be vocal and comfortable with expressing their views and feelings as street children. Because the aim of Street Child World Cup is to make the children’s voices heard, it is important that they feel at ease about conveying their message in front of the wider world including the media.
Finally, the media workshops with the young people will be useful in enabling them to use different means of communications to express their stories, hopes, dreams, fears and rights. These workshops are meant to make them feel comfortable with the media attention they are likely to receive, and to help them use the media as a tool for positive change.
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In our search for finding the ideal partner project for Street Child World Cup, the ABC Trust has now selected two partner organizations in Brazil, Sao Martinho and Projeto Quixote. Sao Martinho from Sao Paulo will now assist ABC with the campaign, and Projeto Quixote will work with ABC to select and provide the team to represent Brazilian street children for the tournament in South Africa.
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event: Street Child World Cup gala dinner
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| Footballers Jamie Redknapp, Eduardo and Geovanni lent their support for Street Child World Cup by joining a special gala dinner on 18th November 2009.
Their support for the international campaign which is in aid of securing the rights of street children from around the world could not have come at a better time with the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to be marked tomorrow on 20th November.
The gala dinner was hosted at the Sofitel Luxury Hotel in Heathrow by Amos Trust – the umbrella organisation for Street Child World Cup where all the partners including ABC Trust came together to raise awareness and funds for the international project which is aimed at changing the lives of street children for the better.
Alistair Campbell hosted a Q&A with special guest Jamie Redknapp. Eduardo (Arsenal FC), Geovanni (Hull City), and TalkSport & Fighting Talk guest Tom Watt shared their experiences, with DJ Simon Mayo compereing throughout the evening.
Guests were entertained by a South African Jazz Quintet, a South African themed buffet and a football themed auction which included an especially signed Brazil sweatshirt by legendary footballer and ABC patron Pele. The shirt went under the hammer for £1,300 which will go towards funding Team Brazil.
The gala dinner was hosted to celebrate the potential of street children and the role that football can play in bringing their voices together.
“I’ve played football as a teenager with the world watching me. The Street Child World Cup is a brilliant project which will help hundreds of thousands of teenagers who have been forced to live on the streets by getting the world to listen to them and give them a fair chance.” Theo Walcott, Arsenal striker
"No child should have to sleep on the streets" Gary Lineker OBE, Legendary footballer - at the launch of the Street Child World Cup
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from left to right: Eduardo, Jimena Page (ABC founder), Aliana Monodee (ABC projects manager), Mickey Ambrose and Geovanni
“I know from personal experience just what power football can have to inspire and change young people’s lives whatever their background or nationality. This is what the Deloitte Street Child World Cup is all about and I give it my full support”
David Beckham
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BBC News recently featured Street Child World, click here for the report.
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| february 2010 |
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fundraising: ABC presents Fashion for Football
Footballers’ wives Alex Gerrard and Danielle Lineker back ABC Trust’s spring designer auction initiative ‘Fashion for Football’ by donating their very own designer items in support of the first ever international football project for street children, ‘Street Child World Cup’.
Danielle Lineker’s Alexander McQueen pink skull print scarf and Alex Gerrard’s Balenciaga jeans are just two exclusive items from a collection of special designer fashion goodies now available for bidding via bespoke online charity auction site Buy Once Give Twice.
The bidding will start from 27th January on www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk and end on 24th February 2010. As well as the two exclusive celebrity pieces, fashionistas can snap up a selection of sumptuous items from Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood and Emilio Pucci including handbags, mini jumpsuit dress, shawl and more, all at bargain prices.
You can also bid for the fantastic opportunity to have your very own professional photo shoot at MindStudio, with the experienced and innovative fashion photographer, Ian Wedgewood. The shoot is worth £250, but we are starting the bidding at a bargain price.
All funds raised through the Fashion For Football campaign will be used to support Team Brazil (represented by ABC Trust) at Street Child World Cup. This international football project will bring 8 teams of street children from around the world together in South Africa this March, where they will compete in a football tournament to showcase their talent and campaign to ensure their rights are protected, their voices heard and their futures changed.
'As a mother, it's shocking to think that so many children live on the streets where they suffer from hunger, violence and isolation with no one to turn to. Street Child World Cup will give many street children hope and a chance for a better future, and I am honoured to support the Fashion for Football campaign which will change lives' Danielle Lineker – model, mother and married to football legend Gary Lineker.
As mothers and fashion icons with strong connections to the footballing world, both Alex and Danielle are perfect role models for the Fashion for Football campaign. ABC Trust is delighted to have their support and grateful for their generous personal donations which will make a big difference to the lives of many vulnerable children in Brazil. So please, bid big!
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From 27th January to 17th February you can snap up some exlusive designer fashion items in ABC's Spring Designer Auction 'Fashion For Football' at bargain prices.
Click here to start bidding
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| project: Street Child World Cup campaign message |
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| The Street Child World Cup is taking place in South Africa in March this year and will be accompanied by a national campaign in Brazil aimed at ensuring all under-privileged children get equal opportunities to develop their talents and minds through full-time education and greater access to arts and cultural activities.
This social campaign will continue on to the Street Child World Cup 2014, which will be hosted by Brazil. During these 4 years, we aim to develop a strong campaign that will make some real improvements to the lives of Brazil's vulnerable children, by changing public policies and by engaging the whole of society in a debate about every child's right to a good quality and broad-based education.
At the moment, the education system in Brazil is struggling to tackle the nation's problem of social inequality. For the majority of Brazilian children, and in particular those who attend public schools or who do not go to school at all, the poor level of education they receive severely limits their chances in life, often leading to a life of extreme poverty only to be repeated when they too have families of their own.
The education provided by public schools is generally very poor, with overcrowded classrooms, badly paid, untrained teachers and only 4 hours of classes a day – either in the morning or the afternoon. This leaves children with half a day in which they have little to do which is compounded by the fact that the communities in which they live can not provide them with any cultural or sporting activities to keep them engaged. Giving these children access to arts and culture has never been more important.
The poor quality of education provided by schools in Brazil is one of the major reasons why children leave schools and start a life on the streets. Many children feel that they are wasting time at school when they could be doing something more practical on the streets to help themselves and their families. By begging at traffic lights, or selling sweets or drugs in the streets they are able to make some money for themselves and their families.
Our broader goal for this social campaign in Brazil is to educate students from public schools about the world in which they live and to encourage them to think critically about their lives, making them aware that they are able to take actions to change their own lives. By making school a more interesting experience for them, where they will learn more than just the set curriculum, fewer children will leave school so young. The campaign will begin in the cities of Sao Paulo and Rio, then extend to other major cities in the country in the next four years. Our ultimate goal is to turn these changes into public policy.
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"I know from personal experience just what power football can have to inspire and change young people's lives whatever their background or their nationality. This is what the Deloitte Street Child World Cup is all about and I give it my full support" David Beckham
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fundraising: University Football Tournament
On the 6th of December 2009 over 100 students from universities around London flocked to Battersea Park to take part in ABC’s first University Football Tournament to raise vital funds to support street children from Brazil, who will be flown South Africa to take part in the world’s first ever Street Child World Cup.
The day began with heavy rain, but gradually the clouds parted and the sun shone down upon a group of relieved footballers who were keen to get started. With the blow of a whistle the first games got underway and there was a sense of excitement in the air.
As the league progressed, teams huddled around the central board showing the league table positions and the competitive atmosphere built up – urgent team talks, analysis of the opponents’ tactics, rallying cries, the odd recrimination about missed chances.... the buzz of excitement was everywhere. A Galera and the Cereal Killers, the two girls teams, put up a tremendous fight and really gave the boys a run for their money, who showed real concern as the girls continued to get the ball in the back of the net a little too often for their liking.
The day drew to a close as Real- Ale Madrid faced Sophie’s Choice in the final. By this time it was dark, the temperature had dropped, the pitches were floodlit and rain had begun to fall. Sophie’s Choice and Real Ale Madrid nervously took their positions on the field and the match got underway. Close to half time Sophie’s Choice snuck a vital lead, as their captain Alan Pownall calmly slid the ball in to the back of the net. After an extremely competitive and nail biting 20 minutes, this goal was the difference between the two sides, and Sophie’s Choice were awarded the ABC University Football Tournament Trophy.
This was a great day of football, played in fantastic spirit, and has raised approximately £7,000 so far with more still to come. This will go towards ensuring that street children from Brazil get the chance to showcase their talent and campaign for their rights in Street Child World Cup, which aims to create long lasting tangible changes to improve the lives of street children from around the world. ABC Trust is proud to represent Team Brazil and thanks each and every player who took part and helped to raise funds. So a huge thanks to The Mighty Ducks, The Cereal Killers, A Galera, Zenit Strawpedosburg, The Soca Warriors, The Street Urchins, El Magnifique, Real Ale Madrid and Sophie's Choice.
To read more about ABC's Street Child World Cup campaign, please click here.
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| March 2010 |
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fundraising: Big City Sleep 2009
It was the coldest night of the year so far but that did not deter the wonderful challenge-loving Londoners who braved the bitter conditions for ABC’s Big City Sleep and helped to raise £19,000.
On 30th November, the floor of Spitalfields Market in London’s east-end was covered with cardboard boxes which became beds for the night for a 12-hr mass sleep-out challenge. Sleepers from all over London turned up, including students, professionals, young and old, men and women. ABC Trust thanks each and every sleeper who endured the tough conditions to raise vital funds and awareness to help street children and vulnerable young people of Brazil. THANK YOU!
The Big City sleepers came prepared with sleeping bags, blankets, woolly hats, gloves and scarves, but no amount of insulation could have beaten off the frost that night. The evening started with a presentation from ABC Trust, including a film about our work and the projects we support, and a speech from Jimena Page (ABC founder) who also took part in the challenge herself, she commented...
“We all take our home comforts for granted, so this is to help people understand a little of what street children have to go through. But we are in a sheltered and secure space, with hot food and entertainment, we also have homes and jobs to back to. Meanwhile, Seven million children continue suffering from hunger, isolation and violence on the streets of Brazil every day. ABC Trust helps prevent vulnerable young people from ending up on the streets in the first place - thanks to our supporters and Thank you sleepers for all your hard work, support and generosity”.
Sleepers were then given some much needed hot food (thanks to LEON restaurant) before they settled back down on the cardboard boxes to enjoy some live acoustic music by Anglo-Brazilian band Zeep. This was followed by a warm-up session by the East London Capoeira Group who wowed the crowd with the Brazilian martial art dance form before sleepers bedded down for the night with silver foil blankets to keep the chill out. This was the toughest part of the challenge as the temperature dropped to minus-1 degree Celcius in the early hours. The following morning, all the rough sleepers were provided with hot tea and light breakfast (courtesy of Tesco) before they made their way back to their normal lives.
photo by photographer John Cardone
The Big City Sleep was an incredible success for ABC Trust and thanks to the wonderful efforts of the sleeping fundraisers we have managed to raise approximately £19,000 - and we are still collecting. Whilst our evening was made enjoyable by the brilliant entertainment and hot food we were lucky enough to receive, the experience could not fail to have a very strong impact on everyone involved. This may have been only a very small way for us to try to appreciate the hardship faced by the millions of vulnerable children and young people in Brazil, but we know that the money raised for ABC Trust through this challenge really will make a big difference. Thank you to all and see you on the cardboard next year!
To see the full gallery of photos by Ben Graham, please visit his website here.
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sleepers - photos on this column are by photographer Ben David Graham
sleepers settle their cardboards to sleep under the stars
speech by Jimena Page, ABC founder
THANKS to all our partners for their support and generosity
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SPITALFIELDS ESTATE l LEON l TESCO l EVENT PROJECTION l SURVIVALBOX.COM l.
Also, a huge THANK YOU to ALL THE VOLUNTEERS
Nina and Chris from Anglo-Brazilian band ZEEP
East London Capoeira Group |
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