PROJECTS
Daycare
Oficina do Saber
Crianças Esperanças
Magherita's Consultorio
Women's Craft Program
Mundo da Informatica/ EIC
Daycare
Oficina do Saber
Crianças Esperanças
Magherita's Consultorio
Women's Craft Program
Mundo da Informatica/ EIC
| Daycare | The daycare is our flagship program- openned officially in our current home in 2002 with about 10 children. Now, 12 women, including the administrators, care for over 50 children ages 4 months to 5 years old. The daycare is separated into four classrooms- from the nursery until the pre-kindergarten class. Thechildren receive 3 meals a day, medical attention when needed, proper hygiene and most importantly, a loving fun atmosphere. back to top |
| Oficina do Saber | Started in 2004 by Marcia, our Presdient, Oficina do Saber provided reinforcement classes, helping students with reading, writing, math and science skills. There are now over 50 students participating in the program, separated in two terms, each with two classes. The goal of this program is to keep children interested in school and off the streets where there is a dominant pressure to join the trafficking. The programhas been a huge success keeping the children united and involved in a constructive and encouraging environment. back to top |
| Extra-Curricular Activities Project | With the support of Crianças Esperança, our children are now participating in various cultural and educational activities- from art classes to capoeira and music classes. All the children in the daycare and the after-school program have the opportunity to participate in these activities. The teachers are all professionals from thecommunity. The program also included a social worker, who makes house visits and meets with all the parents, which is crucial to the development and continuation of our mission. back to top |
| Magherita’s Consultorio | Founded by an Italian association in honor of Magherita, a young woman who was passionate about Brazil, a doctor’s office in our daycare was opened in 2005. The office contracts a child psychologist and a pediatrician who treat all thechildren and families in our program. This project has made a remarkable improvement in the pysical and mental health of the community. back to top |
| Women’s Craft Program | This crafts project has been a part of our organization well before the formalization of the non-profit. For over a decade, Maria do Carmo, our Vice President, has been bringing together unemployed mothers from the community to teach them various crafts from sewing to quilting to embroidering. Now, this project has been revamped with a full-time teacher. The women come together a few times a week to create and learn, in an empowering and supportive atmosphere. After, they sell the final product to continuefunding the program. This project is crucial to improving the self-confidence and skill set of the unemployed mothers in the community. back to top |
| Computer Center “Mundo da Informatica”/ EIC | Together with Developing Minds and CDI, in 2006, UMPMRS opened the first “Escola de Informatica e Cidadania” in Rocinha. The computer lab has five new computers and a high speed internet connection. The first children to participate in the computer program were 60 children from the after-school program. At night, the computer center has adult classes. This project gives children the opportunity to learn crucial computer skills, not taught in public school, which will open the doors for them in the future. back to top |