community in action overview 2010
TRANSCRIPT
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
A CITY OF NATURAL BEAUTY
A CITY WITH AMAZING VIEWS
A CITY WITH INCREDIBLE
BEACHES
THIS IS THE INTERNATIONAL IMAGE OF RIO DE JANEIRO ...
OUTSIDE OF BRAZIL
HOWEVER, RIO DE JANEIRO ALSO HAS A
VERY DIFFERENT IMAGE
THE SHANTY TOWNS…
WHICH ARE ALSO KNOWN AS...
FAVELAS
THERE ARE OVER 900 SEPARATE FAVELA
COMMUNITIES IN RIO DE JANEIRO
THE POPULATION OF RIO DE JANEIRO IS OVER
7 MILLION
OVER 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN FAVELA COMMNITIES!
FAVELA POPULATIONS CAN RANGE FROM
1,000 TO OVER 150,000!
MANY FAMILIES IN THE FAVELAS SURVIVE ON LESS
THAN $3.00 PER DAY
MINIMUM WAGE IN BRAZIL IS APPROXIMATELY $250
PER MONTH
IF YOU MAKE MINIMUM WAGE, YOU LIVE IN A
FAVELA
CHILDREN HAVE LITTLE ACCESS TO PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, WITH CLASSES OFTEN CANCELED
MANY PARENTS ARE ILLITERATE AND UNEMPLOYED
HISTORICALLY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS
BELIEVED THAT IT IS NOT WORTHWHILE TO INVEST IN
THE FAVELAS
TO THAT END, FAVELA RESIDENTS HAVE BEGUN
CREATING A SOCIETY BASED ON COMMUNITY COOPERATION WITH…
… NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
(NGOs)
NGOs ARE PRIVATE ORGANZIATIONS THAT EXTEND SERVICES THE
GOVERNMENT CANNOT PROVIDE
THINGS THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED IN THE U.S. …
HEALTH CARECULTURAL EVENTS
EDUCATIONAL CLASSES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
HUMAN RIGHTS
FOR MANY, NGOS ARE THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE LIFE
TRANSITIONS
NGOS ARE A MAJOR AVENUE TO CREATE
CHANGE!
THE VIEW FROM OUR WINDOW
WE OFFER VOCATIONAL AND CULTURAL CLASSES SO PEOPLE IN THE FAVELA CAN
TRANSITION FROM POVERTY TO EMPLOYMENT
COMPUTER TRAINING FOR ALL AGES
TUTORS FOR CHILDREN
ENGLISH CLASSES
HAND-MADE ART
PEOPLE LEARN TO MAKE MERCHANDISE THEY CAN SELL
COMMUNITY EVENTS
VOLUNTEERS ARRIVE EVERY MONTH TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND HELP
EXPAND OUR GLOBAL NETWORK
WE CONTINUALLY FORM ALLIANCES WITH OTHER NON-
PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
WE PROVIDE FOOD SUBSIDIES TO VOLUNTEERS
WITH NO INCOME
$25 PER MONTH FEEDS A FAMILY OF FOUR
OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE SENT 1,000
COMMUNITY RESIDENTS TO JOB INTERVIEWS THROUGH A
PARTNERSHIP WITH RIO’S STATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
WE CONTINUALLY OFFER NEW PROGRAMS AS
MORE STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS ARRIVE
“COMMUNITY IN ACTION” IS UNIQUE…
THE MAJORITY OF OTHER NGOs SEND PEOPLE FROM
WEALTHIER NEIGHBORHOODS TO HELP
IN THE FAVELAS
FAVELA RESIDENTS ARE RARELY PART OF THE
OPERATIONS; THEY SIMPLY USE THE SERVICES
PROVIDED
OUR MISSION, HOWEVER, IS TO GET COMMUNITY RESIDENTS INVOLVED!
MANY RESIDENTS HAVE THE DESIRE AND
MOTIVATION TO CREATE CHANGE
YET THEY ARE NEVER GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY
TO DO SO
COMMUNITY IN ACTION PROVIDES
THIS OPPORUTNITY!
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS
ORGANIZATION LIVE IN THE FAVELAS
THEY ARE THE HUMAN RESOURCES!
THEY ARE THE VOLUNTEERS…
AND THEY ARE THE STUDENTS!
THESE PEOPLE ARE COMMITED TO CREATING
COMMUNITY CHANGE!
HOWEVER, THEY CANNOT DO IT ALONE
WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE
THE MORE PEOPLE WHO GET INVOLVED…
…THE MORE SUCCESS THIS ORGANIZATION AND THIS COMMUNITY WILL HAVE
A FEW GOALS
LINK OUR ARTISTS AND THEIR WORKS TO LARGER RETAIL
NETWORKS
· CREATE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH CORPORATE SPONSORS
· BUILD LONG-TERM ALLIANCES WITH GOVERNMENT ENTITIES
· WORK AS A LOGISTICS CENTER CONNECTING FOREIGN VOLUTNEERS
WITH LOCAL NGOs
ASSESS NEW GROWTH AVENUES TO CONTINUE CREATING SUSTAINABLE
LIVIHOODS FOR THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!
COMMUNITY IN ACTION
WE TEACH
WE GUIDE
WE EMPOWER
THESE PEOPLE CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT FUTURE
BECAUSE YOU!!!
MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION TODAY! www.firstgiving.com/communityinaction
To get involved, send an email to: [email protected] Visit our website: www.communityinaction.org