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Bob Saye, 93.7 JRfm Afternoon On-Air Personality In visiting the project in Fortaleza there are several things that stood out. The smell from the sewage running from the houses into the alleys and down the alleys to the streets. The size of the homes which, by our standards, wouldn’t be considered big enough for one person to live in let alone a family of four or five or more. The fact hammocks had to be strung across rooms so the smaller children would have room to sleep. The holes that were dug inside the homes for toilets. 
Another issue that hit home was many of the parents had lived in this area and these homes all their lives and really had no hope of getting out of the area and there was little hope for their children to escape the conditions as well. It seems to be an overwhelming circumstance. How on earth can anyone do enough to help these people help themselves?
The concern of the parents for their children. With the gangs, violence and drugs all around them how possibly can they protect their children from any of it? How helpless they must feel on a daily basis. The fact mothers felt the need to keep their children either in their homes or at least in eyesight so the children wouldn’t fall prey to the gangs. But how on earth can parents do that if, as is the case in many homes, both parents work and are away from the home leaving the children on their own for hours at a time? That seems like a lot of negative stuff…and it is. The good news is there are a lot of positives in this area too. The schools that we visited. They were nice, clean, comfortable and safe areas for the children to learn and have fun. I’m sure compared to their homes the schools must seem like heaven. A place not only to learn but to forget about the conditions they would return to later in the day. The community centre that was the base for what World Vision was trying to do. Education for children of all ages, a learning centre to help mothers learn skills so they can set up their own businesses, and again a safe place for the children to play, have fun and not have to concern themselves with the violence and drugs that they live with every day. 
Meeting some of the young men such as Fabio and Elias who had gone through the program at the community centre. They were solid guys who had either been involved with or were close to having a life with gangs and drugs. Elias who is around 21 and now the I.T. guy for the centre has a bright future ahead of him. Fabio who is 17, has a job at a manufacturing plant and has plans to go to university and go into psychology. The great thing is both Fabio and Elias are trying to convince their friends to come to the community centre and give it a try.
Meeting some of the workers at the schools and at the centre was a real experience. These are the real heroes in the community. They love their community and the people and children in it. They have a real heart for the children especially because they see the potential in them. I think in particular of Alexandro who taught at the centre. A young man of 28 who has seen what drugs and gangs can do to the community. He knows and sees young men and women get involved with those gangs and knows people who have lost their lives. I think he believes he is not doing enough to save the children but he is just one of the heroes working there. If not for him those gangs would be winning the war. Thanks to him those children have a chance at a future All in all a great experience. Very emotional, lots of tears, but lots of laughter too despite the conditions we witnessed. It is an overwhelming task but with help of sponsors and people who work in the field, progress can be made. It took a long time for the conditions in Fortaleza to get to where they are now. It will take just as long to change that culture. Bottom line is we can’t give up on them. We can’t let those families and those workers down. |
Video Diary
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