Tour of center of Sao Paulo

Tour of center of Sao Paulo

Fabiano, Matteo, Wanda, and Alyssa (?).
After an exhilirating walking tour of Sao Paulo we got into the spirit of the World Cup and we all purchased yellow Brazilian tee shirts for the big game tomorrow.

We ended the day by being hosted for supper by Sister Rosa de Lima Soares the provincial of the Brazil province.

Art and light of the street

ARTE E LUZ DA RUA

We crossed the street and met Hedwig Knist who originally came to Brazil for one year and remained for the next thirteen. At this facility street are provided with vocational training with the unique idea to use the remnants of sugar cane and wire to fabricate luminaries which are on sale in the local malls. Homeless people receive training and new skills here. Learning responsibility through follow through on their projects help them to regain lost sense of self esteem.

Cabrini Daycare Center for very poor children

Centro Social da Crianca--Madre Cabrini--Daycare Center
Angelina Manzini & Margarita
Founded 1994.
120 children, 1-6 years old
Padre Juao Drexel of Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Our visit to Centro Social da Crianca began with a passionate introduction by two staff members. The day care center provides for 120 children (most of whom are children of single mothers). The mothers are often street cleaners. The organization of the facility by the caregivers was impressive. The importance of play is stressed by the center. This is how they find themselves. Viewing the sleeping children caused us to wonder what their futures held for them. Often their homes were shared by 20 families with poor sanitary facilities. When nap time was over we had the opportunity to view the children during play. Twelve six year olds sang a song about spirit and the heart and Our Saviour.
The children presented us with a painting in which a collage featured Mother Cabrini holding a balloon.

A Rochester born priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate who runs two organizations devoted to helping the poor translated for the administrators and spoke of some of his work.

Colegio Boni Consilii

Colegio Boni Consilii
Principal Marli
Founded 1903
1908 Mother Cabrini visited

On Friday morning we visited Colegio Boni Consilii where we met faculty, staff, and administrators. School had been dismissed for the term so there were no students. We learned that each year a specific social justice theme is selected by the bishops of the entire country at both Cabrini schools. Some past themes addressed were water and the environment, peace, and understanding diversity. The Festa Junina is a month long celebration in which the children raise money for charities and the Missionary sisters distribute the money to various Cabrini missions throughout the country. We were taken by the correlation with the same idea found at Cabrini College.

Day 1--Colegio Madre Cabrini

Thursday, June 29, 2006 at 7:30pm
After a wonderful send off from the Cabrini College community, a few hours drive, and a nine hour plane ride we were warmly greeted by family - a part of our Cabrini family in Brazil. The hospitality of the Cabrini sisters was overwhelming. At lunch during our first day we heard the sounds of over 100 children singing joyously. We were thrilled when they broke into a song titled "Solidariedade" translated to "Solidarity" - our mission for being in Brazil. The lyrics to the chorus are:

Solidariedade! Solidarity!
La solidarite! Solidariedad!

What an affirmation it is of our shared mission for our Cabrini College Solidarity Tour.

The warm hospitality of the sisters and staff, the familiar portrait and statue of Mother Cabrini and the beautiful campus made us feel very much at home.
We're thankful to be here in Brazil, and in a large part this is due to the vision of Dr. Mary Laver, Sr. Terezinha Lumbieri and the administrations of our respective institutions. Our goal is to develop stronger ties with other Cabrini institutions worldwide.

TRILHAS project in Vargem Grande 12

TRILHAS project in Vargem Grande 12
Originally uploaded by jerryzurek.

This batch of photos shows another income generating component of the project TRILHAS. The project is working in the community of Vargem Grande, giving poor farmers (often targeted for slave labor) inputs (seeds, tools, and training) to help them stay on their farms instead of opting for migration to unknown areas/jobs where they are vulnerable to exploitation.

Joe Kelly -- TRILHAS project Barras, Piaui--CRS conducting a survey 1

Joe Kelly -- TRILHAS project Barras, Piaui--CRS conducting a survey 1
Originally uploaded by jerryzurek.

Joe Kelly of CRS will meet us July 4 and show us CRS work like the TRILHAS project. These pictures were taken in a rural community in Piaui, participating in the TRILHAS project. The community, Barras, has high incidences of slave labor recruitment and is participating in income generation projects with partner Caritas Piaui. The pictures demonstrate a survey CRS was conducting with the community on household income levels.

Cabrini College

Cabrini College
Originally uploaded by jerryzurek.

Five Cabrini College faculty and staff were selected to visit our international partners in Brazil-- the Missionary sisters of the Sacred Heart schools and social work agencies in Sao Paulo and Catholic Relief Services projects in Northeast Brazil around Imperatriz. Here we will be learning about CRS work with slavery. We are Adeline Bethany, Mary Laver, April Perrymore, Ann Servey, and Jerry Zurek. We will be in Brazil June 28, 2006 to July 11, 2006.