SOS Children in Brazil

Brazil has a population of 192 million, is the largest country in Latin America and the fifth-largest in the world. It is one of the world’s great economic powers and yet poverty and destitution are widespread. 8%, or 16 million people, live below the poverty line (less than $1 per day), primarily in the huge slum areas in the major cities and industrial areas.  In 2005, UNICEF put the number of orphans in Brazil at 3.2 million.

For these reasons, the charity SOS Children began its work in Brazil in 1967. SOS Children's Villages provide children with a home, a family and a new mother in a purpose-built local village, where they can stay until they are ready for independent life. The charity currently cares for 1,617 children in Brazil in its 15 children's villages, and a further 118 youths at its 13 youth houses, where young adults go to prepare for independence.  

The charity also runs Family Strengthening Programmes (FSPs) in the country, which help children at risk of abandonment to stay in the caring environment of their own biological family. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages works directly with families and communities to help them to effectively protect and care for their children, in co-operation with local authorities and other service providers. The charity currently supports more than 9,800 people in the country through these programmes.

In addition, SOS Children run Vocational Training Centres and Social Centres (providing social support services and day care facilities to the local community). Through all of these facilities, including Children’s Villages and FSPs, the charity currently reaches more than 11,600 people in Brazil. 

The first SOS Children's Village in Brazil, Porto Alegre, opened in April 1967. The village is located in the south of the country, in the capital of the federal state of Rio Grande do Sul. This SOS Children's Village was built on a six-acre site on the outskirts of the city and is home to 108 children in 12 family homes. The village also provides a SOS nursery, which is open to 40 children from the local community as well as those living in the village. Older children from the village usually attend the local state schools. An SOS Youth Home in the city centre accommodates up to 13 youths from the SOS Children's Village.

SOS Children’s Village Brasilia opened in 1968 and is home to 126 children in 15 family homes. Brasília, the country's artificially created capital, has a population of about two million. Brasília was designated as the capital location to promote the development of the country's interior. However, about two thirds of the population live in the huge slums on the outskirts. SOS Children's Village Brasília is situated in the north of the city and consists of 17 family houses for up to 120 children, the village director's house, a house for SOS aunts and an administration and service area. The children who live at the SOS Children's Village attend state-run nurseries and schools in the neighbourhood.

Opened in 1968, Poá was the first village to be built near to Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. Approximately 35 kms from the centre of São Paulo, the SOS Children's Village was constructed on a five-acre site in the middle of a vast fertile stretch of land. The village is now home to 144 children in 14 family houses. There is an SOS Social Centre, which offers full day care for up to 200 pre-school children from the local community. An SOS Youth Home in the city centre also accommodates up to 18 youths moving on from the SOS Children's Village.

In 1970, Sao Bernardo was the second village to be built near to Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. Situated in a wooded five-acre site approximately 35 kms southeast of São Paulo, it is home to 110 children in 9 family houses. The nearest town is Riacho Grande, at a distance of 6 kms but with a regular bus service to and from the village. An SOS Social Centre offers day care for up to 165 pre-school children from the local community. Older children from the village attend local schools. An SOS Youth Home in the town accommodates up to 24 older youths from the SOS Children's Village, supporting them on the path to independence.

SOS Children’s Village Goioere opened in 1977 and is home to 108 children in 11 family homes.  Goioere is a small town in the federal state of Paraná, which borders São Paulo in the south. The village is located about 2 kms out of town, in the countryside. Children from the SOS Children's Village attend the state-run schools of the city. A large part of the 12-acre site is used for agriculture, with the produce being consumed by families in the SOS Children's Village. Many of the children in the village take the opportunity to participate in farming, learning useful skills for their future independence. An SOS Youth Home in the city centre accommodates up to 21 youths from the SOS Children's Village, helping them to make the transition to adulthood.

SOS Children’s Village Rio Grande do Norte opened in 1978. The village is situated in the federal province of the same name, located on the outskirts of the town of Caicó in the northeast of the country. This very hot region often suffers from long droughts, which hinders agricultural production. SOS Children's Village Rio Grande do Norte provides a home for 170 children in 17 family houses. There is a SOS School attached to the village, providing primary education for up to 320 pupils, both from the Village and the local community. The village also includes a lively social centre with a multi-purpose hall for functions and festivities. In 2002, an SOS Youth Home was set up in the province capital of Natal, accommodating up to 43 youths.

SOS Children’s Village Bahia originally opened in 1980. The site was rebuilt in a new location in 1999 as the original site was threatened by landslides. The village is situated in the town of Lauro de Freitas, between the airport of Salvador and the city of Salvador de Bahia.  Bahia is home to 117 children in 13 family homes. There is also a house for SOS aunts, a multi-purpose hall for functions and festivities, a workshop and a crisis intervention centre. The children in the village attend local state-run primary schools, helping them to integrate into the community. In May 2001, an SOS Community Centre opened, providing day-care for up to 210 pre-school children. Up to 11 older youths from the village are accommodated in an SOS Youth Home in the city centre.

SOS Children’s Village Jacarepagua opened in 1980, one of two projects in Rio de Janeiro. The village was built on a 5-acre site in the suburb of Jacarepagua, about 30 kms south of the city centre. It is home to up to 135 children in 14 family homes. Children from the SOS Children's Village usually attend the state-run schools in the neighbourhood. In 2001, an SOS Youth Home was set up in the city centre, providing accommodation for up to 12 youths on the path to independence. In addition, a SOS Social Centre offers day-care for up to 460 pre-school children, helping parents to enter paid employment to support their families.

SOS Children's Village Juiz de Fora is situated in the city of the same name in the federal province of Minas Gerais. The village is located on a 4-acre site in the suburb Grama, approximately 10 kms from the city centre. Opened in 1980, the village is home to 99 children in 11 family houses. It also has a youth home, a SOS Primary School for 450 pupils and a social centre offering full day-care for up to 620 pre-school children. An SOS Youth Home in the city centre accommodates up to 20 youths from the SOS Children's Village.

Rio Bonito was the third village to be built near to Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. Built in 1980 on a wooded hill in the Rio Bonito suburb south of São Paulo, the village is about one hour from the city centre by car. It is home to 108 children in 11 family houses. An SOS Social Centre offers full day care for up to 440 pre-school children from the local community. There is also an SOS School, where up to 150 pupils can be taught. Situated between two dams, the area between the two reservoirs has become a recreational area for the children in the village to play. An SOS Youth Home has been set up in the city centre, accommodating up to 12 youths from the SOS Children's Village.

SOS Children’s Village Santa Maria opened in 1980. Built on a six-acre site on the outskirts of the Santa Maria, it consists of 12 family houses, where up to 120 children can find a new home. In addition, the village has a house for the SOS aunts and a multi-purpose hall for functions and festivities. Children from the SOS Children's Village usually attend the local nurseries and schools. An SOS Youth Home in the city of Santa Maria accommodates up to 9 youths from the SOS Children's Village. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions.

Brazil’s twelfth SOS Village Paraiaba was opened in May 1987. The village is situated in the suburb of Mangabeira, about 11 kms from the city centre of João Pessoa. The dry and hot region in the north of the country suffers from long droughts, decreasing agricultural production and increasing poverty. The village is home to 112 children in 13 family houses. In addition, there is a youth home for up to 20 young people. A SOS School opened in the village in 1990, providing an education for 590 students from the village and the neighbouring communities. A SOS Social Centre also offers day care for up to 280 pre-school children.

SOS Village Pedro Bonita, which opened in 1994, is the second of two projects in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro. Up to 108 children can find a new home in 11 family houses. Public services close to the Village are good, the children attend the local schools, and a hospital and shopping centre are only a few kilometres away. An SOS Youth Home in the city centre accommodates up to 12 youths from the SOS Children's Village.

SOS Village Manaus, opened in 1994, is located in the capital of the province of Amazonas in the north of the country. Most of the province is covered in rainforest, with many rivers running through it. The village was constructed on a 16-acre sire and is now home to 126 children in 13 family houses. The children from SOS Children's Village Manaus attend the state-run schools nearby. The village includes a small theatre, a library and a volleyball field. SOS Village Manaus also includes an SOS Vocational Training Centre for SOS mothers to improve their skills. An SOS Youth Home in the city centre accommodates up to 13 youths from the SOS Children's Village whilst they pursue vocational training or higher education. The SOS Social Centre on the village site provides day care for up to 680 pre-school children from the local area.

SOS Children's Village Igarassu is located in the city of the same name in the northeast of Brazil about 26 km from Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco. Rapid economic growth in the region has led to a strong increase in the number of inhabitants, yet approximately a third of the population live on less than half of the minimum salary. Many parents living in poverty simply cannot take care of their children. SOS Children’s Village Igarassu opened in 2007, and is now is home to 126 children in 14 family houses. A multi-purpose hall and a sports ground give children space to play games and take part in community events. An SOS Social Centre provides day-care, a pharmacy and medical assistance to the local community.

Carlos, now 23, came to SOS Children's Village Jacarepagua aged one and a half. He says: "I was very small. I do not remember exactly what happened when I arrived. I had contact with my biological mother* for a while, but soon after she began to visit less frequently. We have seen each other again recently. I do not feel sorrow, but my life followed another path.”
 
He says that the SOS Children's Village at Jacarepagua has always been his home. He liked the feeling of freedom and independence he experienced there. "The first grade of primary school, at that time, used to be spent within the village, but we could leave and walk out; something impossible at other conventional schools," he remembers.

He completed second grade in community schools. He started a course in Computer Science and ended up really enjoying it. "I used to help the director of the school to sort out computer problems and I realised that I was quite good with computers, and I improved," he explains.

When he left the village, he went to live alone. Soon he worked as a professor of Computer Science in Jacarepagua. "Towards the end of the contract in 2004 I moved to Ubatuba, where I now work in an accountancy firm as a computer technician," he says.

"SOS Children's Village Jacarepagua is part of my life," Carlos states. "I was happy there and I will love my home for the rest of my life. I thank those who work or have worked there and were part of my development."

For SOS Children's Villages, Carlos is certainly a good example of courage and desire to succeed in life. In conclusion, he says: "I want to have my own business. I want to have many customers and to be successful..., to have a family ..., my home."

* SOS Children's Villages believes that maintaining ties to family members is crucial when it comes to a child's well-being. The organisation promotes the further development of children and believes that it is good for SOS children to stay in contact with their biological parents and/or close relatives if that contact is positive and in the children's interests. We therefore encourage SOS children to keep in touch with their relatives.

SOS Children in Brazil
Aldeias Infantis SOS Brasil
Rua José Antonio Coelho
400 - Vila Mariana
04011-061 São Paulo, SP
Brazil


Tel: +55/11/55 74 81 99
Fax: +55/11/55 72 3893

e-mail: sosbrasil@aldeiasinfantis.org.br
Website: http://www.aldeiasinfantis.org.br/sitesos

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