Our partner organizations Instituto Solidare & Associaçao Casa da Rocha in Recife, North East Brazil have tackled the most challenging of years with resilience, fortitude and perseverance . They have delivered vital services to vulnerable children, young people and their families throughout the Pandemic, impacting and transforming lives. Co collaboration has resulted in:
The distribution of hundreds of emergency relief packages including food and none food items such as hygiene kits
The provision of services at drop in centres including regular healthcare and medical check ups delivered by faithful volunteers
The provision of Covid safe learning activities accessible to vulnerable children & young people in their local community
The delivery of a Mentoring and Skills training programme (for young people over 15 years old) opening up opportunities for apprenticeship placements in local companies.
In 2022 we are as committed as ever to our vision that “every child deserves to reach his or her full potential” and that this can be achieved by “guaranteeing the rights of vulnerable children and young people to opportunities, education, protection and care for families”.
We know the urgency to continue funding and supporting such important work. It’s a fact that
Over 5 million children in Brazil didn’t have access to education in Nov 2020, the worst situation in two decades according to trusted research.
Over 47.7% of children who didn’t have access to education in 2020 were living in the economically marginalised North or North East of Brazil
Over a quarter of young people in the north east of Brazil in the 15 to 25 year old age group are not working (Synthesis of Social Indicators: An Analysis of Living Conditions in the Brazilian Population 2020)
The above issues have widened educational inequality, lack of opportunities for learning and had a measured impact on the food, physical and emotional protection that secure, available and safe learning environments provide. There is so much still to achieve for all vulnerable children and young people in the North East region of Brazil and as the country recovers from Covid-19. Happy Child International will continue to journey with its partners to bring lasting change