Brazil’s youth face enormous challenges, especially in large urban environments like Rio de Janeiro: gang violence, drugs, and for girls, sexual assault and early motherhood. These are exacerbated by the fact that children attend school only half a day. The other half of the day they are out on the streets, where they are easy prey for drug lords who like to employ them as runners and armed lookouts because children are exempt from punishment under Brazilian ‘Law of the child’. Unfortunately, they are not exempt from violence and premature death.

The project funded by Franciscan Aid  aimed specifically to keep kids off the streets, out of trouble and engaged in wholesome activity for the remaining half of the day. This also helps built their self-respect and self-confidence needed to make and enact non-violent positive choices that in the long-term benefit themselves and their community.

 Funding was requested to establish a music programme for children who live in the area of Rio known as ‘Cidade de Deus’ (The City of God), located in the western part of the city. The project is tilted ‘Cantar e Encantar’ (Sing and Charm).

The project aims to contribute significantly to the improvement of lives of children/adolescents during the half day they are out of school.

         SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

         The project has as its objectives, through music:

  • To work on interpersonal relationships and self-esteem of the children/adolescents.
  • To create conditions to occupy the down time of the children/adolescents.
  • To create mechanisms to minimize learning difficulties and motivate the completion of school tasks.

         RESULTS

  • Short term: Reduced idleness; Discipline
  • Medium term: Recovered self-esteem; Recovery of family, community and school ties; Improvement in school tasks and difficulty in learning; Development of musical abilities

         ACTIVITIES

  • Create class in musical theory
  • Create class in musical practiceAssist the children/adolescents and teachers in their schools
  • Regularly visit the families of the children/adolescents

METHODOLOGY: The classes in musical theory will always be conducted in a dynamic group setting, using the whiteboard and music workbooks. The practice classes will also be carried out in groups, with each student having the supervision of the teacher and monitors.