The city of Tamandaré, located on the southern coast of Pernambuco, has experienced a true story of transformation through Project Tamandaré, one of Happy Child International’s Brazilian partners. Adriana França, the project director, explains: “Our first project was the daycare centre, which began in 1985 to attend all the vulnerabilities of children and young people from low income families and which are rooted in lack of food security,extreme poverty, and the prevalence of child neglect and abuse.”
Almost 40 years ago Project Tamandare started with 50 children but now serves around 400 children and teenagers. Adriana continues, “We have two types of projects. The first is early childhood education for children aged 2 to 5 years, which operates full-time. Ours is the only daycare here in Tamandaré; the public sector hasn’t addressed this age group so well. The second is for children aged 8 to 10 years old, who attend tutoring and take part in extra curricular activities such as sports, bakery,music and gardening during their out-of-school hours.”
The truth is that the project has helped transform coastal town Tamandaré. Adriana comments, “The reality for families and the community is still very complicated. It’s a cycle of social inequality renewing itself across generations. We don’t have official data to prove what I’m about to say, but those of us who live here know that, among all the neighbouring towns with the same tourist profile as Tamandaré, ours is the least violent. We are sure that our daycare centre has made a contribution to improving the social situation here.”
Now, imagine the impact if the project could reach more children and more teenagers. Tamandaré has about 5,906 children aged 0 to 14, only managing to serve 10% of the actual need in the town. It has provided children with a safe space and allowed them to focus deeply on their education. It has also given parents and guardians the opportunity to work without worrying about where their children are or whether they’ll need to take them to work.
The reality is that, directly or indirectly, those who support Project Tamandare are delivering protection and welcoming so many children in vulnerable situations ensuring that they do not get enticed into more harmful activities or experience hunger on a daily basis because there is not enough food at home. They are taught to respect others and empowered and encouraged to dream of a brighter future.
Next year Project Tamandare would like to host more activities for the children and young people the project attends. This is why collaboration and partnership with organizations like Happy Child International are so important. These relationships support them in resourcing their vision for the future and encouraging them to continue their journey to provide safety and hope for hundreds of children and young people every year.
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