World Community Arts Day - 2008

Organised by Craigmillar Communiversity on the 17th February 2008.

The idea of being part of a creative world community has always been enthusiastically supported by Hummingbird's community youth leaders. The results of their actions on the 17th February can be seen in this video clip, which was filmed and edited by them and which they have great pleasure in sharing with the rest of this wonderful world community.

Dia de Arte na Comunidade - 2008 - RCBF
Uploaded by gerson

Art as a catalyst for caring and sharing, World Community Arts Day 2008 has gone really well this year and has more than tripled in size. It is now a Global festival. From Brazil to Slovenia, from Australia to Ireland, from The USA to Singapore, from Kenya to Canada.
The World Community Arts Day begins to shows how many great projects there are that are based on Art for caring and sharing.

Embrace the stars...

Embrace the stars..., originally uploaded by carf.

A short RETROSPECTIVE of 2007 – Watch our latest Video HERE!

Reaching for a Star Campaign - 2007
To Date: USD$775,00

Beginning with three contributions of USD$50,00 each for the "purchase" of three personalized CHRISTMAS GIFT CERTIFICATES to friends and family from a Flickr member, the Reaching for a Star Campaign 2007 got off to a roaring start this week.

I hope many of Flickr's members, new to the community, will discover this alternative method of giving at Christmas, ideal for friends and family whom you feel already have everything.

Still having problems trying to decide what to give at Christmas?
Then this is surely the ideal gift that everyone will appreciate. Our children certainly do!

Simply go to our Christmas Gift Certificate Campaign Page and decide how much you would like to give by clicking on one of the donation buttons provided on the page. You can give any amount you desire.

This will bring you to our PayPal payments page ( PayPal is a global leader in online payment solutions with more than 153 million accounts worldwide. No need to worry, you don't need to have an account because payments can be made using most credit cards).
Don't forget to leave a message on the PayPal payments form stating who your certificate is to be made out to and from whom it is being given. We will then prepare your personalized gift certificate with those names and e-mail it off to you ready for printing on your desktop printer. Fast and easy without even leaving your computer.

100% of your gift goes towards the Hummingbird Project, attending more than 600 underprivileged children. This year's campaign funds will be used for purchasing musical instruments for our new community prevention centre in Sítio Joaninha due to open in February 2008.
This will be the first social development program available to at-risk community children in the region and a most important step towards bettering their lives.

Please join us to make it the success they deserve!

Gregory J. Smith
Social Entrepreneur and Founder
The Children At Risk Foundation - CARF

A change for the better...

A change for the better..., originally uploaded by carf.

During her first trimester of pregnancy, Paula, a mother from the shanty community of Sítio Joaninha, had listened ardently to what I had to say about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and the possible effects of alcohol on her unborn baby.

I find myself constantly informing pregnant mothers like Paula, whom I meet during my regular visits to the community, about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy. Paula’s habitual drinking gave me all the more reason to reinforce the information with her on each visit, about this leading known cause of mental retardation in the World today, with an occurrence rate of 1 in 750 live births. It is estimated that in the US alone, 5,000 infants are born each year with FAS and 50,000 with Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Approximately 30 to 40 percent of all women who drink heavily during pregnancy will have a baby with FAS. It is found in all races and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Brazil has no statistics on the subject and I am apt to believe that the numbers will be much higher here if ever the health authorities get round to doing research on the subject. The incredible number of youngsters from underprivileged communities in this country, involved with drugs and crime and living on the streets, could very well have roots back to the abuse of alcohol during pregnancy. Almost all the kids I have worked with on the streets or in youth delinquent detention centres came from alcohol abusive homes and specifically alcoholic mothers.......

Paula now believes that her alcohol abuse during pregnancy is probably the reason for her first-born son, João Vitor, to be the “impossible” child he makes out to be, a belief that gave her good enough reason to take heed of my advice and to stop drinking during the last 6 months of her recent pregnancy. Last week Paula’s second son was born, only a few days after the above photo was taken. I hope for the child’s sake and his mother’s too, that they will both be shielded from one more frustrating problem along with all the others they must deal with in their daily hardship to survive.

FAS / FAE is preventable - 100% preventable. Research has shown that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The only sure way to prevent damage is to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. There is no cure for FAS.

NB! As an important side note on this problem, our group of youth entrepreneurs, WINGS of Hummingbird, are developing a prevention programme about FAS / FAE to be introduced to Paula’s community next year.

WINGS OF HUMMINGBIRD

Capacity Building of Youth in Asset-based Community Development.

The implementation of a network of community nuclei in underprivileged communities of the periphery of São Paulo is part of CARF's expansion strategy in Asset-based Community Development. The technical project, "From Clients to Citizens", more popularly called "ASAS do Beija-Flor" ("WINGS of Hummingbird"), has now received its own BLOG, which aims to inform about developments in the programme and follow our network expansion. The WINGS project was developed to stimulate and capacitate youth in community leadership and to cater for their positive development and participation in Hummingbird's expansion.

Apart from the capacity building needs of these young people, another important aim with this project is to help diminish the flux of children from underprivileged communities to the streets by expanding our Street Migration Prevention Programme into at-risk communities, where these young entrepreneurs will hopefully continue to expand the actions that this project will help them develop.

Help us to become changemakers by connecting underprivileged communities through the expansion of our Hummingbird Cultural Network.

Teach them how to fish!

Take the plunge...!
Originally uploaded by carf.

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

...continuing along the lines of this well-known Chinese proverb, we at CARF try as best we can to teach our kids how to fish. It is probably the only way they will never need to go hungry.
Most of Brazil's social problems stem from poverty, inequality and ignorance and it's hard to know where to begin to resolve them. Teaching our children simple skills and responsibilities and rewarding them for learning or helping is the first step to building self-esteem.

After a season of summer and Carnival holidays in Brazil, I am happy to get back to normal working days with all my staff present and in action at our Hummingbird Arts & Cultural Activity Centre, where they uphold the spirit of our Street Migration Prevention Programme and where building self-esteem is the essence of our efforts through artistic and cultural expression.

After such a recession in our programme, what better news to hear than that brought to me by Célio, one of our youth scholarship holders in training, who helps teach Hummingbird’s children music and guitar. Célio has been supported with one of our so-called Youth Capacity Building Scholarships, which are regular grant contributions made by individual sponsors of the programme throughout the entire year. Our aim with this kind of capacity building project is to create a team of new capacities within our programme; youth agents of social change within their own communities, prepared to take on the forthcoming expansion of the Hummingbird Project.


Célio above is one such agent and a good one at that.

With an almost "broken heart" and very reserved feelings about his decision, Célio waited for hours today, just to exchange a few personal words with me and express his feelings. He told me of the difficult decision he had made to leave his position as a scholarship holder at Hummingbird due to other responsibilities he was now taking on. Knowing that he comes from a particularly difficult family situation with many smaller brothers and sisters, I asked Célio why he had chosen to leave so suddenly. He then explained how during the holidays he had entered a major song contest arranged by a professional recording company here in São Paulo, competing against 36 other groups. Célio had managed to win first place, whereupon he had just signed a 3-year registered recording contract, which would pay him a guaranteed minimum monthly wage of approx. USD$800,00.

Now for an 18-year old kid from utmost poverty in Brazil, who comes from a family trying very hard to survive on the occasional odd jobs for his parents and a fraction of that amount to live on each month, Célio was of course overwhelmed by this opportunity. He had won the contest with the music he had recorded here at Hummingbird's own little studio but was reserved about his decision because he felt he was abandoning the organization that had lifted him from almost nothing and given him the capacity to realize his dreams. He really didn't want to leave all that behind because he loved what he was doing here.


Teach them how to fish!

Of course I was saddened to know that we will be "losing" not only one of our youth capacities, but also a great kid who means a lot for other kids here at Hummingbird, but at the same time I shared this optimistic fisherman's hopes for a bigger catch. I told Célio how happy I was to hear his wonderful news and to know that we had eventually managed to teach him how to fish.

Hopefully, he will not forget where he learnt how to.....

My future is at risk...

My future is at risk...
Originally uploaded by carf.

Please don’t let your actions today jeopardize my tomorrow...

Let Amazon live: A Global Priority.

The Amazon is not only the world’s largest tropical rain forest, its stock of biodiversity goes unrivalled in the entire planet, with various animal and plant species still waiting to be discovered.

It is also the place where 20 million people have their homes.

Therefore, any solutions serving the Amazon need primarily, to be economically and environmentally viable ones.

Between August/2003 and August/2004, the annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon – was an alarming 26.130 km2 – the second largest in history and equivilent to more than 8.600 football pitches per day. According to estimates by the National Institute of Space Research (Inpe), one year’s destruction of the planet’s most bio-diverse forest was equivalent to the entire area of the State of Sergipe and slightly less than the whole of Belgium.

During the last three years, deforestation of the Amazon has stayed above the level of 23.000 km2, a higher number than during the Military dictatorship.

The protection of the Amazon rain forest and the search for satisfactory solutions that can help towards a more positive development of the region is a Global priority for Greenpeace.

- Text freely translated from: www.greenpeace.org.br/amazonia/

NB! This is not an indigenous warrior from the Amazon, but 11-year old Jefferson, one of our conscious young community warriors from the AfroBreak dance group during one of their presentations. See AfroBreak’s Blog.

In Portuguese – em português.

Amazônia viva: Prioridade global

A Amazônia não é apenas a maior floresta tropical do mundo, mas um estoque de biodiversidade sem igual em todo o planeta, com várias espécies animais e vegetais ainda desconhecidas.

É também o local escolhido por 20 milhões de pessoas para viver.

Portanto, qualquer solução para a Amazônia precisa passar necessariamente pela busca por soluções economicamente e ecologicamente viáveis.

A taxa anual de desmatamento na Amazônia Legal no período agosto/2003-agosto/2004 - alarmantes 26.130 km2 – foi a segunda maior da história e equivale a mais de 8,6 mil campos de futebol por dia. De acordo com estimativas do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (Inpe), a destruição em apenas um ano da floresta com a maior biodiversidade do planeta foi maior do que a área total do Estado de Sergipe e pouco menor do que a Bélgica.

Nos últimos três anos, os índices de desmatamento têm se mantido acima de 23 mil km2, número superior aos da época da ditadura militar.

A proteção da floresta e a busca por soluções para o desenvolvimento da região é uma prioridade global do Greenpeace.

- Texto: www.greenpeace.org.br/amazonia/

...and they call us the future?

...and they call us the future?
Originally uploaded by carf.

Expectations for positive social change are few and far between...

Whilst our governing politicians fight to defend their heavily criticized wage increases of more than 90%, Christmas and every other day of the year is a plight for survival for families such as this one in Brazil, where each day is merely just another one in a long line of monotonous days and where expectations for positive social change are few and far between.

For brothers and sisters like 12-year old Kennedy, 4-year old Vitor, 10-year old Gustavo and 5-year old Jessica, little has changed since they were born in absolute poverty, in the shanty where they still live, in a simple wooden shack, which floods with water each time it rains heavily, common at this time of the year. The older boys risk their lives playing with their kites alongside the main motorway that runs close-by their home, whilst observing the more than a million cars with privileged families leaving São Paulo and heading for the coast to enjoy a long Christmas weekend on the beach.


Their dignity as proud human beings was already stolen from them generations ago when their indigenous forefathers struggled to keep their land safe from the greedy hands of their white conquerors. Human egoism has robbed them of their natural balance with Mother Nature, to the point that they no longer remember which tribe their great grandparents belonged to.

With their father in prison these last three years, mother has her hands full trying to make ends meet. Putting rice and beans on the table each day is her main priority, so this year’s Christmas turkey from the Reaching for a Star Group was such a blessing that little Vitor couldn’t even wait for his mother to finish preparing it for the oven before he pulled away at some of the excess raw fat with his teeth and swallowed it all up in such a speed that I realized there would be no leftovers from this particular Christmas dinner.

Next year we will need to get Kennedy and Gustavo back into school as they gave up on it this year due to the long walking distance and the fact that neither can read nor write yet.

So whilst our politicians argue to defend their monthly pay rise of 91% to the astronomical value of 24.500 Brazilian reais (8.750 euros), in contrast to the 7,1% rise of the minimum worker’s wage, causing it to reach the incredible sum of 375 reais (134 euros) by April next year, - the father of these kids sits in prison, wondering how he’ll make ends meet when he gets out next year........

If the Brazilian society doesn’t wake up soon and begin preventing against the negative effects of all this human absurdity, what more can they expect from this father once he gets out of a failing prison system?
With six children to fend for under such difficult conditions, ...I ask you?

PS! If I remember correctly, it was armed robbery the last time he was sentenced…

....and the next time?

FLIGHT OF THE HUMMINGBIRD

Flight of the Hummingbird..., originally uploaded by carf.

Hitch a ride on Hummingbird’s wings...

...for this brief but excelling moment, to experience the energy and the optimism of our youth entrepreneurs and to share their hope for a better future for our kids, everyone a changemaker!

Hummingbird spreads its wings over the community

CARF's Hummingbird Project in São Paulo is constantly and firmly spreading its wings over the community, protecting children at risk from the perils of the streets, drugs, violence and abuse.



This video presentation was created by Gerson, the youth monitor of the Breakdance workshops and leader of the AfroBreak Dance Group at our Hummingbird Arts and Cultural Activity Centre in Diadema, where many of the scenes in the video were registered during 2006, also in and around the community.

Youth like Gerson have only recently had access to computers and the World Wide Web and are now making good use of the resources made available to them at Hummingbird, thanks to your valued contributions.
Please take a spare moment to rate the video and leave your comments below because our youth are following these pages and are interested in how you view there efforts.

Looking for the perfect gift for those who have everything?

Embrace the ones you cherish at Christmas by giving a Gift Certificate from CARF as this year’s present to your family and friends.

EVERYONE A CHANGEMAKER...

Happy Hugging..., originally uploaded by carf.

Happy Hugging!

I know our picture galleries will never reach as many views as 5.724.662 (five million, seven hundred and twenty four thousand, six hundred and sixty two) with 12.956 comments and 36.879 faves but THIS did!!!!

Go give someone a HUG!

WORLD CEASEFIRE VIGIL

World Ceasefire Vigil
Originally uploaded by carf.

During the last week I’m sure there are many visitors to the Flickr photostreams who have noticed all the small black ribbons that Flickrites are now using as their buddy icons. Those icons represent more than just another Flickr identity, they represent a strong desire for world peace and a stop to the recent war breakout, by the many who have chosen to wear them for this peace action, an important action against yet another war to destroy thousands of innocent citizens, their families, their homes and their countries.

This is why over 4000 Flickrites decided to unite their actions this last week in a group called MUNDO UNO

…and the group is constantly growing as one of the fastest and most
meaningful on Flickr.

* MUNDO UNO means ONE WORLD.
* MUNDO UNO is a call for peace.
* MUNDO UNO is a virtual protest against the madness of the war.
* MUNDO UNO is a way to say: stop the killing of civilians in both sides.

Shall we be ONE, one world, one face, one people to change this?

I hope and believe so and that is why I am asking you, my Flickr friends and contacts and anyone else visiting this Blog, to be part of this important action for World Peace.

Please join us today and take part in the group's CEASEFIRE action in
support of Amnesty International's WORLD CEASEFIRE VIGIL.
More information about this can be found in the group's discussion
threads.

I thank you and I'm sure our group members thank you.
MUNDO UNO

Gregory J. Smith (CARF)
Social Entrepreneur and Founder
Children At Risk Foundation - CARF

HUMMINGBIRD SPREADS IT'S WINGS

Hummingbird spreads its wings..., originally uploaded by carf.

The Art of Compassion

I have just been honoured with this very special gift and I am overjoyed with it.

A very competent artist and Flickr friend, Jean-Françoís Le Saínt, creatively conceived this beautiful pastel portrait, of 7-year old José Roberto, one of the children attended by our Hummingbird programme in a nearby favela.

The motive chosen in this beautiful artwork is based on our recent community programme called Beija-Flor na Comunidade (Hummingbird in the Community), where youth leaders and mobilizers visited the nearby favelas to offer the children various artistic, cultural and sporting activities.

You can see the photos and read more about the programme by visiting our Flickr gallery, "Hummingbird Spreads It's Wings"
For a quick review, see the Slide Show

There is also a separate illustrated article in the archives of this Blog. That's actually José Roberto's foot securing the spade below...


I am still contemplating the full meaning of this fabulous composition, as there is more to his work than meets the eye.

Jean-Françoís had already surprised me last week with another gift; a most unexpected portrait of the very first kid I had rescued from the streets of São Paulo back in 1993; Diego, who was tragically gunned-down and died in the arms of his girlfriend only a couple of years ago, but who’s memory still lives strongly in those who got to know him during this last decade.

It is compassionate actions like these in support of my work, that help me believe in and carry on with the near impossible task it is of recuperating the lives of kids who have already lost most of their childhood.

Jean-Françoíse, your gift means more than any amount of money can buy. Thank you my friend!

Gregory J. Smith
CARF Brasil

Please visit Jean-Françoíse gallery of pastels at jfls.free.fr

The Witnesses

the witnesses, originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal.

Photo by Tatiana Cardeal, São Paulo – BRAZIL.

Taken during a cultural performance by children and young people of the Grupo Cultural Beija-Flor on Brazilian Children’s Day

Moderators comments:

I'm so moved by this image that I decided to release our in-house pre-recording of the song "Valor Negro", which belongs to the presentation you see in Tatiana's image above.

Look deeply into the large size of this image then close your eyes and listen.
The song, a historic reflection of the negro's plight for freedom and justice, was created and is performed by the kids in our programme and will be the basis of our Music Video Clip to be filmed next week.

Just click here and wait a few minutes for the song to download.
Then PLAY and ENJOY!

This fabulous image is of Poca (Jefferson), one of my “adopted” former street kids, who is the older brother of Eliana and Sandra, all three having spent a good deal of their childhood living on the streets. He is also the brother of my youngest Prince Charming, Vando.

This Capoeira Video Clip, made by youth from Gumbo TV – USA during their visit to the Hummingbird Project in São Paulo, includes interviews with Poca, now capoeira instructor at Hummingbird.

The African slaves who were hauled to Brazil hundreds of years ago, brought with them their culture and their traditions. They were robbed of their freedom but their wealthy culture and their strong spirit became very much a part of Brazilian culture and tradition. Their Afro-Brazilian descendents were responsible for developing the unique and sporting art of Capoeira, which has been our “flagship” programme at Hummingbird since 1993.
Implanted as part of our street kids recuperation programme, capoeira has been an important “tool” in rescuing the lives of many kids from the hardships of the streets, as it also was during the freedom fight of the slaves more than 120 years ago.

Youth mentor and capoeira instructor, Poca, knows only too well about the hardships of the streets, as he himself is one of those who have been recuperated with the help of Capoeira. His greatest desire whilst on the streets was to one day become a Capoeira Master. This special photo, dear Tatiana, represents not only the plight of all our African brothers and sisters but also Poca’s own plight for freedom from drugs and the streets. Today, one can reasonably say that he has realised his dream.

If you would like to know more about Poca's background, go visit our fabulous Capoeira Website, click on the links bar under "Academy", then "Instructors" and then scroll along to "Poca".
A wonderful story, which enforces even more this fabulous image!