Children At Risk - STREETKIDS

World Community Arts Day - 2008

2008-03-21T16:22:00.004-03:00

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...

2007-12-13T19:47:00.001-02:00

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...

2007-11-25T09:33:00.001-02:00

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

2007-09-23T19:38:00.000-03:00

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!

2007-03-03T14:57:00.001-03:00

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...

2007-02-26T22:36:00.001-03:00

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?

2007-02-24T16:58:00.001-02:00

...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

2006-12-18T01:54:00.000-02:00

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...

2006-11-08T20:37:00.000-02:00

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

2006-08-07T22:25:00.000-03:00

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

2006-04-10T17:36:00.000-03:00

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

2005-11-05T01:46:00.000-02:00

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!

CHILDREN’S DAY – A Hope for the Future

2005-10-13T23:42:00.000-03:00

Our well-trained “Hummingbirds” spread their wings as potential youth community leaders, to share love, hope and knowledge, creating new possibilities for the children of the Favela Morro de Macaco in São Paulo. - Photo by Tatiana Cardeal

Children’s Day marks the start of a new phase in the Hummingbird Project.

12th. October is Brazilian Children’s Day, also known as the day of the Brazilian Patron Saint of the Family called Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida; Mother of God, Queen of the Angels, Advocate of the Fishermen, Refuge and Consolation of the Afflicted and Protector of the Family against illness, hunger, assault and any other perils that might affect us. In other words quite a mouthful and just about everything we try to attain with our work for at-risk children and youth in Brazil.

12th. October also marked the beginning of a new partnership in the Hummingbird Project, namely the start-up of our new community base at the Lar Maria & Sininha Orphanage, right in the middle of the Favela called Morro de Macaco (Monkey's Mound – called so because not so long ago, before the hills were suddenly taken over by an organized invasion of impoverished families, it was covered with what little is left of the once thriving Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Rain Forest), which was cut down and cleared within a weekend to make way for thousands of shacks. Along with this incredible action disappeared a wealth of natural resources and wildlife, including the many monkeys that inhabited the area).

This kind of uncontrolled development not only irreversibly destroys nature but also puts a great deal of pressure on all public amenities and subsequently causes many of these families to live in a situation of high risk, with even more children growing up in this country who lack some of the basic necessities of life.

Instead of organized public planning and policy, this is yet another great example of how shortsighted our politicians are in running this wealthy country and creating the necessary means of sustainable development for all its inhabitants! Once again NGO’s like ours have to step in to try and reverse a very negative situation, whilst we wait for more intelligent and ethical people to lead this country away from disaster.

With the birth of our new community base in the Favela Morro de Macaco, these children will have access to activities, “adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development”, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development, and that parent(s) or others responsible for the child have the primary responsibility to secure, within their abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of living necessary for the child's development.

As most of the families in the Favela Morra de Macaco do not posses either the abilities or the financial capacities and the fact that we don’t expect too much from our government for a long time yet, we, the NGO’s, certainly have a heavy workload ahead of us. With 312.000 social development programmes in Brazil you wouldn’t think the problems would be so difficult to resolve, but unfortunately we are still far from reaching satisfactory solutions.

Morro de Macaco (Monkey's Mound) was only a few years ago covered with what little is left of the once thriving Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Rain Forest). These hills were suddenly taken over by an organized invasion of impoverished families and all the trees were cut down and cleared within a weekend to make way for thousands of shacks.

The objectives for our new base in the Favela Morro de Macaco is to replicate some of the positive actions we have created at our Hummingbird Cultural Activity Centre, which although situated quite close to this Favela, has reached its maximum capacity considering the high number of at-risk children and youth in our region. The programmes to be implemented at the new base will be developed by our youth multipliers in cooperation with their community youth mentors, replicating the abilities they have acquired from their own participation in our Street Migration Prevention Programme. This is a result of the positive investment being made by a number of small private sponsors who each support one of our youth multipliers with a small grant, our so-called Youth Capacity Building Scholarship Programme.

Having grown up in the local community under difficult circumstances themselves, youth multipliers like Guaraciaba, Davi and Wagner above, have living knowledge of how to best care for the needs of other community children.

At Hummingbird there are 28 youngsters supported with capacity building scholarships or grants. Our aim for 2005 has been to double that number and hopefully we will succeed by showing such positive results for those already in the programme.

These grants are sponsored by individuals who realize they can make a difference in the life of one of our kids, which will again be multiplied and affect the lives of many other needy kids. That is a value for money investment.

If you would like to know more about our Youth Capacity Building Scholarship Programme, just take a look at the article on this Blog where you can easily subscribe to one of the scholarships on an automated monthly payment system through PayPal. Simple and Sweet!

Without your help we would not be doing all that we are able to do today to change the outlooks of children like those we will be helping on the Morro de Macaco.

Happy Birthday Sandra!

2005-09-17T09:35:00.000-03:00

Happy Birthday Sandra!, originally uploaded by carf.

Sandra seemed pretty relaxed during her birthday celebration, here with son Patrick. Little did she know that her greatest present was to be the birth of her second son a few hours later.

A Child is Born...

Sandra was one of the first girls I rescued from the streets in 1993 and has been my foster daughter ever since, along with her sister Eliane and two brothers, Jefferson and Vando.

Sandra seems to enjoy the role of mother, her nineteenth birthday present during the early hours of this morning was the birth of her second son.

Her first born, Patrick, seemed quite happy yesterday about welcoming the latest addition to his family. Luckily his father, Marcio, has a fixed job and can support his growing family.

But now Sandra says, no more!
I hope so too!

Congratulations young lady!
Take care of your sons and give them all the love you yourself yearned for as a child.

Sandra alone on the streets in the city center. Nobody could care for her future in 1993, until CARF came along and rescued her. Two years of street work was involved before she actually managed to stay off the streets for good.

You know the suffering,
I know the suffering,
we all know the suffering...,
...of a child abandoned to the streets

See more photos of Sandra and her new baby in this Album

HUMMINGBIRD ROCKS THE STRUCTURES OF MASP

2005-09-02T19:44:00.000-03:00

Grupo Cultural Beija-Flor in the theatre of the MASP (Art Museum of São Paulo), during the realization of the 10th. Prize-giving ceremony of the Real University Solidarity Programme (UNISOL)

Hummingbird delivers their special combination of joy and social criticism to an outstanding event.

Monday, 29th September, in the theatre of the MASP (Art Museum of São Paulo), was the realization of the 10th. Prize-giving ceremony for the ten selected projects of the 132 inscribed by Universities from all over Brazil, participating in the Real University Solidarity Programme (UNISOL).

The ceremony was honoured with the presence of Dra. Ruth Cardoso, wife of Brazil’s former President and Founder of the Programme UNISOL and President of COMUNITAS. Also present were Maria Luiz Pinto, Executive Director of Education and Development for the BANCO REAL and Elisabeth Vargas, Executive Superintendent of the UNISOL Programme, along with representatives of the different Universities, Students and Communities involved.

The ceremony also marked the 10 years of partnership between UNISOL and the BANCO REAL.

UNISOL is internationally renowned by UNESCO through their Comenius Award – a distinction granted by the Czechoslovakian Government for programmes and personalities who develop innovative solutions in the area of education. – The Civil Society Association University Solidarity – UNISOL, was created in 1955 by the Advice Councel of the COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY (also created by Ruth Cardoso), and has since mobilized Universities together with the different sectors of civil society and the State, for community participation in the entire country.

During the event the importance of youth participation was emphasized, also after the realization of such projects, which often resulted in the establishment of long-term relationships with the communities involved. “Not one single student will ever be the same person after having participated in a project for social development.”

Mentioned as good examples of the results obtained by the winning projects for 2004, were the hand-crafted sweets produced by the Comunidade de Cabo de Santo Agostinho, in Pernambuco, in partnership with the Federal University of Pernambuco, which could even be tasted during the cocktail after the prize-giving ceremony. Also the trophies made from Bamboo by the team of Cefet Paraná, in partnership with the Comunidade de Fazenda Grande. Both projects have helped to change the perspectives of these communities, bettering the quality and standard of life for their inhabitants.

A marvellous show, the happy result of a lot of dedication.

Then of course there was Hummingbird, making their noise and shaking the audience...

During a cultural presentation lasting approx. 20 minutes, the Grupo Cultural Beija-Flor delivered their special combination of joy and social criticism to the event; with the frenetic dance of AfroBreak and the Capoeira of the slaves from past and present, the melodious sound of our Experimental Band with the vibrations of the Banda Beija-Flor, the MASP was turned into a cooking pot of willpower and talent by the children and youth of the Hummingbird Cultural Activity Centre.

The ceremony was honoured with the presence of Dra. Ruth Cardoso, wife of Brazil’s former President and Founder of the Programme UNISOL.

A marvellous show, the happy result of a lot of dedication, which lifted the public from their seats and closed the ceremonial event with a Key of Gold.

Without doubt, joy was the dominating tone of this festive celebration.

Special thanks to our volunteers on Flickr:

Subhasish Karmaker, for his wonderful
photo collage made especially for our
Urban Outcries Programme

and to...

Luca Prasso, who supports the work of
CARUTAPERA, for letting our organization make
use of his wonderful B&W Slide Show.

NB! Carutapera is a town in the North East Brazil, in the State of Maranhao. Over 20.000 people live there. About 95% of them are very poor.

Padre Mario is a Missionary Father that has been helping them for the last 36 years. Sadly we just heard that he was attacked and severely injured on August 29th. during a robbery by someone who tried to steal their funds. Padre Mario is now in hospital in Sao Luis in grave conditions. Please visit their website and offer your support to Padre Mario.

Please answer our cry!

2005-08-25T19:42:00.000-03:00

Please answer our cry!, originally uploaded by carf.

We would very much appreciate your feedback in our simple, ten question Children At Risk – Charity Participation Survey, which will help us to implement more effective public participation and support for our programmes with at-risk children in Brazil.

Thank you for your co-operation!

THE WAR OF THE SILENT

2005-08-20T05:04:00.000-03:00

The War of the Silent, originally uploaded by carf.

It’s been exactly a year now since the night slaughter of innocent street dwellers took place in the city centre of São Paulo.

Seven people who lived on the streets were finally put out of their misery, using the most disgusting means ever by their unidentified attackers. The motivations for these brutal killings have still not been identified.

At the time, the Secretary of Public Security, Saulo de Castro Abreu Filho, promised that the case would be resolved within thirty days (Hah! That was a good one!!!)
More than 110 witnesses have since been heard and the only three real suspects have already been released for lack of evidence, according to the Public Ministry’s office.

Those sordid acts against our street dwellers happened between the 19th and 22nd of August, 2004. The seven who died were all slain with heavy blows to the head, whilst another eight were seriously wounded.

The police suspected that the massacre had some connection with drug trafficking in the central region of the city and over territorial disputes, but this theory was never confirmed.

There was even strong enough evidence that the police themselves were involved, even to the stage of two of them being held prison, together with a colleague, only later to be released. In November, the Public Ministry’s office considered that the evidence was insufficient to hold them and they were subsequently released.

The Public Ministry realises that such a long delay in getting this case resolved only makes things worse for the entire investigation. "Time is always the best friend of the criminal", said District Attorney, Carlos Cardoso yesterday, representing the Human Rights Office of the Chief Procurator of Justice.

So whilst we pressure for a solution for this case, suddenly there comes to light the assasination of yet another street dweller in March this year, this time it was one of those who had witnessed the second attack on his street colleagues in August 2004.

Four policemen are being held, accused of committing this crime in March, and, according to investigations, this case has surely something to do with the massacre in August last year.

According to chief inspector, Luiz Fernando Lopes Teixeira, there have so far been six suspects identified for the attacks, who probably acted together with the policemen and a security guard. Teixeira confirms that the six suspects are all part of a group involved in drug trafficking, extortion and homicide in the city centre.

14-year old Elton (above), was not on the streets at the time, although he was in the process of leaving the streets. As with most street kids he was found a pest and a plague to some people, but I just won’t accept that was enough to justify his senseless death, shot at close range in the chest. The image of his dead body on the grass banks of the peaceful reservoir, close-by to our Hummingbird Centre, is still branded in my mind. His and all the others who have followed him during these last few years.
The above image, even though I have done my best to disguise its ugliness, is a shocking testimony of the fact that they still shoot kids in Brazil.

They still carry on murdering innocent human beings with their deranged reasons, and as long as there is no justice this image will repeat itself, time and time again!

We know who shot Elton, they know who killed the seven street dwellers in the city centre... - but do they really care?????

Please visit:
FORSAKEN BY SOCIETY TRILOGY - PEOPLE

UNITED CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

CHILDHOPE - WAKE UP MY BRAZIL!

2005-08-06T22:28:00.000-03:00

Our socio-cultural partners from Rio de Janeiro, Grupo Cultural AfroReggae during a rehearsal for Globo Television’s mega show, ChildHope.

Hopefully we will overcome this traumatic experience and carry on believing that our social investment in them is all worth our efforts.

I’m writing this in a moment of utter despair, disappointment and embarrassment on behalf of not only the kids of Hummingbird but also all the other children at risk in this country.

If you have been following recent developments at Hummingbird you will have noticed that our cultural group is supposed to be participating in the mega television show, Criança Esperança (ChildHope), which goes live on TVGlobo tonight.
The show, now in its 20th year running and supported by UNESCO, unites some of the most well known television artists and social entities in Brazil in an effort to raise funds for children’s social development programmes throughout the country.

Our participation was fundamental to the further development of our objectives in the Brazilian socio-cultural arena. A major door opener to say the least!

Until the general rehearsals yesterday, everything was going as planned. Thousands of dollars invested by TVGlobo to secure the necessary infrastructure and quality of our mini-spectacular. Visits by their TV crew to make the video documentary to be shown just before our live appearance. Thousands invested by us in terms of equipment and very hard work during the more than 50 rehearsals these last few weeks.

TVGlobo’s filmtake for their video clip during a capoeira session and a rehearsal of our mini musical spectacular, which was supposed to be part of tonight’s mega show.

Being collected by the luxury coach contracted by TVGlobo was a most uplifting experience, raising the self-esteem even higher of our kids, who were full of energy and expectations on their way to the grand stage where the event is to take place. Even though we thought it a little luxurious for such a short trip, money that could have been spent better in our own programme, as we were already very accustomed to a simpler means of transport.

Then on arrival, VIP treatment and checking in for our ID-cards, quite necessary in a show that involves nearly 800 people alone on the production side and more than 300 children and young people making appearances during the show. We were 53 of those!
I was then shown the costumes prepared by Globo’s costume department for our Band and Breakdance group. Very nice too!

Our group of happy children and young people arriving at the premises of the Criança Esperança (ChildHope), ready for the mega show in São Paulo.

Then began the waiting, hours and hours of waiting, quite normal in most mega events of this nature and we were all prepared for that. We thought we were waiting for something good and judging from the immensity of everything surrounding the event, we would be in for something really great!
We were in for a surprise, a very big surprise indeed!!!

To make good use of waiting time we decided to get the kids prepared for their last rehearsal so that we would be ready on the moment our turn arrived. We noticed that the effective use of time was essential to get through all the details of this mega event. Rehearsals for the rest of the show had been going on for three days already and now it was our big day.

Then suddenly, out of the blue, comes the artistic director and calls me aside to tell me that due to some harsh disagreements between their production team and their production director, we would no longer be presenting our musical mini-spectacular, which had been timed in to four minutes exactly and neatly fitting the space reserved for our participation. Also our 6 drummers, who were supposed to be backing the next vocal artist, Marcelo Yuka, to present after us would not be taking place. The only interest for the director at this moment was that I do a live interview with Chico Pinheiro connected to our video clip.

My reaction ofcourse was total distress!

I couldn’t believe my ears. Gladly I am not weak at heart; otherwise I would have had a heart attack there and then!
I needed an explanation but nobody could or would give me one. We were simply left in the blue by the entire production team of this event, which is supposed to be the most prestigious public fundraising event to benefit at-risk children in this country. I was suddenly in the middle of a traumatic experience, which I knew would have dramatic consequences for some of our kids. This event was about to neglect the realization of their dreams. An incredible socially irresponsible action was about to be comitted by the people who are supposed to represent exactly the opposite.

Then began the tiring and frustrating work to discover what was actually going on and why we would not even have the chance to put our foot on that magnificent stage to test the results of our efforts and to share the same space with mega stars such as the likes of Sandy and Junior, Xuxa, Roberto Carlos, Renato Arragão, Zeca Pagodinho and many more.
Why had we suddenly, without warning, been cut-off??? Our last rehearsal for the programme’s Artistic Director at Hummingbird had been highly praised by her, as it also was by Globo’s famous newscaster and programme presenter, Chico Pinheiro, who was responsible for Hummingbird’s video clip. For the sake of all those patiently waiting kids of mine I desperately needed to turn this situation round.

Globo Television’s journalist and news presenter (newscaster), Chico Pinheiro and Criança Esperança’s (ChildHope) Artistic Director, Emília Silveira, check through the latest itinerary details regarding our participation in the programme during a rehearsal at the Hummingbird Activity Centre.

It seemed there was total caos between the people involved in this production and we had been suddenly removed because there was either no time left for our participation or our content matter was too politically disturbing for the likes of this most politically powerful TV station in Brazil, or the fact that the production director, incredibly enough, seemed uninformed of our existence.

Attempts to convince him otherwise by members of the production team and other influential people involved in the programme and the chance for us to at least present our spectacular on stage in a single rehearsal, even if it still meant cancelling our participation for whatever reason he decided was best, failed, one after the other. The guy running this joint was a total dictator and unfortunately hierarchical governance is pretty well imbedded in this society, which still leaves its kids abandoned on the streets and more than half the population destitute in utmost poverty!

Well, several hours later we got his final conclusion; he knew nothing of our participation and there was no room any longer for a four-minute spectacular, no matter who was presenting.
Did I believe this was really happening to us? My kids were all sitting in the grandstand still awaiting their rehearsal; they had already sensed there was something wrong.
My God! Can you imagine their faces when I broke the final decision by the production director, who was coward enough to not stand in front of them to explain exactly why they had wasted weeks of their time investing in a magnificent music spectacular that only they can put enough soul into to make it hit rock bottom in the hearts of every single one of those 65 million TV spectators who will be watching the show tonight.

Youth members of the Banda AfroReggae from Rio de Janeiro rehearse for tonight’s performance on Globo TV’s mega show, ChildHope.

I can assure you that I have seldom felt greater frustration than this moment in my 52-year lifespan and I have cried most of the night trying to figure out what went wrong. Nothing ever surprises me anymore regarding the negligence of the Brazilian people shown towards their children. I suppose that’s why we still have thousands and thousands of street kids in this country.

Today I have spent most of my day in long meetings with all the kids involved together with their families to begin the difficult job of treating a most unexpected trauma caused by the irresponsibility of a programme supposed to help at-risk kids believe in a better future. If this is the future Brazil is creating for its children, then God help us!

The images shown here are among the few I took during rehearsals (I lost my appetite entirely!), and were only taken because they represent the kids we believe in so much and who have been role models for our own kids at Hummingbird. The youth of the AfroReggae Cultural Group, our socio-cultural partners in Rio, have managed to come a long way during their 12 years of fighting for a better future for Rio’s favela kids.
When we left the premises in utter dispair, the kids of AfroReggae came in full strength to comfort our kids who were completely dejected by what had just happened. They will be well represented during the mega show tonight, where undoubtably their presence represents the best of Brazilian socio-culture.

“Hold your heads high kids!” said their lead guitarist, “because you are mightier than these people!”
“Don’t let them destroy you because you have so much going for you!”
“Stay strong and fight for everything you believe in because it is the only way we will change this mad world to become a better place for all of us!”

Thank you friends for that valuable moment, it is only people like you, who have shared the same suffering as my kids have who understand how damaging such an experience can be. It is thanks to you guys that they will hopefully overcome this traumatic experience and carry on believing in our social investment in them.

I finish off this rather long text with some words from the chorus line of our spectacular that didn’t quite find a stage:

Wake up my Brazil... Wake up my Brazil... Wake up my Brazil, the people need some hope.
Wake up my Brazil... Fighting to achieve some change.

(Acorda meu Brasil... Acorda meu Brasil... Acorda meu Brasil, o povo está precisando de esperança.
Acorda meu Brasil... Lutando se consegue uma mudança.)

From one of our many rehearsals for the mega show commemorating 20 years of Criança Esperança (ChildHope) on Globo Television.

See the slide show from our photo series about Criança Esperança (ChildHope)

NOTE.
Incredibly, at 4pm today, yet another luxury coach arrived at Hummingbird to transport our kids to the show they are no longer to participate in. TVGlobo had obviously forgotten to cancel the coach, which wasted yet another 300 dollars of donor’s money, reaped in from all the innocent believing tele spectators of this gigantic farce.

CRIANÇA ESPERANÇA - CHILDHOPE

2005-07-30T20:48:00.000-03:00

Criança Esperança - ChildHope, originally uploaded by carf.

Hummingbird flies across Brazil, spreading its wings to convey “A Child’s View”

Hummingbird’s Cultural Group is to participate in the traditional, Nation-wide Brazilian Television programme called “Criança Esperança” (ChildHope), organized by the prestigious TV Globo and UNESCO. More than 50 children and young people are representing Hummingbird at the event, which goes live on Saturday night, August 6th., in a mini musical spectacular called “A Child’s View”.

The Banda Beija-Flor is honoured to present their self-composed music, which conducts the emotional 4-minute musical, entirely conceived by our children – the real Hummingbirds of our “Hope”, and which combines Hummingbird’s regular activities such as Break-dance, Guitar, Percussion and Capoeira.

The performance illustrates the biography of thousands of street children, whom lost and alone wander the pathways of an unjust Brazil, their views and sentiments constantly searching for comprehension, only to find prejudice and abandonment.

An open-air rehearsal takes place on the football grounds in front of the Hummingbird Activity Centre in connection with TV Globo's filmtake to be used during their Nation-wide programme, Criança Esperança on 6th. August.

Hummingbird’s positive actions wake in them a new life; a dignified life deserved by any human being. However, the main target of our message is each and every one of us because WE are the one's who really need to wake up, to do our share.

Therefore our chorus-line is: Wake up my Brazil!

Applaud, watch and sing with us!

HUMMINGBIRD SPREADS ITS WINGS

2005-07-28T15:27:00.000-03:00

Clearing new terrain. - The hard-working foot of 7-year old José Roberto.

Taking Hummingbird to the community instead of the community coming to us

Last week was the start-off for a new development in the Hummingbird Project called Beija-Flor na Comunidade (Hummingbird in the Community), which literally means we took Hummingbird to the community instead of the community come to us. In other words, Hummingbird is spreading its wings!

The programme is part of a new strategy being developed by our youth mentors to get a preliminary feel in connection with their objectives to implant small Hummingbird nuclei in the more distant parts of our community, thus bringing our activities to the poorest kids who have no means of reaching our main centre.

The first community to be receiving some of Hummingbird’s vibrant activities was the Sitio Joaninha, which is a rough hilly area about 6 kilometres away from us, where many of the families who used to work on the rubbish tip live. The tip was closed down a few years ago and the area covered with topsoil so as to recuperate some of the natural vegetation.

Most of the shanty homes were constructed during the active years of the tip, when entire families found their livelihoods under the most unhealthy and hazardous working conditions. Since its closure there has been very few alternatives in the way of work and habitation, so very few have been able to move to better conditions. To the contrary; the area has rapidly grown to accommodate even more poverty-stricken families who have no other alternative than to grab a small plot of land and try to survive on what little is available in terms of public amenities in such places.

The majority of homes have no running water and depend on the council delivering drinking water by truck each day. Electricity is acquired through a series of illegal connections, which people have hooked-up to the main electricity network through a maze of literally thousands of metres of wiring crossing the landscape in all directions in order to bring power to one’s home.
This is quite common during the rapid growth of favela (shanty) areas and pressures from the inhabitants will eventually cause most councils to come up with a more satisfactory and less risky solution.

7-year old José Roberto was so happy to hear about Hummingbird coming to his community that he was more than willing to leave his kites behind to help out with the hard work of cleaning up an area for our visit. He was obviously pretty used to this kind of "job" as you will gather from the main photo of his foot

Bruno (right), is our youngest youth mentor and although only 18 years old he has already gained considerable experience teaching the children at Hummingbird on the instrument he himself has grown up with, the Brazilian cavaquinho, traditionally used in Samba.

Under very simple conditions and a low-cost structure we were able to let the children “travel” to their own colourful dreamland. It wasn’t long before the children were entirely engulfed in the enchanted new world of Hummingbird, an unknown experience for many of them.

7-year old José Roberto exchanges his shovel for a cavaquinho and discovers the joys of music.

The children of Sitio Joaninha welcome Hummingbird to their community. Their expectations were as expected and many kids had already turned up early in the morning to wait for the Hummingbird Bus to arrive.

The fuel of our programme is the satisfaction seen on the faces of the children receiving our attention, like the boy above, who's self-esteem certainly rose during his solo performance as a young rapper.

Here are some of our youth multipliers and scholarship holders who make up the AfroBreak dance group at Hummingbird. They are a pretty energetic group of youngsters who are more than dedicated to what they practice, which is mainly Break dancing, and love teaching others too.

Here, one of our youth mentors, Davi (left) from the Banda Beija-Flor, discusses their new proposal with inhabitants of the area, who have gathered to clear an open piece of land to facilitate our activites there.

Many of the children who live here have a long way to walk to reach school, as there is no public transport. The tendency is therefore not to go, especially during the rainy or colder seasons. Very few have the willpower or even the means of getting to Hummingbird to participate in all the good things we have to offer in our Street Migration Prevention Programme, although there are some who do.

This is the main reason for us to bring Hummingbird to the kids. If we can manage to finance a more permanent solution we will be able to continue with a variety of activities throughout the entire year and not just during the school holiday season as is this experience.

CHILDHOPE - CRIANÇA ESPERANÇA

2005-07-17T10:39:00.000-03:00

Kids of Hummingbird vibrate to the Reggae rhythms of the popular group Alma d’Jem during the making of their latest Video Clip, Nothing is Greater Than Love at our prevention center in São Paulo.

Wake up my Brazil! Wake up my Brazil! Our people need some hope.

This week we were delighted to receive positive confirmation from the prestigious Brazilian TV Globo that Hummingbird will be participating in their traditional and equally prestigious mega show called Criança Esperança, which unites some of the best in Brazilian entertainment in their annual effort to raise funds through the media to support social development programmes for underprivileged children in Brazil.

The programme is a partnership between TV Globo and UNESCO and this year marks the 20th. Anniversary of the quality show, which has since its beginnings received more than USD$50 million in donations, invested in more than 4.750 social development projects and NGO’s.

Criança Esperança has contributed towards bettering the lives of approx. 3 million children and young people, by helping to reduce infant mortality, child labour and sexual exploitation. Part of the funding has also gone towards helping at-risk youth by preparing them for a more professional job market.

Our emblem of the street kid lying on the Brazilian flag and rescued by the actions of the Hummingbird will be the central theme in the 4-minute mini-spectacular, presented by the children and young people of the Hummingbird Activity Centre. We are planning to unite classical tones from famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s immortal Peer Gynt Suites, together with percussion rhythms from our Banda Beija-Flor, combining theatrical elements with break dancing and capoeira by respectively our break dance group, Afro-Break, and Capoeira Beija-Flor.

Our Banda Beija-Flor are responsible for the music in the presentation of our mini spectacular during the Criança Esperança Show on Globo TV.

We expect to offer viewers an emotional and most memorable experience, which will hopefully contribute towards an even better result for the 20th. edition of this most popular programme.

By the way, if you would like to support us in this action by making a quick USD$10 donation using the link at the bottom of this page, we will send you a beautiful coloured enamel pin with the above emblem, like the example here, only smaller.
Just remember to include your name and address on the Pay Pal contribution page. We will certainly be grateful for the faith you show in our kids

YOUR GREATEST INVESTMENT IS OUR CHILDREN

2005-07-04T18:22:00.000-03:00

Your greatest investment is our children - III
Originally uploaded by carf.

I mean damn it, they still shoot kids in Brazil, don’t they!

These positively joyful faces and colours make me really happy and give me strength, so much happiness and so much strength!
But then I ask myself; how long can we keep them so positive? How long can we hold their heads high above the tormented waters that constantly surround them?

In a society that has nothing to offer to an impoverished and underprivileged kid, a society that has forgotten its own children..., Hummingbird means an entire world!

So, if there is so little hope in such a society, how then can we keep them off the streets? Why? Is it at all possible to raise their hopes and create opportunities for a better and more optimistic future for these kids, even if they see no light in the end of the dark tunnel?

We believe so, ...and they believe us!

Sometimes I get so frightened just thinking of what the future has in store for each and every one of these kids, and even more so when I realize how much they believe and trust in us. If I think too hard about it then I loose my sleep because I too have to face the facts of life, facts that are more than enough to destroy whatever little optimism one is able to mobilize in oneself. I mean damn it, they still shoot kids in Brazil, don’t they!

So what are the real values in life for us human beings? I also ask myself that question, time and time again! But I get no real answers because real answers for me can only be found in terms of concrete human actions. Sorry to say, tangible actions are something we lack in this country, where words still hang loose on the slippery tongues of those who govern it. A country that still accepts the fact that hundreds of thousands of kids sleep out on the streets in the big cities every single night, instead of living and smiling like the kids in our photos do, kids who live and smile for each new day because we give them something to believe in and to live for.

Your greatest and most important investment is in our children.

So why does our government not do the same? Why does our population simply accept the fact and turn a blind eye?

What we at Hummingbird use in an entire year to keep each of our kids off the streets, the government uses each week to incarcerate kids who are in conflict with the law, locked away in public reform centers, better known as criminal high schools. We actually use a great deal of our taxpayer’s money to train hardened criminals in Brazil, certainly not to recuperate them!

Just take a look at this photo and others in our Gallery, then tell me who’s losing out in this game! If you think we’re worth the small investment needed to keep a kid off the streets instead of in and out of the state sponsored criminal high schools, then simply go ahead and do your little bit at the bottom of this page, your concrete little monthly action!

We need you and so do our kids, because if we are to wait for government reforms to do the job, we too will end up joining the ranks of our kids on the losing end!