YOUTH WITH A MISSION
Macapá, Amapá, Brazil.
ANNUAL REPORT OF SOCIAL MINISTRIES
2002
Introduction
The following report outlines
the social activities of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in the city of Macapá, in
Brazil´s northern state of Amapá, during the year 2002. Brazil has a population of
162 millions and it is estimated that as many as 90 million Brazilians may be
living in conditions of poverty and suffering from malnutrition. The country´s
socio-economic condition continues to experience the consequences of an ongoing
national financial crisis, The daily day life of the
Brazilian has been influenced during the year 2002 by a devaluation of
their currency, the real. In January, one dollar was worth 2.real. Before the
presidential election in October the exchange rate raised to nearly 4 real to
the dollar.The northern state of Amapá has been particularly affected by the
nation´s devastating economic situation. There
has been a general increase in violence in the state and in the capital. There
have been numerous adolescent murders and an increase in the number of gangs in
the slums, where many families are living in demoralizing conditions. Some
problems of the town center have therefore, in part, been transferred to the
slum areas, leaving the mothers especially more concerned with their boys, and
motivating them to structure their time as much as possible through activities
in programs, apart from school. Also different programs of “ bolsas “ (monetary
grants given each month) have been introduced over the last years, trying to
help poor families in keeping their kids in school and away from the streets. “
All kids at school “ a historic
realization of a universal program
trying to focus the importance of at least access for all citizens to the fundamental public school system. YWAM is now in its eight year
of working in Macapá. There are now several established, developing and
interconnected programmes providing a network of support to many needy families
living in the slum areas. They are run by workers of the Mission and volunteers
from local evangelical churches. During 2002 the existing programmes have been
developed and the following report briefly summarizes some of the main
achievements during the year. Tear Fund Holland has been partly supporting some
of the work, and the sponsorship program JIREH has been another fundraising
source apart from volunteer gifts. CASA SHALOM – City based Contact Centre
The house
is the Office of the Mission as well as the sponsorship program JIREH The programmes for boys at
risk are still carried out there too with some of their families receiving a
help from the sponsorship program Jire as well
in an effort to keep the boys in education and away from the streets. We
have had 32 boys age 8 to 16 years in
the programs: Aprendendo and Turminha. The craft course for mothers
of children in the Jireh sponsorhip programme which commenced in July 2000
continues on Wednesday afternoons with 28 participants – needy women age 18 to
47 years. Several of the mothers are
enthusiastic and are becoming skilled at a variety of crafts. The focus is on
courses in sewing on sewing machine too with local skilled instructors. The
finished goods are then sold locally at a craft market, door to door and in a
few local craft shops., and giving the mothers a small extra income. Monthly parents meetings and regular family visits
continue and these provide valuable
practical, emotional and physcial support for the needy families . A network
with also local evangelical volunteers involved with the vison to adopt a needy
family with a commitment to visit regulary is being established too. Also
support in the health area to the families is being out builded, depending on
skilled staff and volunteers to help out. There have been only 2 full time staff at the centre
during the year and it has been rather busy. They have been supported by local
volunteers as well as short term volunteer workers from overseas. ADONAI
– Slum based School support programme The important school support programme continues
in three slum areas. Twice a week 75 children aged between 7 and
14 years meet at Muca, Novo Horizonte and Infraero I. The children/adolescents
receive regular Bible teaching, reinforcement, handicraft teaching as well as
they participate in sport, educational games etc. They also receive a healthy
snack. Some of the teenage girls in
the program did do an intensive sewing course too in 2002. JIREH –
Child Sponsorship Programme The
child sponsorship programme continues to be effective in providing families
with much needed food, clothing,medicines and practical aid and advice. There are now 94 children being sponsored: 1
from Norway; 8 from Brazil; 35 from England and 50 from Denmark. New sponsors are especially being looked for
to needy kids at Infraero I EL
SHADDAI – Rehabilitation Home for Street Boys The construction of the rehabilitation home to
accommodate street boys has progressed during the year but is still not totally
finished. More funds are needed to
build a wall around the land. The hope is to be able to take boys in oficially sometime in 2003. CIRCO
VITORIA - an initiative into the Interior The aim is to focus on the new generation in the interior and to give training to local Christians to enable
them to reach people in their own town with the Gospel and with social welfare.
An impact in July 2002 to Afua and Chaves on the Marajo Island, and in January 2003 to Mazagao and
Mazagao Velha reached thousand of kids and hundreds of local Christians were inspired and trained through courses and seminars.
Mobilizing and trainig of locals to reach out to the younger generation
is very much on our hearts, and courses and seminars are run through the year in macapa and Santana, and presentations
made in local churches too.
TARGETS for the future
v
Inauguration of the EL Shaddai
rehabilitation home for street boys. v
Increase to 100 the number of
children in the Jireh sponsorship programme
( Feb. 2003 – total of 90 children/adolescents ) v
Expansion of community development
work, particularly amongst women at Infraero. Opening of Youth study library at
Infraero – Community Centre Ararate. v
Establishment of more Adonai school
support programmes in slums v
Running of courses and seminars
mobilizing and training more people to social work out from the evangelical
churches. v A clinic serving the slum areas
of Macapa and Santana, the river
dweller communities and the interior of the state. v Further circus impacts into
the interior of Amapá and Para. v Additional longer term
Portuguese speaking workers to join |
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YWAM IN BRIEF: YWAM was founded in 1960 and is an evangelical, inter-denominational
organization focussed on bringing the Christian Gospel message to the world,
training Christians and helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the
worlds most needy people. Work in Brazil commenced in 1976 and now has over 1,500 full-time
workers, more than 85% being Brazilian. The work in
Macapá was founded in 1995 by 3 workers; Davi and Nora Galúcio (Director and
his wife) and Kirsten Larsen (Danish social welfare worker). Our
Address: JOCUM, Caixa Postal, 210, CEP:
68 906 970, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil. Tel:+55
96 251 1987 or Tel/Fax:+55 96 222 02 E.mail: macapa@jocum.org.bt jocumacapa@vol.com.br
If you wish to help us financially you can make a money transfer via Banco do Bradesco – Brazilian Agency 523 – 1 account no. 37.571-3 for JOCUM The bank
address is Av.Candido Mendes, 1316, Centro, Macapa,AP – Brazil. You can also send a cheque in US$ to Jovens
Com Uma Missao – JOCUM-AP In England you can also take contact to the
sponsorship coordinator Ruth Silver – e-mail: ruthalan@silveraliu.demon.co.uk
Phone: 0121 561 3024 Fax: 0121 561 3215
about gifts to the work or interest in sponsoring child. In Denmark you can give towards the work
through Leve Bornene, Postboks 114, DK
6070 Christiansfeld.. Contact Klaus Leonhardt Phone:0045 70253565 –e-mail kl@kobborg.dk and sponsorship contact is
Annemarie Nielsen, Baunebakkevej 145, 2650 Hvidovre, DK Phone: 0045 36 757423
e-mail:ansoni@private.dk |
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