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Bringing
Hope to Brazil
The initiative to
develop the site was twofold. One objective was to establish a new Kid's
Place Orphanage that will allow its administrators to operate more efficiently
and create a true home environment for the boys and girls that will
occupy the buildings. The second objective was to establish a place
for kids to attend daily or weekly camps for two months out of the year,
to participate in sports activities, learn life skills, and be educated
intellectually and spiritually. When the camp is not in session, the
site will be used as an outreach and training center, and host various
conferences. In the broader picture, this project will facilitate the
intellectual, social and spiritual growth of neglected and poor children
from the nearby favellas (slums) and offer them opportunities to better
their chances at success in life as they become adults, and more positively
contribute to the society in which they live. The first couple of days were spent gathering Lecio's program for the site (what buildings he wanted, and how big they should be, etc.) and surveying the existing house to be converted into an administrative building and dormitory (the site had previously been owned by a wealthy banker). About mid-week we scheduled a trip into Recife to learn just whom we were really designing this camp for. We started at Lecio's original endeavor - Kid's Place. Kid's Place is an orphanage for 24 to 30 kids located in a cramped building in the middle of the city. After we spent some time handing out toys and candy to the kids, we visited one of the favellas (slums) that many of these kids come from. The favella was about a square block area of tightly grouped 'shacks' made from whatever materials could be found. These 'homes' were no more than 10' x 7' two-room units that had no running water or sewage.
The next three days were spent getting down to the business of creating a new environment and opportunity for these children to escape to, if only for a few weeks out of the year. Our goal was to master plan the entire site, locating each of the camp structure's Lecio wanted to include. We were also asked to design the renovation of the existing main house, and develop plans and elevations for the cabins, bathhouse, orphanage house, and an open recreation facility. A seemingly tall order for such a short amount of time - but we were up to the challenge. We spoke to a local builder, who through Lecio's interpretation, was able to educate us on the local materials, construction methods, and costs. Late Saturday afternoon, the culmination of all our hard work ended in the all-important presentation to our 'client'. Our panel included Landry, his wife Elizabeth, Lecio, and his wife (and new baby) Illma (pronounced Yuma). After about an hour of showing them our interpretation of their vision, they sat there in emotional silence. All of them were overwhelmed with the work the team accomplished. Lecio was moved by the fact that he could now finally see his dream on paper and that soon it would become a reality. It was a humbling experience. Brazil was a beautiful
country to visit, and the people very friendly. We were there during
the World Cup, and 'serious' doesn't begin to describe how they take
their favorite sport! I look forward to traveling again with EMI in
'08!
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Recently
I had the opportunity to go on my fourth trip with 
The
ratio of women to men was about 4:1. Most men abandon the women they
get pregnant to find work in the bigger cities of Rio De Janeiro and
Sao Paulo. So the women are left to fend for their children and themselves
- often through prostitution or worse. In the worse cases children are
abandoned or neglected - and that's where Lecio steps in.