Changing the Lives of Street Children in Brazil

- GOAL –
Cover all costs involved with sustaining 10 new children to the Little Nazareno Project for 12 months

Children Costs includes: Food + Clothing + Educator + Psychologist + Social Assistant + Gasoline + Cook + General Infrastructure + Driver (to and from school) + Medical Assistance + Dental Assistance

Additional Costs: Monthly salary of 4 additional Social Educators for 12 months

(text below explaining trajectory)

- WHY ARE WE ASKING FOR YOUR DONATION -
The purpose of this campaign is to provide the funds for Little Nazareno (a Brazilian non-profit organization) to keep the necessary infrastructure to continue their project with the maximum number of children who are ready to engage in a fight for a better future.

We want to remind everyone involved that whom truly deserves the greatest merit from all of this are the children themselves, as getting out of the street, adapting to a new routine, and being inserted into the labor market demands an IMMENSE effort from a human being that has suffered extreme consequences due to their personal history of exclusion, hunger, misery, drugs, and violence! THEY ARE THE TRUE CHAMPIONS. They are the heroes of this story. They are the greatest success of LN!

With your help, we can make a big impact on the lives of these children!

- WHY THE LITTLE NAZARENO –
Not only has one of our contributors worked as a volunteer at the institution, we personally know the team involved in the organization and respect all the affection and effort that they put in their work. A project that provides full support for the children, focusing on dignity and justice for them.

What caught our attention at LN? Their end-to-end work with street children and teenagers, starting with first getting to know their pain, showing them that there is a better future if they choose to, encouraging their education, providing job opportunities for the children and their families, cherishing the family bond and following the trajectory of every single kid with a lot of care and attention! They do all of that with a qualified team of social workers, psychologists, educators, and many other people involved.

It is a beautiful and very well thought project, which works tirelessly for the street child to be successful and happy!

They have already changed the future of more than 3,000 kids and that of their families. And our wish is that they continue their work and reach more children with the same quality of service and support.


- THE PROJECT –
The Little Nazareno (O Pequeno Nazareno) is a non-profit Civil Society Organization (CSO), focused on the rehabilitation of adolescent street children in Fortaleza since 1993. It is the largest aid organization for street children in Brazil. They offer housing, food and attention to shelter more than 60 street children.

The organization is led by Bernd Resemeyer, and they work tirelessly every day to support these children and give them the opportunity to build a better future. A beautiful project, which offers the opportunity for a street child to not only change their reality but to finally have a chance of a successful future. They are supported by educators and psychologists on many areas, including on their education, job search and family relationships. LN provides continuous encouragement until they can stand on their feet.
- MAIN ACTIVITIES –
·       Educação Social de Rua / Street Social Education
LN employees go to the streets of Fortaleza to get to know the children, understand their pain, create a bond with the child, and offer an alternative for a better future by inviting them to participate in the LN project
·       Acolhimento Constitucional / Constitutional Sheltering
To build a safe environment, LN offers a specific program in which they welcome children to live in the LN space, with all the infrastructure, caregivers, transportation to and from school, providing food, clothes, educational material, medical and dental assistance as well as psychological and social aid. The intent of all this is to make the kid understand that the street is a place of high risk and there is a better future for them elsewhere, while allowing them to maintain a relationship with their family.
·       Programa de Profissionalização para Adolescentes / Youth Professional Development Program
In agreement with the Adolescent Apprentice Law, the LN participates on the youth’s professional development daily by connecting and mentoring them through their internship with partner companies. The objective is to teach and support their autonomy by allowing them to keep studying while maintaining half a minimum salary.   
·       Programa de Profissionalização para os Familiares / Family Professional Development Program
LN understands that the involvement of the family is unique and an important part of the process, therefore always tries to help the child’s close relatives by inviting them to participate in educational projects, teachings, and job opportunities so that they have a chance of a better forthcoming.
In addition to the projects, the LN acts in defense of the rights and policies that serve street children such as the national campaign “Criança Não é de Rua” (Children don’t Belong to the Street), seeking dignity and justice for children, sensitizing society against all forms of prejudice and discrimination. Little Nazareno works closely with the government to develop and implement policies that effectively address the needs of this population.

- WEBSITES - 
Link: https://www.opequenonazareno.org.br/

Facebook: https://pt-br.facebook.com/opequenonazarenobrasil

Vakinha Campaign (Brazil BRL): http://vaka.me/1261509

We chose GoFundMe to facilitate you to donate to this cause. We would like to inform you that any related fees incurred for this service from GoFundMe to your donation will be matched and transferred directly to Little Nazareno. Please see link for the website of The Little Nazareno to donate directy. Alternatively you could also participate in sponsorhip program. You can sponsor a child through a monthly contribution of your choice. Please see here which children have just joined from the little nazareno from the street and are seeking a sponsor!