Brazil Stories

Restoring a Broken Heart

2008-06-16T12:00:00-06:00

Talita, a Compassion Leadership Development student, makes a difference in children's lives by volunteering at the same student center she was enrolled in as a child.

An Innocent Victim

2008-05-12T12:00:00-06:00

As a young boy, Eloim cared for his mentally ill mother. Now, Compassion offers the family support, and Eloim is finally learning what it means to be a child, not a caregiver.

In God's Hand

2007-05-14T12:00:00-06:00

When social workers found an infant named Rita, she was bleeding and alone on the dirt floor of her family's home. She was one of the millions of abandonados - abandoned children - who crowd the streets of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Her future was bleak. Because of Compassion's assistance, today 26-year-old Rita now works as an administrative assistant and acts as a "big sister" to her extended family at the project.

Antonio Carlos: "I Miss Her"

2006-02-15T12:00:00-07:00

While only 10 years old, Antonio Carlos has already suffered a great deal. However, through Compassion, he is learning life skills and has found hope.

Work for Fun and Profit

2005-05-17T12:00:00-06:00

Simone Sylvia Franca is one of 30 Brazilian teenagers who graduated from a bakery course at Lar Batista de Criancas (BR-302). Read how the job training program supplied her with newfound knowledge and skills that she believes will allow her to support a family of her own some day.

The Truth about Carnaval

2005-04-19T12:00:00-06:00

Carnaval is a bawdy four-day Brazilian celebration culminating on "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras. Compassion-assisted projects in Brazil teach children about their country's world-famous Carnaval, marked by drugs, alcohol, gambling and sexual license, and then offer an alternative. Projeto Maninho (BR-338) provides "Purim", a celebration for children that incorporates puppets, music, dance and drama. Many parents approve - and are grateful.

David Bohr: Letting Children Know They Matter

2003-06-09T12:00:00-06:00

Dave Bohr had never flown before he boarded an airplane bound for Brazil to meet his sponsored child, Amanda. That was just the beginning of many "firsts" in a life-changing trip that also led Dave to join Compassion's Volunteer Network.

The Chance to Meet ... Finally

2002-12-04T12:00:00-07:00

Meeting each other was a recurring theme in the girls' letters. Perhaps Vanessa summed it up best in a July 2000 letter: "Even without knowing each other personally, there is a big friendship between us," she wrote. After 10 years of wishing, Jenny wrote to Vanessa early in 2002 to say that she was coming to Brazil that August.

Jenny and Vanessa: Growing Up Together ... a World Apart

2002-12-04T12:00:00-07:00

Jenny loved coloring pictures for her family's sponsored children around the world. She prayed for them faithfully with her mom and dad. She felt directly involved in her parents' sponsorships. And when she turned nine, she decided it was time to take her involvement a step further - she needed to contribute financially.

A Project Responds to Its Community's Needs

2002-12-04T12:00:00-07:00

Betesda Student Center (BR-111) in Fortaleza responded to their community's need by introducing a new curriculum called "Families against Violence."

Elaine da Silva: Growing Up with Dreams

2002-12-04T12:00:00-07:00

When Compassion first spoke with Elaine (pronounced e-LINE-ee) in 1999, she had just turned nine and was recently registered into Compassion's sponsorship program. In spite of their struggles, there have been positive changes in Elaine in the last three years. There is no sign of her former shyness. Actually, it might be hard to find a more outgoing, friendly child than 12-year-old Elaine.