Helping Seniors Regain their Dignity

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- In the midst of poverty, all too often the senior citizens suffer the most, due to of their lack of income, medical access and opportunity. This is also true here in the favela shanty-towns of Rio de Janeiro, where tens of thousands of seniors struggle to survive. With a desire to make a difference, Cause & Affect first sought out a local non-profit organization already doing effective work to address the situation. Working with our wonderful local partner IBISS, we discovered Novo Olhar aos Idosos, which is located in the Vila Cruzeiros neighborhood we have been concentrating on this year, as seen in out last two blog reports.
SEE VIDEO HERE

This project trains social workers to visit 25 seniors in need on a weekly basis. Once a week, they arrive to take the senior to the doctor, to the market, to the bank or just spend time to provide companionship, as many of these people suffer from neglect and loneliness. For those that live with their families, the social workers help train these families to address the needs and wishes of their elderly family members.

When Cause & Affect expressed our desire to help, we visited several of the seniors and it became obvious there are MANY needs to address. Some of these people are living in sub-humane conditions, such as 84 year-old Dona Augusta (upper right), whose roof had sprung a nasty leak, soaking her bed and tiny home in water. The ensuing mold created a horrible stench and very unhealthy living conditions. We quickly had the roof repaired and as the video shows, Dona Augusta is happy to report her home and bed are now dry.

We also followed the lead of the Make-A-Wish project, granting her decades-long wish by buying her a plane ticket to visit her family in Bahia, in the Northeast of Brazil, as Dona Augusta had migrated to Rio 40 years earlier and had never had the money to visit her long-lost family. We put her on a flight for the first time in her life and as she explains in the video, once she took off into the blue sky, she just wanted to reach out and touch the clouds. Ah, the child reawakens...
SEE VIDEO HERE
For Dona Belinice, a 95 year-old woman very dear to our hearts, home improvement was also the major need, so we rebuilt her patio that had been destroyed years earlier by rain so that she can now sit outside and actually get some fresh air and sun.
For a woman confined to a dark little home, you can imagine what a refreshing joy it is to now be able to enjoy the outdoors. As she told us, "The sun brings life." Gospel, indeed. We also installed some hand-rails in her home so she can get in and out of bed and go to the bathroom without falling, as had happened numerous times earlier. As she blessed me (see video), the strength of her wonderful spirit was on full display.

For other seniors, we provided reading glasses and dental prostheses. Looking at the before and after smiles, it is obvious how much appreciated our assistance was in improving these wonderful seniors lives. Cause & Affect spent a total of $2,600 to address these many mini-projects. Special thanks to Peter de Jong, who visited the seniors' homes with us and passed along a very generous donation!

"Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members."- Pearl S. Buck

Thank you to all of our wonderful donors. To help more seniors like this please give here.

Emergency Family Assistance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Though our focus at Cause & Affect has been assisting pre-existing non-profits, in some cases, we encounter particular individuals and families in such dire need that we feel obliged to help. [ WATCH THE VIDEO HERE]
While visiting Vila Cruzieros, one of Rio de Janeiro's most destitute favela shanty-towns, we were introduced to Dona Rosangelina, a single mother of three who does not have the resources to feed her children. Since her documents were destroyed, she has not been eligible to receive even the most basic government assistance. Our first step was taking her to get replacement documents, so she will start receiving help in two months. But until then, it is imperative to help this family with the most basic necessities.
Dona Rosangelina earns only $50 a month ironing clothes, hardly enough to feed a family of four. With the assistance of our friend Tim Shirk, we jumped into action. Our next step was taking them to the supermarket to purchase food to fill their nearly-empty refrigerator. It is hard to believe that for most of her children's lives, this mother has NEVER been able to buy items we take for granted like fresh fruit or meat. Under normal circumstances, Rosangelina enters the supermarket with $7/week. Try feeding four hungry mouths with that! Over the course of two months, we have purchased $300 worth of food for the family. The kids, who were on the verge of malnutrition, now find it easier to concentrate in school and once their government assistance kicks in, the family will be able to maintain a more healthy diet. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

In addition to food, we have provided some small improvements to help the family at large, such as a fan to ease the tropical heat and a used stove ($200) to allow the family to cook meals. We are also installing a showerhead ($100), so the family does not have to wash themselves out of a bucket.
As you can see from the video, the family is overjoyed to receive this emergency assistance that seemed to fall from the sky at the most crucial moment. Cause & Affect will be assisting more families facing especially desperate situations. IN this case, Tim Shirk stepped forward to contribute the money needed to keep this family from the brink; there are so many families faced with similar predicaments, so we can earmark donations to be directed to other families, which is a great way to pair more better-off families with some of those needing emergency assistance.

Thank you to all of our donors. Please pass this on and give here.

NEW KITCHEN FOR CENTER AIDING MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED IN N. BRAZIL

PROVIDING THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Watch the video!

Sometimes most of the pieces are in place to change people's lives - but ONE thing is lacking.... This was the case when Cause & Affect arrived at Projeto Afeto in Pipa in northern Brazil. Founded by a wonderful former teacher named Tania, this center provides physically and mentally-challenged kids with a place where they can: 1) Receive medical treatment (mostly from doctors providing free services) 2) Learn and play (most kids would just be locked in their homes) 3) Receive enriching educational support from professionals 4) Get a hot, nutritious meal every day.

Watch the video!
The only part of this puzzle that was lacking was the last one, as the center had recently been moved to a location that offered a lot of outdoor space for the kids but lacked one important feature: a kitchen! So, when Cause & Affect arrived and asked what their needs were, it was a no-brainer! "I can't believe you are here asking me this! We have no means to feed these kids right now and were hoping to somehow raise the money needed to buy a new kitchen." As the video shows, we jumped into action and just like Oprah and her dream kitchen, we headed to the nearby city and purchased the refrigerator, stove, blender, pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc. needed to cook hot lunch for 40 kids a day. A few days later, when everything had been delivered and installed, our fully-functional new kitchen was in operation. Now, everyday, these kids (all of whom come from very poor families) are receiving a nutritious hot meal everyday at Projecto Afeto. All this for just $1,200!
Why? Simple - because of generous donations from people like you!
Please continue to fund the important work of Cause & Affect by donating here.
From the wonderful children of Pipa and from C&A, thank you!!

Brazilian Capoeira as a Tool to Aid Childrens Development

CAPOEIRA INSTILLS DISCIPLINE & SELF-CONFIDENCE!!
Cause & Affect recognizes the importance of promoting art, music and sports as a way to improve the social and physical development of children around the world.
Here in Brazil, capoeira represents the perfect mix between all three!

Originally brought by the African slaves to Brazil, capoeira was once prohibited by colonial slave-owners uncomfortable with the sight of their slaves "preparing for battle." As a result, the slaves adapted the art form, setting it to music and trading elements of fighting for dance. Today, capoeira is recognized as one of Brazil's most important cultural traditions; since people of all ages, genders and ages participate together, it's an important means to foster childrens social development.
On the northeastern coast of Brazil in Pipa, Rio Grande de Sul, a wonderfully-run community project uses capoeira instruction as a way to keep local kids off the street,
while training them in this martial art/dance that has become such an integral part of Brazilian culture. C&A assessed their needs and jumped into action! As the video shows, the instructor, director and kids were in need of mirrors to help refine their technique and improve their practice.
Cause & Affect contracted a company to install them and just a few days later, the capoeira studio at Projeto Das Criancas (Children's Project) was complete!
As the professor told me, "Capoeira is much more than a sport; it provides much-needed discipline for these kids, many of whom come from broken families." Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces and watching them display their skills with pride, it is obvious that
this $915 will go a long way towards helping these 40+ kids achieve a positive self-image, while exercising in a wholesome, culturally-enriching activity.
Your donations make a difference - you can aid the cause by clicking here.