NGOs and Governmental Agencies

Taking part in some of the activities with the German NGE group I got to visit several NGOs and governmental agencies in the area including:


NGOs

Associacão Benificiente Sao Roque http://www.associacaosaoroque.org.br/

This was a really interesting NGO that collects donations like goodwill and they sort through everything and sell it in a bazaar or donate it to needy families. The money they make in the bazaar is used to support the social programs they have. They have a community center in a poor area where they distribute food packages once a month to families that have someone with a mental or physical illness. For example on of the families we met was two children that are mentally challenged who live with their great grandmother because their parents and grandparents were killed due to drug related violence. They also have a library and arts programs for children in the community to keep them out of the streets and away from drugs. It was really amazing to see the difference they were making in the community.

They even have a choir and band that can be seen in a promotional video made by the government  here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZqIpu-NaJ8

Food distribution

Performance area for children's programs in construction

Library at São Roque

Computer lab for technology courses

Associacão Borda Vida https://www.facebook.com/BordaViva

This NGO has a program in a different poor area where they make lunch and serve it to children in the area for free. They also sell it to others in order to raise funds for their programs. They also have a program to help women find jobs and teach them market able skills. They have partnered with Renault and have a production of a special fabric used to protect cars in production centers. Also an amazing project making an amazing impact on the community.

With children taking part in activities at Borda Viva

Government Agencies

Civil Defense Agency

We got to visit a government agency that handles all natural disasters in the state. We learned a bit about the process. There are a lot of floods in the area and people often build homes along the riverside against government policy.

Mayor of São José dos Pinhais

We got to meet the Mayor of neighboring city São José dos Pinhais. It was really neat to get an understanding of the politics of the city and its role as an industrial center of the southern region of Brazil.

Public Clinic in Vila Torres

We went to a public clinic in a favela called Vila Torres. We were told this is the most dangerous area in the state of Paraná. The major issues they deal with are issues with drugs and violence. two groups on each side of a river that splits the area are sort of gangs. If someone from one side dies, someone from the other side will die too. The clinic itself is quite safe though since the community protects it because it helps and doctors in white are safe to walk around the area so we went with them and saw the names painted on walls of people who had been murdered, walked on the most dangerous street as well. It was pretty calm since there had been a police raid in the morning. It was difficult to see, but really not quite as bad as I thought it might be. I thought it may be more similar to the parts of San Salvador I visited on a research trip with a professor from my university a few years ago.

The Germans and me with doctors and dentists at the clinic