While my team has been slaving away on the sales and promotional campaign for this year’s show, I though I’d leave them to it and take off for a week in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Now before you go accusing me of being a slacker, I have not been lounging on a beach, as you might expect, but experiencing what it is like to live a less privileged life in a favela in one of the poorest areas of Brazil.
The reason for this break in my normal working week is that I have been fortunate enough to have taken part this year in a leadership programme at CMPi, and this culminated with a week’s voluntary work with a charity in Brazil.
My group, consisting of Caroline Nodder, editor of the Publican magazine, and Duncan Reid, event director of Confex, have spent this last week with Acer, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping children at risk from drug, alcohol and gun crime and parental abuse. Acer is run by an inspirational person, Jonathan Hannay, who has dedicated his life to the local community of Eldorado, where he leads a team of young adults who work with kids through education, dance, art and music, as well as an outreach programme of social work to those most at risk.
As I took off for Sao Paulo I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. Our team had been asked to take a look at Acer’s communications strategy and make suggestions that could help Jonathan grow its good work. My main thought as I boarded the plane was, could we really make a difference in such a short space of time? I was also aware of my own pre-conceived ideas of what we might expect from the favela – the guns, the violence, and the poverty.
However, in total contrast to this, as I stepped off the plane in Sao Paulo I had no idea that our first night was to be something of a departure from life in the favela.
We were taken by Jonathan, a Scot of origin himself, to an ex-pat St Andrews Society Burn’s Night supper, complete with kilts (not mine I hasten to add), haggis, Scottish dancing and bagpipes. It was unexpected to say the least, but nevertheless a real treat on our first evening there.
But as the football saying goes, the weekend turned out to be a game of two halves.
The next morning, Sunday, presented the opportunity to mix one of my greatest passions, with that of Brazil’s. Jonathan coaches a local football team within the community and offered us the chance to play. In 32 degree heat and 85% humidity it was probably just as well Duncan and I were substitutes (also from the warm up it was evident these guys were pretty good!), However, I was brought on with ten minutes to go and scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out, a great relief as I did not want to let them or their opinion of English football down.
Not much work done so far I suspect you are thinking, but to be fair it was the weekend and the charity was not open until Monday!
So Monday was my first opportunity to visit the favela. Eldorado, is in the district of Diadema, one of the most densely populated areas in the whole of Brazil. Built into the hillside, on what was previously tropical forest, the town is a sprawling landscape of breezeblock buildings built on top of each other. In various states of repair, it was hard to tell if many were in the process of being built up or torn down. Corrugated tin roofs, wooden extensions, you get the picture. Like the rest of Sao Paulo, the sound of revving engines and car horns was never far away, nor the vibrancy of daily life with music blaring from cars and shops, kids playing games and people generally enjoying life. A sudden thunderstorm had us scurrying for cover as a torrent of water flowed through the street, giving a brief respite from the humidity. Within an hour you would never have known it had rained.
My concerns about safety were well off the mark. There was no ‘edge’ to the place, or roaming street-gangs. Once a town ravaged by gun crime (a shooting every other day only a few years back), this is a community that is doing its best to tackle its problems. This is partly down to the policies of a recently elected mayor but through the activities of Acer, Hummingbird and other local NGO’s.
We were tasked with assisting Acer with their communications strategy and advise on how it might be improved. On arrival we met several of Acer’s 40 staff, most from the local community and some having come through previous Acer programmes. We toured the library that hosts 300 children a day who go to read or use the internet or simply play with their friends. Next we witnessed a workshop where kids were learning percussion in the African Roots class. Capoeira classes were being held later in the day. Acer provides a safe haven for children and all its activities are provided for free. It was soon evident that this was a special place.
Through an interpreter we interviewed many of the staff over the next few days to help us construct our plan. What was evident is the great pride in the community and the work carried out. Jonathan pointed out that they do not have cleaners. The staff all contributes to keep the building clean and tidy themselves and take pride in doing so. These values are then taught to the children that come to Acer as well.
I got a sense that they did not actually realise the great work they were doing and the impact they were having on the improved lives within their community. Perhaps they were just modest, but I could not help but be touched seeing the staff interact with children and the smiles and laughter will live long in my memory.
Our week is over all too quickly. I hope that we made a difference even if only in a small way. As I arrive back to my desk and the mountain of emails that greeted me, it strikes me that perhaps the experience has made a bigger difference to me.
