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BRAZIL: Salesian missionaries are helping young, single mothers with shelter and education in the remote area of Iauaretê

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries, in collaboration with Italian volunteers and Mary Help of Christians and all led by Italian Salesian missionary Father Roberto Cappelletti, bring hope and education to those living in Iauaretê. The community is located in the deep western part of the Brazilian Amazon at the border with Colombia and is one of the farthest and most difficult missions to reach. It normally takes three days to get there. Visitors must take a motorboat traveling up the Rio Negro and then continue toward Colombia, sailing the Rio Uaupes. Iauaretê is far away from everything, including institutions and critical services like hospitals and health centers.

The Salesian mission of Iauaretê consists of a central missionary district, which comprises the St. Michael Archangel parish and 11 chapels. But the work of the Salesian missionaries extends over an area far greater, reaching 40 indigenous communities made up of 16 different ethnic groups. Missionaries are very focused on their work with adolescents and children in the communities.

For many people, the future is uncertain because there are no factories, no university for advanced education and no work. School is only available until youth reach the age of 17, and then those who want to study and progress in life must leave the area and go to São Gabriel or Manaus. Alcoholism is a great problem in the local communities. Although there is a very clear law that forbids bringing any type of alcohol into the indigenous areas, it is often brought in illegally. It is easily smuggled in from neighboring countries like Colombia, causing tragedies such as escalating family violence and early death from health complications from alcoholism.

One of the groups Fr. Cappelletti is focused on helping is underage mothers and their children. These young women have been forced to leave their homes by their parents after their pregnancy was discovered.  Outcast and relegated to the margins of society, these young women are forced to play a parental role without having the tools, completely alone and without the help of their families.

Salesian missionaries offer hot meals, help these young mothers in their studies and education, and provide health care and often a place to stay for the night. The Salesian program is also in the process of constructing a family home that can accommodate them comfortably. Thinking of all the needs involved, Fr. Cappelletti has planned to equip the house with 50 hammocks. In the heart of the Amazon forest, hammocks are used, not beds. The hammocks are part of the local cultural heritage and the most practical solution to find rest.

Fr. Cappelletti has received the assistance of Don Bosco Mission in Turin, Italy as well as support from the Rete del Dono half-marathon that was held in March and promoted by Santander in the Parco del Valentino. Twenty four runners ran to raise awareness and to give a donation to the project. Currently, funds have been raised for 40 of the 50 necessary hammocks, while Don Bosco Mission continues to encourage its benefactors to complete the work.

“The Salesian programs in these indigenous communities help to ensure that youth know there is hope for the future and that although the future may seem bleak, there are options available to them,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Salesian missionaries across Brazil  provide education, workforce development and social services and are focused on helping poor youth, including street children. They have their basic needs met and gain an education to have the employment and life skills to break the cycle of poverty and live productive lives.”

Brazil has one of the strongest economies in Latin America and is an important agricultural and industrial power in the region. Just over 15 percent of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between the poor and the rich, and issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of poverty.

Inequalities also exist in access to education and educational efficiency. These inequalities are greatest for children and youth who are poor, live in rural areas or who have an incomplete compulsory education. Salesian missionaries working with poor youth and their families in Brazil develop programs and provide youth opportunities for furthering their education and skills.

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Sources:

ANS – Brazil – Cradle the dreams of Indigenous children

World Bank – Brazil