[LAIST Tour Begins, Fazenda Tozan, Churrascaria – Nova Pampa, Port of Santos, Deloitte, Embraer, Natura, Gol de Letra, Bom Bril, Agencia Click, Nextel Institute, May 6, Rio, Rio Weekend, Petrobras, PREVI]
[Delayed from yesterday, photos and video forth coming]
The Gol de Letra Foundation is a non-for-profit organization founded by Rai Souza Vieira de Oliveira, former Captain of the National Brazilian football team, and Lenardo Nascimento de Araujo, midfielder for Brazil and current manager of the Italian A.C. Milan FC.
The project reaches 1200 youth and has been running for 10 years in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and has received recognition from international organizations such as UNESCO in 2001 as the world model for helping underprivileged children. Their core values are dignity, fraternity, perseverance, solidarity.
They find the most vulnerable children in the community and provide a place for them to play and learn. Typical school programs only last half a day, with school access not nearly as prevalent as in countries such as Canada, so programs such as Gol de Letra fill the gap to provide opportunities not necessarily available otherwise.
Their programs promote literacy, physical education, music and social interaction with peers. We were treated to an impromptu Brazilian musical performance by some of the children.
Certainly one of our more fun visits, we also participated in a game of “chain tag” running around with the kids. It was absolutely moving when the adorable little kids were giving us hugs goodbye.
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