Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy

Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy

Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy

News

Spreading Mercy In The North East Of Brazil

Women Giving More Life To Life In Brazil

GardenOrganic Garden in the Marinas

During a recent visit to North East Brazil it has been a great privilege for me to accompany Gabrielle Kieran rsm and Celine Conway rsm to the various projects they are involved with and to meet the Brazilian people. It was very evident to me from the joy, life and appreciation expressed that the people are experiencing the support they need to enable them to live with dignity and to become self-sustaining in the long term. The following article was written by Celine and Gabrielle earlier this year and gives a good description of the areas in which they are involved:

Brazil is the sixth most populous country in the world, and the largest in South America, with a population of approximately 200 million. It is home to a rich mix of cultures, ethnic groups, religions and life styles. The majority of the population is nominally Catholic but, in recent decades, there has been huge growth in the number of fundamentalist sects. While Brazil is a wealthy country in terms of natural resources and industry, the stark reality is that the bulk of the wealth is in the hands of a tiny minority. This gives rise to gross inequality and corruption and huge areas of extreme poverty where violence and drugs reign supreme.

The state of Paraiba is situated in the north east of Brazil with a population of approximately 4.5 million. It is considered one of the poorest states in terms of development (both industrial and agricultural) and suffers from long spells of drought. Many people migrate to the wealthier south (Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro) where they live in shanty towns on the periphery of the cities with little infra-structure: inadequate sanitation, no access to clean drinking water, and precarious road networks and housing. Violent crime, drugs and sexual exploitation abound.

The mission was founded in 1982 by the Sisters of Mercy of the Diocese of Cashel & Emly and is now sustained by the South Central Province. Two Sisters, Gabrielle and Celine live in the two main cities of Paraiba: João Pessoa (Gabrielle Kieran) and Campina Grande (Celine Conway). In a society which lacks adequate health, housing, education, employment and social services we endeavour to work alongside the people; to accompany their struggle; to provide basic skills and services and to encourage and affirm them as they strive to improve their lives and give a better future to their children.

Campina Grande

The north east of Brazil has the highest indication of illiteracy in the country – almost eight million which corresponds to 45 percent of the total number in the country. In an effort to lower these statistics and help people to fulfill a lifelong dream to read and write, Project of Hope for the Education of Youth and adults was set up in 2001 by Celine. The project caters for youths and adults (15) who, for various reasons were deprived of the opportunity of education. Unfortunately, those who are disadvantaged and marginalised in society do not clearly understand the advantages of education and this only serves to widen the gap between rich and poor. The aims of the project are to provide people with basic literacy and numeric skills; to enable people to become agents of their own liberation through access to education; to provide a skill that increases employment prospects; to promote social action within the communities where the participants live and work; to develop a process to enhance self-esteem among participants and stimulate a desire in the participants to continue their formal education. The classes run from February to December. The monitors receive training and supervision. The project is recognised by the Municipal Educational Department and has the use of classrooms in the local schools.

LiteracyThe Adult Literacy class

Brazil is a key player in world environmental issues, being home to the Amazon rain forest. In recent years, de-forestation has resulted in huge ecological disasters such as flooding and landslides with ensuing loss of life, homes, livestock and property. The accumulation of rubbish (plastic bags/bottles, cans etc.) causes havoc, polluting and blocking up rivers, lakes and sewage systems. There is a growing awareness of the need to address this problem. In 2001, Celine set up a Co-Operative (COTRAMARE) on the city dump. Members of this co-operative lived and worked there and eeked out a very basic living sifting through the rubbish of the city. With the closure of the dump the co-operative was re-located to a large rented shed in the city. The objectives of the co-operative are: to offer the workers a fair price for their products; to give the workers a better status; to raise self-esteem and to offer alternative ways of generating income. It also pilots a scheme for the selective collection of rubbish in the city. An information sheet was published to inform the people of the importance of separating their rubbish. The co-operative workers now go from door to door collecting recyclable materials and bringing them back to the shed where they are sorted and sold to recycling companies.

ShedCotramare Recycling

In response to a need for training and capacitation of the women and youths who previously worked in the city dump, Celine began the Touch of Hope Foundation (Fundação Toque de Esperança) in 2010. The aims of this foundation/centre are: to provide space and training for back to work training courses which would lead to job opportunities and financial independence; personal, community and cultural development; citizenship and care of the environment. These courses are conducted by the local university and by Government bodies (SENAC/SENAI).

Touch of Hope Foundation Training Course Participants

João Pessoa

The percentage of women in the northeast of Brazil who suffer from domestic violence, abuse, discrimination etc. is extremely high. The violence is rooted in the inequality of relationships between men and women. A headline in a recent local newspaper showed that the city of João Pessoa has one of the highest rates of female deaths in the country, due to violence. A relatively new law called “Lei Maria da Penha” now offers protection to the victims and rigorous punishment of the aggressors. In an effort to support these women Gabrielle set up the “Casa Lilás” (Lilac House). The motto of the “Casa Lilás” is “Women giving more life to life” to their own lives; to their community; to their environment. The centre offers a safe space where women can share their problems through group activities and also on a one to one basis. Various activities are carried out at the centre including programmes of self-help, citizenship, recycling and gender issues. Courses are provided aimed at working towards financial independence for the women of the area. Looking after the environment is a vital part of the “Casa Lilás”, and emphasis is placed on recycling and educational campaigns.

Lilac HouseGroup of women in the Lilac House

Agrarian reform has been on the agenda of every political campaign for many years. There is plenty of land in Brazil but it is mostly in the hands of a small number of wealthy landowners. Huge tracts lie unused. Some of these tracts have been occupied by landless agricultural workers – one area being Marinas, situated about one hour from João Pessoa. Gabrielle works there with a group of women who have developed a medicinal herb garden and make natural medicine from their produce. They also developed two large gardens where organic vegetables are grown. Twice a week all their produce is sold at markets in the city of João Pessoa.

CertsThe women of Marinas receive their certificates in Natural Medicine

In the past few years the medical attention for people with AIDS in Brazil has been well catered for by the Government. However, issues like discrimination, isolation, rejection and prejudice still need to be tackled, the suffering of people with AIDS goes deeper than the actual physical illness. Gabrielle and a medical Doctor work together with women who are HIV positive providing companionship through activities that raise their self-esteem and dignity.

“To bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the down trodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour” Lk. 4:18.

While we are mindful of the enormity of this challenge, we are aware that every journey starts with a single step. It is a joy and a privilege to be travelling this journey in the company of many Brazilians and to be able to share their story along the way…..

Celine Conway rsm
Gabrielle Kieran rsm
Clare Gunning rsm

South Central Province