wfn.org | Welfare Reform Affects UM Institutions

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CONTACT: 	Linda Bloom
(10-21-33-71B){100}
		New York (212) 870-3803			  Feb. 23, 1998

NOTE: This is the final story in a series examining the impact of
welfare reform on United Methodist institutions.

Brazil social workers see family
as key to helping poor children

			by United Methodist News Service

	In 1989, a group of social workers -- backed by money from a
popular singer named Xuxa -- set up a center for children in a poor
section of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
	Preschool and after-school programs were established for
children ages 3 to 12, according to Angelica Goulart, director of the
Xuxa (pronounced shoo-sha) Foundation. However, the social workers soon
realized they couldn't effectively deal with the children's problems
without involving their families, the community and the larger society,
she said.
	The children's problems were not just about being poor but also
about being abandoned or neglected, Goulart recently told the welfare
reform team at the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. "That's
why we saw the urgency of working with families, too."
	The Global Ministries team was exploring parts of the Brazilian
program as a possible alternative model to welfare.
The work at the Xuxa Foundation started with single mothers who were
"lost within their own pain," Goulart recalled through a translator. The
center's social workers began to come in from 6 to 8 a.m. on a volunteer
basis to meet with the women.
	As the mothers started to regain self-esteem, the care of their
children improved. Eventually, they organized meetings to discuss issues
such as labor rights, and learned to speak out and open new pathways for
themselves.
	Local teachers also sought resources at the center. A workshop
on violence against children, aimed at educators, immediately drew 150
registrations.
"The school district decided to cancel school that day so the teachers
could participate in the workshops," Goulart said.
	The center also has been involved in programs that include
training social workers and establishing classes in adult literacy and
computer skills.
	Milton Quitino, a Methodist layman, coordinates work with youth
at the center. That effort quickly took off.
"We tried to organize a little workshop with adolescent youth and within
three days, we had 600 wanting to participate," he recalled.
	 Youth receive vocational training, find outlets for artistic
expression, and learn about environmental and health issues.
"The most important (priority) was just to have a meeting place where
they could get together and discuss things," Quitino said.
	The community has a lot of restaurants and activities related to
the local fishing industry, so one program trains young people to work
in food-related jobs.
	Since the Xuxa Foundation only funds the children's programs,
the center staff has established partnerships with other institutions to
carry on its expanded work.
Said Goulart: "The demand for what we are doing is much greater than
what we have the resources for."
				# # #

United Methodist News Service
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