July 31, 2009

• PETI

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  I walked to the church the other morning to see Patricia and Cacau at PETI/Living Stones. I wanted to hear some stories. i wanted to know how things were. it had been six months.

  The local government of Paudalho received a new mayor last year, and everything is still being adjusted, especially the head of social services. Things have now been finalized, and a guy named “Beija Flor” is in charge (his name literally means “The flower’s kiss.” I think it is a nickname.i hope it is a nickname.) Pray for him, will you? he isn’t doing the bestest of jobs right now.

   

  The Living Stone’s program in Paudalho, the only Living Stone’s project running at the moment, receives its funding from the connection it has with PETI, the local government social service. Apparently, while many services have offices and organizations (like for drug rehab, physical abuse…) the services that are actually offered are few. The two social programs offered by the town are “siestas basicas–” a general welfare program, and PETI. PETI is the program to eradicate children from working…in other words, helping them be able to go to school and get a meal instead of begging on the streets and looking for odd jobs. The state offers other social programs, such as help with official documents, a milk program (1-3 packets of milk, 3 times a week, given on basis of need), and food cards—starting at $12 a month, one per family, up to $64 a month—depending on need and the amount of children you have. No one goes over $64. For a month.

   

  The idea of the PETI program is that the town is divided into 8 sectors, and at each one of these places a house is rented, three teachers, a cook, and a janitor is paid, and then there are different teachers who go around to each of the 8 sectors and do classes with the kids: art, dance, music, soccer, and so forth. For the past two years, only 2 of these 8 sectors have been functioning. In the other places, the children either walk a mile or two to an open PETI, or wait and just have a class in the street with the teachers that come by to teach. One of the two PETI sectors still open and functioning is the one at the Community Church of Paudalho. And really, that is only because of the tenacity of it’s leaders, Patricia and Cacau.

   

  The past six months have been difficult ones. Imagine working for the government, in charge of 100 children who otherwise are not likely to receive any help or assistance…or daily food. Some days they would show up for work, and the electricity would be cut off. Or the promised food didn’t’t arrive. Or the bathroom wouldn’t flush, because the water was turned off. Imagine being told to not plan a basic day-to-day program, because the other 8 sectors needed to come together and plan too—and they would be starting up soon (Soon has been two years so far). And since they cannot plan an official program, they are given no resources.

   

  While I was there, writing down notes and thoughts and all that Patricia was explaining, my pen died. It was sad, because I liked that pen, it was my clicky pen—you know, that clicks in and out. I asked if they had any and she said “Nao, ate nao tem caneta” no…we don’t even have pens. She passed me her pencil, which I recognized as one that I had brought to them last year. When she says there are no resources, she means it.

   

  There were some highlights so far this year—mainly being during February, where they had a recycling project around Carnival, Easter, where Tele was able to present the children with gifts in bags, sent from the USA, and Sao Joao, another holiday where they learned traditional dances and cooked traditional food.

   

  While there were 6 paid staff last year there are now three. One of the teachers left, and the government decided to stop paying the two cooks. The janitor is now trying to do the cooking, with the help of one of the cooks who comes—voluntarily—often bringing chicken or pieces of meat with her. But that isn’t really an issue when there is no food anyway. The promised food for the month of July arrived while I sat there, three weeks late. Tomorrow they can reopen the program. 

   

  While I was there taking notes, Maria came in and sat, hiding behind Patricia, peeking over one shoulder at me with a shy smile. Maria must be 16 or so, a tall girl with bright eyes. Then came Flavia, the director of PETI, and a psychologist. Maria is the victim of abuse, mainly from her brother. After working for some time, today she was able to meet with a psychologist. Inwardly, I still shake my head and wonder what good it will do Maria to talk about something that no one will really do anything about. It is not like they can put her in foster care, or take her out of the situation…

   

  The director shook my hand and talked animatedly about the book I had made about PETI (a photobook I had ordered online). She said it had moved her to tears. Cacau said she hadn’t really seen the program or the pictures before. It makes me wonder what the director has been doing if she is surprised to see what she is directing.

   

  Since the food has just arrived today, Patricia and Cacao used today to prepare some things for the coming weeks. Right now, they are working on a writing project. Mostly, just getting the children excited about writing. Writing anything. In the public schools, writing class consists of being handed a book and copying it. I thought longingly of my sister, doing a creative writing summer camp, and wished she could be here doing one. These kids are brimming with imagination…and it hurts to think they don’t like writing because all they have known is copying. So Patricia and Cacau sat down and decorated paper. They made some small mini-notepads, cutting up lined paper, stapling it together, and then putting on some stickers (no money for folders or personal journals here. Oh, I’d kill for 100 dollar store journals). They want to make writing fun.

  (The kids are learning to croshay…spell? The girl in the middle promised to teach me. They are making purses out of the plastic from two litter bottles)

   

  August has a lot of holidays, so they are going to be doing activities around Father’s day (August 10), and Art day (August 13). For Artist’s day (August 23), they are going to have a special exhibition, and invite the children’s parents for a tea to come see it displayed. September 7 is Independence day, and so a lot of work is going into preparing for that as well. Thanks to some generous friends in the USA, September will also hold another lice-killing party. One of the boys, Edimulson, has a tumor the size of an orange behind his ear. They think it might be caused/aggravated by all the lice he has…literally tumbling off his head. Cacao recently made sure that his hair was all buzzed off to help, and attempted to take him to the doctor, but the boy is 12 and too scared to go.

   

  We talked about different dreams…about how those at World Renewal wanted me to be the one to “stand in the gap” and represent Living Stones in the USA. the goal is to have an active Living Stones program in each of the Community churches in Brasil, and to work with the program to plant new churches. While this will take personnel from within each church to run—2 or 3 workers—it will also take the resources. Patricia, who worked with Living Stones before it was connected with PETI, recounted the days by saying “it was frustraighting to run a program with a pad of blank paper and pencils.”

   

  I want to see the program day in and day out. I want to know it. I want to see the frustrations and the victories. I also want to come up with a program outline—a basic curriculum to follow—with all the needs written down. It should be where at the beginning of each month, a big box with all the food and resources for the month are provided. If they are going to learn about the flood, the story and crayons and coloring pictures are there. If a project for Mother’s day, then all that is needed is in the box already. Sure they can do other things and add things…but the basics must be covered. That way, those in America know just what is coming up, and what they can give and supply. Those in Brasil do not feel alone—and never have that horrible sensation of 50 kids standing around them, asking what today brings—with no food in the cupboard and no paper or supplies to do anything.

   

  Dream with me…10 Living Stones…a couple more in the works…each reaching out to their communities…we would need personnel training, and so many supplies…it would take a coordinator in the US as well in Brasil…someone who could visit each site regularly to keep up with them, report on, and make sure the supplies are getting to them. Then in the US someone to go speak at churches, to plan fundraisers, speak other places, get the word out there…explaining the project…where to give…how they can help and be a part of things…There also needs to be word of mouth, and writing—lots of writing.

   

  But first…just here. Just now. Getting to know the kids. Seeing the needs, living the needs, helping—loving. Just being there. 

   

  • 6:07 am
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