Ninety Percent!!!

UNICEF recently reported that there are 32 million children living in poverty in Brazil. Nationally, that is 63% of children and teenagers. In areas of the north-east where CBC works, poverty is experienced by 90% of children and young people.

It seems that in the last few years, the situation has worsened, including a decline in educational standards and an increase in illiteracy. These official statistics certainly seem consistent with the situation we see in the slums here in Fortaleza. Since the pandemic, schools have struggled to recruit teachers, unemployment is high, and the cost of living is surging.

Furthermore, public services in the slums continue to fall short of basic standards. It is sad for us to see this stagnation of development after many years of working in this community. However, we encourage ourselves by the results and relationship we have, one child at a time. We are not giving up. Poverty is multi-dimensional.

Another recent report concludes…

“At least 25% of preschool children living in an urban area in Brazil presented a mental health disorder. These mental disorders were associated with modifiable factors such as stressful family relationships and lower social capital.” (Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry)

It’s very reasonable to assume that 1 in 4 of the students that we receive at Channel to Brazil for Christ have mental health disorders caused by social conditions and the relentless dominance of gang violence. We already know that without the intervention of organizations like Channel to Brazil for Christ to provide family and educational support, the chances of a child completing basic education is drastically reduced.