SCHOOL

We are Estrela da Favela, an education, sports and life skills project, based in the favela Mangueira. Our team exists of ten members on the ground and two boards; one in the Netherlands, and one in Brazil.

Estrela da Favela was found in 2012 by the Dutchman Edwin Roodenburg and the Brazilian Edna Silveira. After Edwin had worked for years in the favelas setting up tennis schools and Edna gained over more than twenty years working experience at an orphanage.

Currently we are equipped by five teachers, a sport instructor, a psychologist and a fund raiser. In 2016 a cook joined the team, who provides healthy and nutritious meals. In addition, we get support of a varying number of volunteers and interns.

On a daily basis we teach over a 100 children from the favela Mangueira, ranging from 4 to 14 years old, in math, Portuguese, geography, history, and English. In addition we pay a lot of attention to norms, values and social skills.

We offer sport activities, teaching our students that sport isn't only a healthy, fun and relaxing activity but we use it also in an educational manner. Through different sports, we teach our kids at a young age that rules, structure and team work are necessary to reach goals. We train them to set goals and show commitment to achieve the goals through (girls) football, (beach) tennis and volleyball.

We are also offering a music program to our children. Currently a select group of enthousiasts receives flute classes every week. 

A psychologist examines about 30 traumatized children with their parents / caretakers. She provides therapy or refers them for further treatment.

TARGET

Our goal is to prepare the students for further education and to teach norms, values and social skills, so our students develop a solid base to enter society. We pay extra attention to the development of girls, because they will soon raise the next generation. We believe that strong women can bring changes in the macho oriented favela culture.

RESULTS

Several children achieved access to higher education. But our greatest success is that not one student got pregnant. Unfortunately, in one boy was unable to resist the temptations of a life in crime, but he came to understanding and is back on the right track.