Helping the inhabitants of a small village to open up to the world

"I am delighted to be the sponsor of the "buy a minibus" project. This will be extremely useful both for the children and for the handicapped and disadvantaged persons welcomed by the structure."

Mathilde Blaise

"La Fazenda" is a small Brazilian village created by the Association Points-Cœur to welcome children, adolescents and young adults in situations of extreme social, economic, physical or psychic difficulty.
By escaping from the street world, from family violence and from problems connected with a handicap, they try to find a balanced life here through school, work, cultural and sports activities, and simple daily tasks, such as cooking and laundry.

Living in small houses, they are supervised by volunteers called "Friends of the children" coming from the four corners of the world to offer them all the attention they need.

Yet, lacking a proper road, the village remains isolated during the rainy season, which lasts from March to October. The only 2.5 kilometer road connecting "La Fazenda" to the first road to the nearest village is impracticable during heavy rains which can cause landslides and huge crevasses. Even worse, the slope of the land is as high as 30%, thereby further increasing the scale of the damage. No doubt sorely tried by these many land obstacles, the only vehicle of the villagers is at the end of its tether.

Providing a link with the outside world

Faced with the recurrent problem of the rainy season, the Association Points-Cœur is getting involved in work to rebuild the 2.5 kilometer road in order to place a permanent surfacing. This implies excavating the road, installing drains and rebuilding it with new more suitable materials. Several partners, including the French Senate, are mobilizing to participate in the installation of this section of road. Yet in order to drive on this metalled road, a new vehicle is needed.
The grant from the Veolia Foundation will be used to buy a used minibus, refitted for the transport of handicapped persons and equipped with reinforced shock absorbers. It will convey the children of "La Fazenda" daily to the school of the neighboring village, guarantee the supplies for the inhabitants, and provide a link with the local social structures.