The Children's Home (Casa do Menino) is an institution runned by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent of Paul, a place providing socio-educational support to children and teenagers in need, to develop their personality to the fullest and prepare them to citizenship in a system of semi-boarding schools. This institution is also composed of a free primary school whose teachers and staff are paid by the State.

Children are welcomed in semi-boarding school in a regular way on a weekly planning established for the school year. The educational action aims at helping children to acquire autonomy in their everyday life and to improve their social and relational interactions. All daily activities such as (introduction to hygiene, socialization assistance and the discovery of appropriate behaviour in society) foster the educational action as well as sports, leisures and cultural activities.

"I beg you, my Sisters, to take great care of the instruction of youth and to keep a good order in your school"
(Saint Louise of Marillac, L. 163 p. 180).

As Daughters of Charity, we are fully committed to all the educational activities which are being developed through cultural activities, educational and sports games, socialization, embroidery, cooking, computing, pastoral and school support activities ; and through groups of prayer and pastoral of the Vincentian Marian Youth and the Childhood Missionary.

Aim

With this project we would like 80 children and teenagers aged 7 to 14 to discover the value of their own culture by developing 5 workshops: 

• Singing
• Theatre
• Music
• Dance
• Sewing

By emphasizing regional folk dance we aim at producing and disseminating an artistic, cultural and body language as a tool capable of awakening in children and teenagers the desire for art and consequently for life, while reinforcing their interests in an educational setting. This allows them to show their understanding of the world and value a meaningful popular culture.

How?

Children will be able to register for three workshops according to their interests. The workshops will consist of theoretical and practical classes with topics and cultural activities specific to north-east Brazil. As a conclusion, all participants will be gathered to prepare a “ Christmas Cantata” (Cantata de Natal) which is going to be a small show presented to the public.

The equipment, the decorations and the costumes will be re-used the following years in other shows.

The project will be carried out over a six-month period, from June to December 2018. Each workshop will take place twice a week at the Children's Home. To that end, the Daughters of Charity of the Children's Home (Casa do Menino) and the professional team of music, dance and theatre teachers will have to develop the activities included in the project, as well as the children themselves.

Thank you to all the people who will help making this project happen.