Season of Reflection

‘Tis the time of the year we all come across the traditional saying “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” FSD-Brazil invites you to reflect on the lives of our children impacted by the pandemic, which has caused the largest disruption of education ever.

In December 2019, FSD-Brazil distributed more than 500 brand new soccer uniforms to underserved children in Brazil in furtherance of our mission: FSD-Brazil strives to reduce public school dropouts in Brazil through after school soccer programs.?We believe soccer encourages?children to discover their full potential and help them thrive in school.?

https://youtu.be/G8GMPmO8OxI

A few months later, the same children who had received the new soccer uniforms for Christmas found their parents to be sick or unemployed due to the pandemic. We all learned that poverty levels in vulnerable communities did not allow for social distancing. Simply put, sick and unemployed parents were unable to provide for their children. ?In addition, school lockdowns impaired learning and deprived most children from their one and only daily meal at school. FSD-Brazil immediately took action providing food supplies and masks to 450 families in Brazil, but unfortunately was unable to prevent the disruption: children's learning fell behind and public school dropouts spiked.

Education is defined by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental human right for every child. It is also one of the most powerful tools in lifting socially excluded children out of poverty and into society. School lockdowns caused by the pandemic denied our underserved children in Brazil their fundamental right to education, especially where children had no access to online resources.

Education also reduces gender gap for girls and women. Gender inequality?keeps women and their families trapped in cycles of poverty. When women receive better education and job opportunities, they can thrive and be more competitive in the marketplace. The disruption of education during the pandemic made children more vulnerable to drugs and domestic abuse while left at home.

So, my grown-up Christmas list is very short, I must say: May each and every child be guaranteed the fundamental right to education and be allowed to fully exercise such right under the following seven principles: Hope, Self-Respect, Inclusion, Resilience, Knowledge, Pride and Success. Such principles have guided FSD-Brazil's actions since its inception and are very much aligned with the four major actions called by the The 2020 United Nations Policy Brief on Education during COVID-19: 1.???Reopening schools. As the world faces unsustainable levels of inequality, education is viewed as the greatest equalizer.?2.?Education budgets need to be protected and increased. After school programs focusing on education must be prioritized. 3.?Education initiatives must seek to reach those at greatest risk of being left behind – (and here I include our underserved children in Brazil). 4.?Investment in digital literacy and learning infrastructure.

UNESCO has reported that while only 4% of the poorest youth complete upper secondary school in low-income countries, 36% of the richest do. If students are offered the opportunity and the incentive to earn their high school degree, partnerships between public services and the private sector may promote more vocational and professional training?to help young adults find their first job. A great example to be followed is the Centro de Aprendizagem e Mobiliza??o Profissional e Social?(CAMPS), nonprofit and nonpartisan organization in the City of Santos, Brazil, devoted to young adults’ social inclusion and professional development. ?

More initiatives on prevention and care are also very much in need within vulnerable communities. FSD-Brazil needs your help to provide children and their families in Brazil with hygiene products and cleaning kits, to keep our Brazilian children healthy and boost their immunity against the pandemic challenges yet to come. ?Ironically, humanity is already attempting to land in Mars, when many vulnerable communities in Brazil do not even have access to clean water and soap.

FSD-Brazil?is a 501(c)(3) California corporation, 100% donation-based by the private sector. We do not donate money to vulnerable communities in Brazil. FSD-Brazil is committed to providing resources such as cleats, soccer balls, uniforms, goal posts and improving soccer grass fields in selected poor communities. FSD-Brazil works together with community leaders and parents to prioritize their children’s education.

So here is where we are...

This is the change we want to make. On behalf of FSD-Brazil, our deepest thanks to our generous donors and their support to our cause. We will continue to take very solid steps towards our mission.

Happy Holidays!

Nadine Teixeira, FSD-Brazil Founder and President