Fr. Eamon McMahon
Spiritans
Brazil
A notable feature of the project has been
that responsibility for the overseeing of the
construction work and the overall management of
the centre lies with the Board of Directors of
the Institute of Human promotion of Cesar de
Souza, which consists of 15 members elected by
the residents of Jefferson da Silva. - Eamonn
McMahon
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit - the
Spiritans - have been working in the Diocese of
Mogi Das Cruzes in the South of Brazil for 35
years. Over the years, there have been high
levels of migration from rural areas to cities
like Mogi das Cruzes as people sought better
employment opportunities and a better life. The
reality is that many people used up their
savings in reaching the city, and have little
choice but to live in shanty towns at the edge
of the city.
In 1998 the City Authority removed the
inhabitants of three shanty towns in Mogi das
Cruzes and relocated them in a newly built, low
cost housing estate (Jefferson da Silva) about
12 km out of the city. At the start the
authorities did provide light, water and sewage
systems, but the area lacked other basic
infrastructure such as shops, health care and
schools. In time new social problems such as
crime, violence and drug abuse emerged. At that
time Fr. Bernard Murphy CSSp - Parish Priest of
Cesar de Souza - founded the Institute for Human
Promotion of Cesar de Souza. Early on the
Institute received a donation of land from the
City Authority on which to build a community
centre.
The impetus for the project came from the
community in Jefferson da Silva themselves and
their desire to improve the quality of their
lives. Their involvement in the construction of
the community centre - which received IMRS
support - and the implementation of the various
training programmes has been central to its
success. A notable feature of the project has
been that responsibility for the overseeing of
the construction work and the overall management
of the centre lies with the Board of Directors
of the Institute of Human Promotion of Cesar de
Souza, which consists of 15 members elected by
the residents of Jefferson da Silva. The Centre
was formally inaugurated on November 17th 2005.
A whole range of activities take place from the
centre including community meetings; family
surveys to assess needs of local people; classes
for young people on citizenship and
participation; computer classes for post primary
children and adults. The centre has a medical
consulting room which the city authority uses to
provide community health service on a
fortnightly basis. There is also space from
which the local Pastoral da Crianca can work to
deliver child vaccination and ante natal care.
According to Fr. Eamon McMahon CSSp , who saw
the project to completion after the death of Fr.
Murphy, ‘the impact of the Centre has been
immense. Jefferson da Silva is no longer seen as
a violent and isolated location. The residents
now feel confi dent in themselves and in their
own ability through their participation in the
realisation of this project.' Most importantly,
he adds: ‘Looking to the future, the centre will
also facilitate a growing awareness of democracy
and the rights and responsibilities of local and
municipal authorities to their constituents'.