My name is Alessandro Neves Rodrigues, I am 27 years old, I am an analyst in the company ALL.
A year and seven months that I am part of this wonderful company. Gain more than three minimum wages per month and I'm in college (IT) technology in the 5th period. This is all thanks to the wonderful work done by the NGO-ECAC in which Dona ANA VILA MARCONDES is the president.
                 It was not always so, before my life was very painful, my mother, mother of three sons worked as a cook in the family home, the money he earned was only for the household expenses, and almost never enough to buy toys, clothes , SHOE for us. This situation made my brothers seek a financial solution faster, "crime"! Unfortunately the way without success, and saw him coming the pain of losing two brothers killed in clashes related to drug trafficking. The days spent on productive activities without slabs, at a time when almost consumed drugs and participated in the sale of them. That was my world. Until you reach the institution, age 19, with no prospect of life, attending the 4th grade of elementary school, and grace the magnificent work done by the institution ECAC-VILA, I had the privilege to learn computer, go to college. Analyst and I am now as a customer, the largest call center in Latin America: "Contax".
This work has been developing the ECAC to 28 years, offering our community an opportunity to various courses for all ages, of course, I am a living example. My life changed dramatically after I met this institution, today I am very grateful for everything you gave in my LIFE!
I ask the help of donors through the Global Giving to continue this work and make a difference in the lives of other young people as it did in mine. The ECAC Digit @ l is the path to change the outlook for the community and needs your help to continue.

My name is Wellington Ribeiro, 25 years, and I am the father of a beautiful boy who is also called Wellington, now 4 years old.
 I'm born and raised in the community of Monkey Hill, where I learned many things.
When I was 2 years, my mother put me in the nursery of Dona Anna, which was still in the Residents' Association. I went through a lot in my life. At 6 years old, I had to have surgery for appendicitis; thank God everything went well and not anything more serious happened. I grew up watching the activities of the ECAC, taking courses in carpentry, design, etc. school of futsal. When I moved away after 15 years of the ECAC to take the course at Camp Vila Isabel, which was prepared and sent to the labor market, I got my first job as office boy and after one year spent my time working in the personnel department of the company . When I turned 18 years, I left to serve in the army, which was a childhood dream and was a unique opportunity. Served for 1 year and 2 months. After six months without an occupation, the ECAC came into my life again with the help of my sister who was then secretary of the institution. That was when Miss Anna gave me the opportunity to start a new life in training in information technology, learning to do maintenance on computers and always learning new things, winning a purse of only $ 60.00. But what was most valuable was the knowledge that I acquired. After two months spent working with children in the seat of the ECAC, at the same time I discovered I would be a father; I was a little nervous because I still was not able to raise a child and my happiness was to be named for educator Computer Children's Cultural Center where I began formal work with it was more quiet and safe to give a healthy life for my son, who was born in May 2007. From then on I was doing more courses by the ECAC and always append and acquiring new knowledge in informatics.
Today I am still at the Cultural Center of the Child computer acting as educator, I also work at the headquarters of the ECAC area computer maintenance, project manager of HP and also starring in Life ECAC Digit @ l
Our goal in ECAC Digit @ l is the implementation of a mini graphic to enlarge the core service. Thus increasing the income of the community and open new opportunities for professional growth for young people like me.
I thank the ECAC and Mrs. Anna for all I know today and the opportunity they gave me, without the ECAC do not know what my life could be today, because everything I learned here was to learn outside the community would have to pay dearly . Especially in the IT area.
I am very happy today to be part of the team's ECAC Village and be a reference for children and adolescents in the community.

Links:

• CEACA Home Page

Hi CEACA followers!  My name is Josh Niederman.  I am a GlobalGiving representative who has been traveling throughout Brazil during the months of June, July, and August to visit GlobalGiving partners throughout the country:

I was impressed with CEACA as soon as I arrived at the community center. The center actually is comprised of two beautiful buildings in the heart of the Morro de Macacos neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro.  The center offers a number of IT and educational resources that translate into professional development, income generation and improved quality of life for the areas residents.

Although CEACA has been offering a myriad of cultural and educational programs for children and adults since the 1970s, I was particularly interested in its graphics design initiative.  Every staff person I met was formerly a student at CEACA.  Alexandre, a representative from CDI, the organization that provided computers and technological assistance to the center, led the visit.  He too is a professional who grew up in the community, moved up in the ranks at CEACA, became skilled in information technology, and is now an educator and role model for the young adults in the program today.  

According to Ana Marcondes, the organization's founder and president, this aspect underscores the mission of the center - to provide socio-economic development in the community through education.  Students learn how to produce t-shirts, banners, flyers, and many other materials for distribution throughout the city.  The graphics design center, enables interns to develop skills in graphics design, entrepreneurship, and business development that they will take with them long after they leave the center. 

Your continued support is essential to keep this great program running.  Additional funding will also enable CEACA to purchase its own graphics printer and dramatically lower its variable costs (CEACA currently sends out its designs to be printed elsewhere).  To learn more about this great program, check out the organization's website at http://www.ceaca.org.br

My name is Thiago Castro, I discovered CEACA through a friend who invited me to do a project that earned a scholarship valued at $ 65.00. I started doing the Young Agent Project at age 13, with 15 years my daughter was born then I had to wake up to life, got the project started to Win and I qualify. The CEACA has helped me see life differently, fighting for my objectives . The CEACA has always supported me and gave me strength to continue. When I turned 16 years, Carlos Alexander offered me an opportunity to learn and improve myself in information technology to teach and be an educator. When he realized I was ready to teach, I started with the CDI Community Educator with the mission to transform lives by educating and teaching the Basic and Advanced Computing. After I started teaching in the Project seize with pleasure, where the objective of the project was to support education for children, too, was an educator of the winning project where young girls would qualify in Computerized Administrative Assistant, I also worked on Project Winning the Future - FIA. 

Today I work in Project Collective Coca-Cola, which qualify young people 15 to 25 in the area of sales promoters and seeking their first job, as well as the CEACA-Digital graphics rendering services. So many young people like me participate in the CEACA-Digital thanks to courses offered today are embedded in the labor market. 
We have progressed with the help of donations and employees, but still can not achieve our objective of setting up our own graphics to make our services accessible to competitive, because the community there is no graphics. 
This work is of extreme importance to us because through him we can afford our sustainability. 

Links:

• CEACA Home page

My story 

My name is Hevelline and am 25 years old. The CEACa VILA became part of my life when my mother worked in the Nursery Happy Duckling, who like many of the mothers of the community of Monkey Hill, did not leave their children. I was a student and I began to attend daycare when I was two months old. That is very small. Once I was at the age of going to school, I came out of the nursery able to read and write my name. CEACA had for children and young people what they already did in school, but also had poultry, cultural tours and camp that I attended for several years. Already I have completed thirteen courses that were very important to me as I learned to scrap what we can do several things with the simple act of making the recycling of waste for example, Silk Screen, Tapestry and Informatics. When I was seventeen, I returned to CAECA for Ducklings Nursery happy, and there was my first professional job when I actually did a full course of informatics of 1 year and 6 months. I graduated Junior Technical Computing, this time I studied in the morning. I was a senior in high school and worked as an intern in the afternoon and night was day care informatics course in another neighborhood. I no longer lived in the community. I found another opportunity when it came to college through an agreement with the CAECA college scholarship. I had the opportunity to do it because I had this desire, but if it were not for this opportunity I might not have done it. Today I am very happy and fulfilled, for I am a person who CAECA VILA made a difference and changed the course of my life story. I think this, that no matter if my victory is triumphant in the future, the most important thing is to dedicate myself and do the best here and now, because the world gives way to who know where they want to go. I am very proud to say that I am a Computer Educator of the CAECA VILA. 
Hevelline Cristina Alves Brito. 

Links:

• www.ceaca.org.br

The police took over the slums of the Apes Hill in Rio de Janeiro last October and installed what they call the Peacemaker Police Unit (UPP in Portuguese). All the drug dealers were arrested or had to flee to a neighboring favela. More than 12,000 people at Monkey Hill and another 27,000 people living in surrounding areas are benefiting by this operation. More than 200 police officers will be based within the community not to let the crime and drug trafficking back to the slum.With this attitude of the government and must arrive essential services to this community that is lacking in everything. The ECAC has developed social work and nonprofit work in this community for over 25 years. Throughout this time, the ECAC has managed to remove many of the young from the world of crime and also prepared several young people for the job market. Many of these young people could work great and are very happy. Work cannot stop and that is why the police, with or without the ECAC, will continue to help this community and needs your help. Friend Giver will help us save and change the lives of the people of Monkey Hill, here in Rio de Janeiro. Donate and keep this active work.

Police arriving in the favela

Little girl and a policeman carrying heavy weapon

CEACA has been adjusted and perfected to maximise its impact in the community of Rio de Janeiro. A few weeks ago the team went on a workshop, in which had been discussed the subject: "Team work and trust building" (photos).

Another important fact is that a computer company called Tec Total hired Ceacadigital services. We install computers and provide other services for the their clients. This work has been generating funds to improve the project and to reach more people into the community. The hope is this contract is just the beginning of something good, such as new job opportunities.

Building trust

International News of Violence in CEAC favela By Christine Clauser - Executive Director CDI USA, November 18, 2009 04:15 PM Violence in Rio de Janeiro Slum Where CDI School Resides Makes International Headlines In the wake of the announcement that Brazil has won the 2016 Olympics, an outbreak of drug trafficking violence occurred in a favela called Morro dos Macacos making international news. CEAC (Center for Education and Service to Youth) one of the projects featured on Global Giving is an oasis in the middle of the violence.

Twenty years of rival gang wars and the fight between the police forces and the traffickers in this slum and hundreds of others throughout Rio amounts to what many outsiders refer to as a ‘civil war’. The violent methods for containing these wars have been criticized by the United Nations and Amnesty International. While the politics of these everyday occurrences play out, innocent residents, including children are caught in the crossfire.

The ongoing gang wars highlight the need for opportunities for youth growing up in slums where the prevailing high wage jobs are in drug trafficking, where children as young as ten years old are recruited into gangs. Access to CDI schools and the internet that comes with them can open up a world of possibilities for youth who often have no experience with a reality other than the one that they experience in the slums where they live.

In addition to IT skills, CDI schools through their curriculum teach residents how to solve problems that plaque their communities; communities that can lack access to such necessities as basic sanitation, health clinics, and access to safe areas to play and enough seats for students to attend public education.

There are more than 250 CDI schools throughout Rio de Janeiro’s slum communities alone where the realities highlighted internationally in October are an everyday occurrence and do not make the news. You can read an in depth article about the current civil violence between police and traffickers and the innocent citizens that are caught in the middle here: http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14090&ArticleId=345806

My story at the CEACA-VILA

My name is Luiz Carlos; also known as Idi. When I was 16 or 17, I attended CEACA, a Community Centre in Rio. My childhood was not great and I wish to explain how Ceaca has helped me get my life back on track. When I came to CEACA for the first time, I was a discredited young person that did not think about the future, only the immediate present. I lost my parents very early and my childhood was very difficult. If not for CEACA -Vila I don’t know what would be of my life, or even if I would be here writing a little bit about it. I started studding at CEACA, attending a course called Life Expectancy which served 20 youngsters with drug problems from low-income communities. This special course focused on young people, and we all learned many things that we are still using in our day to day life. CEACA offers several interesting courses, including : Computer, citizenship, silk screen printing classes, sports, English and others. As a result of CEACA, my colleagues and I received a scholarship of 60 reais(a lot, bearing in mind that 1 real was already a lot of money for us). We received opportunities that we would never have dreamed of. I realised that I could grow and become someone! I went back to school and started the computer course at CEACA. After a while, with my teacher’s help, we created a LAN House (cybercafé) called T@I.com. I worked for four years on T@I however, without any formal education I started to feel that I was missing a great opportunity. I went back to my studies, completed them and I am now 25 and I teach informatics at CEACA CDI Community. I am very happy to be part of this group that makes such a difference to our community.

Luis Carlos Goncalves

André Luiz Fernandes de Souza Lima, 19 years old.

I came to CEACA -Vila when I was about 14, and attended the courses with the other CEACA students. My classmates and teachers realised my potential in computer classes and I began to be part of the internal training program with the friends I had met. The classes were very interesting and I was always very dedicated to all classes. My potential again shone after I started the project "Vencer" (“Win”) here at the CEACA and I was rewarded for my efforts In only my second week of the course I was called by Alexander (who was the coordinator of the informatics courses at CEACA) and offered a position as professor of computer science course in the CDI Community. CEACA has improved my skills and I have learnt many new things. My knowledge in computer science and my capacity to teach children are my obvious achievements from my experience in the CEACA projects. I thank CEACA for giving me the opportunity to work and teach I am now doing what I like the most in life, which is to teach informatics.

Violence in Rio de Janeiro Slum Where CDI School Resides Makes International Headlines In the wake of the announcement that Brazil has won the 2016 Olympics, an outbreak of drug trafficking violence occurred in a favela called Morro dos Macacos making international news. CEAC (Center for Education and Service to Youth) one of the projects featured on Global Giving is an oasis in the middle of the violence.

Twenty years of rival gang wars and the fight between the police forces and the traffickers in this slum and hundreds of others throughout Rio amounts to what many outsiders refer to as a ‘civil war’. The violent methods for containing these wars have been criticized by the United Nations and Amnesty International. While the politics of these everyday occurrences play out, innocent residents, including children are caught in the crossfire.

The ongoing gang wars highlight the need for opportunities for youth growing up in slums where the prevailing high wage jobs are in drug trafficking, where children as young as ten years old are recruited into gangs. Access to CDI schools and the internet that comes with them can open up a world of possibilities for youth who often have no experience with a reality other than the one that they experience in the slums where they live.

In addition to IT skills, CDI schools through their curriculum teach residents how to solve problems that plaque their communities; communities that can lack access to such necessities as basic sanitation, health clinics, and access to safe areas to play and enough seats for students to attend public education.

There are more than 250 CDI schools throughout Rio de Janeiro’s slum communities alone where the realities highlighted internationally in October are an everyday occurrence and do not make the news. You can read an in depth article about the current civil violence between police and traffickers and the innocent citizens that are caught in the middle here: http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14090&ArticleId=345806

CEACA-VILA

CEACA-VILA is an NGO that since 1995 has worked to promote Digital Inclusion leading to social inclusion. Our work is based in a project-type pedagogy focusing on the valorisation of participative civic actions in the teaching-learning process that the students undergo while they are learning to use technology. Teachers and students work in tandem to create solutions leading to community transformation. Expanding our schools infrastructure will allow our school to reach sustainability for our Information and Communication Technology School. Our school aids at-risk youth and keeps young people in a productive environment away from the dangers of the street which are overrun with drug trafficking gangs. The school at CEACA-VILA contributes to the reduction of poverty and unemployment that plagues this community. Our programs train people to use technology and give them skills to find jobs in the formal job market, generating income and jobs for youth and adults in the region. This favela (urban slum) has a population of approximately 35,000 citizens vulnerable to the violence and problems associated with drug trafficking gangs. The CDI School at CEACA-VILA brings the guarantee of student’s rights through the access to the internet and making possible the social and economic transformation of the community.

Among the services we offer are:

• Ceac@digital: Delivering services in IT education and offering technical assistance in microcomputers and teaching students skills such as the installation and maintenance of computers and networks, and offering internet and graphic services needed within the community through the project itself.

• Education through Information Technology reaches 250 children between the ages of five and fourteen from the favela ‘Complexo do Morro dos Macacos’ we offer classes in digital and social inclusion with educational activities integrated into workshops in Portuguese, Mathematics, and science with the objective of cognitive development, motor skills and positive reinforcement through a pedagogy whereby the student is a protagonist for positive social actions in the community.

• Building a Future Project: Serves 40 youth and adults every three months with the goal of contributing to the students economic development, offering basic and advanced computer mounting and maintenance, stimulating civic activity, and entrepreneurship. Graduates are steered into the ‘Projeto Conexão’ (Project Connection) an initiative in partnership with CDI that guides students into the job market. There were 160 youth and adults graduated in so far 2009.

• Information Technology and Citizenship School: Serves 40 youth and adults every four months in courses in basic and advanced computer classes that make digital inclusion possible through concepts like education, technology, citizenship and micro-enterprise, with a view towards social transformation. In 2009 to date we have graduated 80 youth and adults.

• Tele-Center: T@i.com 1, 2 e 3 : Users of the tele-center do searches on the computer and use the tools necessary to carry out school work, resumes, document creation, on line courses, and internet access. A total of 5,292 unique visitors utilized the services of the tele-centers between September/2008 and September/2009.

• Program for Internal Formation: This advanced course has the objective of graduating students with the necessary skills to teach the students graduated from the Information Technology and Citizenship School and graduates of the Building a Future Project, advanced professional level skills development leading to jobs in either a teaching or professional capacity for the internal or external IT Nucleus.

• Capacity Building and Team Development: Students gain pedagogic knowledge and educative program reporting related to the tools for IT education such as: GIMP, Inkscape, Managing Tele-centers et al.

• Skills in IT Education: Training for professional jobs in the public network of the area surrounding Ceaca-Vila.

Partners and Supporters: CDI – Center for Digital Inclusion. CARJ Committee (Banco do Brasil) Program Fome Zero (Government program ‘ZERO HUNGER’- gives families a stipend to keep children in school and out of child labour), Cecip – FutureKids

Young Adults in Technology and Citizenship School

Young Adults in Technology and Citizenship School