Brazil is a landscape (Nelson Rodrigues)

Introduction:
 

Timon (MA) is a town of roughly 140000 inhabitants (by mid 2005) located in Northeastern Brazil in the most Eastern part of the Maranhão state (http://www.citypopulation.de/Brazil-Maranhao_d.html ). The economic activities within the city are mainly trade and local services including small industrial activities for the local market (brick fabrication). Agriculture or gardening is also very limited due to prevailing infertile sandy soils and the limited annual amount of precipitation in the Eastern of the Maranhoe a state. Accordingly, the economic basis in Timon is very fragile and the average annual income is estimated to Euro 1200.- per year and capita, and the minimum wage is Euro $60.-/month.

On the country side the situation is even worse since many families are without any income except a subsidiary provided by the federal state c.f., of Euro $9.- month paid for each child who is regularly visiting a school. In consequence child maltruition or even starvation is a wide-spread phenomenon, and some families are trying to overcome their miserable situation by forcing their child to work regularly (for details http://www.brazilbrazil.com/fome.html ). On the other hand, forming intact families are still the major ingredients of the Northeastern Brazilian society, which at the same time shows low rates of crimes.

The author and some colleagues from the international scientific community became aware of the miserable situation around Timon, and started to assist families and a near by school (named Unidade Escolar Francisco Alves Cavalcanti /Timon Campo Grande) when working there due to professional reasons in Nov. 2004 and again in June 2005,

In order to set-up a longer lasting support for the Francisco Alves Cavalcanti school and potentially other schools around Timon, the present charity project has been initiated by the international partners (see below) in close cooperation with the ?Secretario Educao? in Timon.

Overall objectives of the charity foundation:

The primary objectives of the charity project are to
 
promote relations and friendships of school kids in first and third world countries by establishing mutual contacts between teachers, students schools from the Timon region to respective schools in first world (so far Germany and France and probably in future elsewhere)

fight child maltriution, starvation and child work in Northeastern Brazil by supporting kindergardens and schools with primary service such as all day care including food for the kids

foster improvements school service (primarily 1st  to 9th level education) by investments into better school facilities (class rooms, playground, school library, kitchen, internet, storage, ??) including assistance for lunch expenses provided by the schools once a day.

 Background and first step goals:
 In a first step money will raised to improve the school service of the ?Unidade Escolar Francisco Alves Cavalcanti in Timon/Campo Grande, an elementary school which is located roughly 5 km outside Timon on the road BR 316. At present the school provide education to 105 children who study from the 1st  to 6th level (age 6 to 16). It has single classroom, a small kitchen, a small storage, two restrooms and small soccer playground. Classes are usually given in parallel and consecutive shifts running from lasting from 8 am to 7 am in order to accommodate 6 classes in total. As a consequence of the limited space available, 2 or 3 classes are given at the same time in parallel. A very basic lunch (mostly rice and beans, no other vegetable or fruits) is also provided to kids daily.
In order to overcome this situation, in close coordination with the school authorities the charity foundation intends to improve largely the service of school.

The cooperation of the school in Timon with the foundation will be based on three issues:

1.)    In a first step the foundation will rise money to improve the school service, i.e. to invest into the most urgent needs which comprises to enlarge the building to accommodate 3 new class rooms, new restrooms, a small library, access to internet, chairs&tables, a new playground, a kitchen, and a storage room The total costs for this measures are estimated to Euro 35000.- or 100.000.- Brazilian Reais.
2.)    In a second step, the foundation will foster mutual contacts between the ?Francisco Alves Cavalcanti? school (or in future any other school in Timon) and schools in Germany, and France, the kids, teachers and parents from the participating countries which should bring the cooperation on more longer lasting basis. This cooperation could (and should to a certain degree) include subsidies for daily expenses of the ?Francisco Alves Cavalcanti? or any other school of Timon, and particular donations for small investments (books, and equipment)
3.)    The foundation will also promote that money donators may adopt low-income family kids by supporting them in their daily expenses, if needed (called adoptation measure).
 Cooperation:
 

The foundation will cooperate with Brazilian authorities, the school, and parents/kids on the following level:

1.)    Financial issues: The donated money will be administrated by a local secretary, Sra Sandra Castelo Branco,  partly employed by the foundation. The decision how the donated money is spent will be decided jointly between the Brazilian authorities and the foundation, on reasonably large aliquots. The Brazilian authorities and the foundation will write annual reports with including cost statement, since costs transparency and efficient spending is known to be a major motive for donators to NGOs. In this respect appropriate reporting of achievement and success is mandatory.

2.)    School to school cooperation: The foundation will search for an appropriate partner school in German and France or elsewhere. This measure should provide a continuing cooperation between the Francisco Alves Cavalcanti school (or any other school in Timon) and the schools to be found in Germany or elsewhere.

3.)    Adoptation measure: Upon request and depending on urgency and demand, the foundation will also try to broke direct support and continuing support of German donators to low income family kids, if needed.