Solar Meninos de Luz
Leonela Torres Saavedra
Today, we visited an organization located in the heart of the Cantagalo and Pavão-Pavãozinho communities in Southern Rio de Janeiro. The tour was given to us by Ramon and translated by Felupe. This organization is heavily rooted in the morals of love, compassion, and equity. It all started thanks to one woman by the name of Iolanda Maltaroli during a time of tragedy. One Christmas Eve morning in 1983, a box of community water collapsed on one of the hills which as a result destroyed homes and left casualties. Iolanda and her children assisted the children in these families with clothing, activities, prayer, and care. After a long fight, the first facility “Lar Paulo de Tarso” was built in 1987 allowing services for over 250 community members and their families, expanding in the years to come. After Iolanda’s passing about 7 years ago, her daughter Isabella and brother continue her legacy.
Their organization offers students a variety of different resources and programs such as 30 different extracurriculars and sports to pick from. For example, students may choose to do theater, orchestra, dance, or capoeira as well as access to the library and sport centers. Their goal is to provide all students with public education and a space for them to use instead of being absorbed by the crime outside. As most families eligible for this program are typically those most vulnerable including single parents, those with ties to drug trafficking, problems with the law, domestic violence, and addictions. The organization also offers the family members with resources for them to educate themselves. The age of the children that attend these facilities ranges between 3 months old and high school, many of them returning as volunteers after graduating. We were also made aware that from the students that attend, around 80% attend University. This shows us that regardless of the circumstances these children might be living in at home, they have found a space that motivates them to pursue an education and to give back and help the community that raised them. When they come back, that is how you know they truly are appreciative of their time with Solar Meninos de Luz.
This visit was the hardest for me emotionally from the two weeks I spent in Brazil. This being because the children that I had the pleasure of interacting with welcomed us with so much love and warmth. A feeling hard to put into words but that fills your heart with so much empathy, hope, and inspiration. Knowing what most of these children have gone through is more than I would ever experience and them still approaching us with such innocence is hard.
For anyone interested in assisting this amazing organization, they accept any volunteers they can get. If you are able to support yourself financially, I recommend that you look into their Godparent program where you can support the education of a child. To those who decided to become godparents, they were also offered by Ramon, an opportunity to come back and meet with the child you will be financially supporting and get regular updates. There are many other ways to support and if you are interested, I encourage you to view their website: https://solarmeninosdeluz.org.br/
