Sebastião Paiva:
“I dream about
contributing to
the end of
hunger and
unemployment”
This Missionary
of Charity asks
us to remember
that physical
existence is
ephemeral.
Therefore, we
need to aim for
a
moderate
lifestyle,
working for the
well-being of
our fellow
creatures.
Sebastião Paiva
(picture),
is kindly known
as “Seo Paiva”.
He will complete
100 years of
existing on this
coming 8th of
April.
He practiced
Spiritism all
his life, and
tried to base it
around Allan
Kardec’s saying:
‘Without charity
there is no
salvation’. He
has been living
in Bauru, São
Paulo, and sets
an example on
social
assistance.
Sebastião was
born in the
rural area of
Bebedouro, from
a humble family.
He lost his
Father in his
childhood, and
since |
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he was the
oldest son he
started to help
his mother to
take water from
the well and
transport
clothes.
By the
time he was 12
years old, he
was living with
his family at Viladouro, and
got a job in the
railway São
Paulo-Goiás. He
moved to Bauru
in 1942 and
started to
collaborate with
the Spiritist
Centre Centro
Espírita Amor e
Caridade,
where he
realised how
many
difficulties
poor families
were going
through. In 1946
he founded the
Beneficent
Society
Sociedade
Beneficente
Cristã, now
called Fundação
Espírita
Sebastião Paiva,
which does
extensive social
work. In 1948
Mr. Roberto
Previdello
joined “Seo
Paiva” in this
mission and
became his
friend and
collaborator. In
1960 they bought
an extensive
farm and built a
house for 120
boys, school,
swimming pool
and a sport
square. |
As it can be
seen, the list
of benefits this
society provides
is very
extensive. To be
able to describe
it, a book would
need to be
written.
Nowadays the
society which
was first
founded by
Sebastião Paiva
and Roberto
Previdello has
89 employees and
volunteers who
work hard to
attend all
children and
elderly people
who live in the
institution.
“Seo Paiva”
kindly gave us
this
commemorative
interview to
talk about this
work.
O Consolador:
How many people
are currently
being helped by
the Fundação
Espírita
Sebastião Paiva?
At the moment,
we have 30
children and 160
elderly people.
O Consolador:
Are there many
collaborators
within the
Fundação
Espírita
Sebastião Paiva?
We have 89
employees and
several
volunteers.
O Consolador:
Can we please
have an idea of
the investment
made by you for
the well being
of all these
children and
elderly people?
Yes, on average
we invest R$ 600
monthly for each
child and R$ 800
for each adult.
When we talk
about investment
made, we mean
all the needs
children and
elderly people
have for food,
clothes,
medicines, etc.
O Consolador:
When did you
start this
charity work?
We started our
activities in
the 1st January
1946, and never
stopped since.
O Consolador:
What memories do
you have from
that time, when
the society
started?
I remember I
used to go to
the bakery and
always saw
someone outside
in the streets
in need. I would
then take this
person to our
institution. I
also remember a
lot of people
coming from the
countryside and
the north of the
country asking
for jobs. We
would then help
them to find it.
There were so
many of them;
children, young
and adults…
O Consolador:
You have also
founded in the
city Dois
Córregos the
Lar Tito e Paiva.
Is that correct?
Yes, we did.
Together with my
friend Ângelo
Rico – his
nickname is Tito
– we founded in
1936 the
Spiritist
Society
Sociedade
Espírita de
Assistência
Social. The
aim of this
institution was
to help
distribute food
to families in
need.
Nowadays this
place still
works and is
called Lar
Tito e Paiva.
O Consolador:
During this
prosperous 100
years of
existence you
must have seen
so much.
Is there
anything that
you have seen
that makes you
angry?
Yes, social
injustice.
O Consolador:
Are you
spiritist?
Yes, I am.
O Consolador:
How did you get
to know the
Doctrine
codified by
Allan Kardec?
When I was
younger, I read
a book called
From the Calvary
to the Infinite
Do Calvário
ao Infinito
(this book
was
psychographed by
the medium Zilda
Gama, whose
rights are from
the Spirit
Victor Hugo).
I found the
Spiritist
Doctrine very
logic.
Since then, this
changed my
mentality since
I found, within
Spiritism, a
practical way to
be charitable to
people.
O Consolador: At
the time you
started to work
Spiritist was
not well
accepted
socially as it
is today.
Have you ever
felt any type of
prejudice
against you for
being spiritist?
No, never.
O Consolador:
What about the
society in
Bauru? Have they
responded well
to the
Beneficent
Society
Sociedade
Beneficente
Cristã, now
called Fundação
Espírita
Sebastião Paiva?
Yes, the society
in Bauru
responded
positively to
our work. My
friend Roberto
Previdello
helped me a lot
over here (he
passed away in
2003).
We achieved lots
of things
together.
O Consolador:
You two were
good friends...
Yes, it’s true.
We worked
together for a
long time.
O Consolador:
Any interesting
facts involving
both of you?
Yes, there were
many.
Therefore, there
is one I can’t
forget. One time
I felt chest
pains and to a
healing session.
One spiritual
entity said,
through a
medium: “You
will stay in
Earth, but your
friend will go
to the spiritual
world”. Soon
later, Roberto
Previdello got
sick and passed
away, just like
I was told.
O Consolador: We
are aware that
many young
ladies who grew
up here got
married.
Yes, 25 ladies.
O Consolador:
Have they been
back here to
visit the
institution?
Yes, they always
come and visit
us.
O Consolador: I
believe this
must be a happy
moment for you.
Yes, there are
many happy
moments.
But was really
makes me happy
is being useful
and able to
contribute to my
fellow creature.
O Consolador:
What kind of
dreams do you
have?
I dream about
contributing to
the end of
hunger and
unemployment.
This is what our
institution has
been doing for
so many years. I
also dream about
politics
improving the
people’s lives.
There is so
much waste of
energy and time,
and that’s why
people suffer so
much.
O Consolador:
Can you please
give us your
final words to
our readers?
I wish we can
all remember
physical
existence is
ephemeral. We
need to aim for
a moderate
lifestyle,
working for the
well-being of
our fellow
creatures and
thinking about
the future.
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