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Interview Portuguese Spanish    
Ano 5 - N° 219 - July 24, 2011
ORSON PETER CARRARA
orsonpeter@yahoo.com.br
Matão, São Paulo (Brasil)
Translation
Leonardo Rocha - l.rocha1989@gmail.com

 
Karina Granado: 

“Lack of respect and pre-conceived ideas are the great villains”

Our colleague from the Brazilian state of São Paulo talks about the services provided by the group Eurípedes Barsanulfo, which provides assistance to the homeless in the city of São Carlos
 
 

Karina Granado (photo), a Spiritist by birth, is a volunteer who works with people sleeping rough in the streets of São Carlos – an initiative from the Spiritist Society Obreiros do Bem. She is a lawyer and a university lecturer. In this interview, she talks about the assistance to the homeless, carried out every Sunday, and how the group came about the idea. 

Tell us about your work with the homeless on Sunday mornings. 

We call it Street Stand Eurípedes Barsanulfo, after a pioneer of Spiritism in Brazil. It is a job carried out by volunteers since May 2002. We gather

every Sunday on a the Paulino Botelho square, in the city centre, at 8 in the morning and normally attend from 50 to 70 people who sleep rough in the streets. Before every session, we, the volunteers, have a half-an-hour chat about the main issues and problems faced by the homeless, we exchange experiences etc. We then offer them coffee as they gather for a brief talk on issues related to their routine: work, family, addictions, hygiene etc. We then set up the ‘hygiene stand’, where we provide services like hair trimming, shaving, nail cutting; we also treat minor injuries and give them clothes, shoes and items for personal hygiene. In the meantime, we are preparing a nutritious soup, fruit salad and, whenever we get the donations needed, we offer an additional menu, with spaghetti or chicken. Our main goal is not to hand out the items I’ve just mentioned. That is just a means of achieving what we really aim to: the opportunity for fraternal conversation, to hear the demands of each and every one, to establish a friendship and boost their self-esteem, so they can see that that street situation is temporary. 

What was the initial motivation and inspiration for this initiative? 

The initial motivation came when we realise that the number of homeless in Brazil was increasing at a fast pace and that there was no government scheme available to deal with it, to provide aid and assistance. The inspiration for our Street Stand came from a similar project that was underway in the Vale do Anhangabaú, one of the main postcards of the city of São Paulo. 

How many people take part? Do they come from different Spiritist Groups? 

We have a team of 15 permanent volunteers, and many others come regularly, when they are available. It is interesting indeed that the volunteers come from many Spiritist Groups and come together every Sunday with the drive to help those who are not lucky enough to have their own home, a job, family, good health, who lack dignity and the respect from others. The presence of each volunteer is very important to us. We realise after a while that we, the volunteers, are benefitting more than anyone else as we are exposed to so many rich life stories. 

What lesson have you learnt from your work as a volunteer with the homeless for so many years? 

Once you begin working at the Street Stand, with the homeless, you begin to value every single thing you have: turning a tap and finding water, having a blanket to put on during the winter, getting food when you get hungry. They are all things we take for granted as we rush about in our daily lives. We also learn to value tolerance, patience, friendship and charity. 

What personal stories have had a bigger impact on you? 

We have the cases of men who had proper jobs in metal works and lost their families in car accidents. In the face of the tragedy, they leave everything behind and begin wandering through the streets. The absence of friends, of family or the lack of faith in something bigger often makes it impossible for people to face the challenges life throws at them. 

What are the biggest challenges you face in your volunteer work? 

Our biggest challenge is the prejudice from many against the homeless. In our Sunday gatherings, we see men and women just like us, with fears, problems and addictions. But unfortunately many people see only the negative side. They can’t see the qualities, dreams, smiles and all the qualities from the unfortunate people who happen to live in the streets. In our Street Stand we are lucky enough to be able to recognise others as human beings and respect them like brothers and sisters. We are equals. They just happen to be going through a bad patch, and our job is to help in whichever manner we can. 

What resources do you need to do your job? 

We rely totally on donations. We ask for donations of clothes, shoes, shaving blades and blankets. Those are the items we need the most. 

And who are the people who make the donations? 

They are people who get touched by our appeals and are willing to help those who have nothing. 

How do the people in the city of São Carlos react to your charity work? I imagine your work must be fairly well known in the city after so many years. 

All I can say is that it used to be tougher. But many people in the city still can’t accept the fact that we are “wasting time” with the homeless. They think our effort is not worth it, as the homeless are lazy and it’s their own fault if they are in this situation. But that’s not what happens. Unemployment, the lack of opportunities and social humiliation make it very difficult for people to “brush it off and make a comeback.” The lack of respect from others and pre-conceived ideas are still the big villains, they get in the way of social reintegration. To illustrate that, I’ll tell you that once a very wealthy person in the city asked us, as we ran about in the rain on a Sunday morning: “Are you not worried about catching head lice?” 

What else would you like to add? 

We do need help and donations. If you need more information, please get in touch with me through the emails Karina_grandao@yahoo.com.br or divulgacao@obreirosdobem.com.br. Our website will be on air very soon with more information on the Street Stand Eurípedes Barsanulfo project.
 

Author’s note:

To find out more about the Street Stand Eurípedes Barsanulfo and other services provided by the Spiritist Group, visit the website www.obreirosdobem.com.br. 


 

 


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