Cátia Sirlene
Gonçalves Hahn:
“Each human
being has
potential
qualities to
be
developed”
The president of
the Casa da
Fraternidade
(The Fraternity
House)
in the
city of Araranguá, in
the Brazilian
state of Santa
Catarina, talks
about the
awarded
educational
work
carried out by
the organisation
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Cátia Sirlene
(photo), a
Spiritist since
1985, has been
in the Spiritist
Movement since
1996. She lives
in the city of
Araranguá, in
the southern
Brazilian state
of Santa
Catarina, where
she is a
cultural
producer. She is
the president of
the Casa da
Fraternidade
(Fraternity
House), which
carries out an
important
educational
work. |
Tell us more
about the city
of Araranguá. |
Araranguá is a
city of some
65,000 people in
the south of
Santa Catarina
state, about
10km from the
coast. The
economy is based
on clothes
manufacturing
and, in the
summer, tourism.
There are no
major industries
and unemployment
amongst young
people is high.
Many young
people leave the
city to look for
work elsewhere.
The poorest area
of the city in
where The
Fraternity House
is located, in
the Lagoão
neighbourhood,
but the
situation there
has improved in
recent years
thanks to our
charity work.
When was Casa da
Fraternidade
founded?
It was founded
in 1987, to meet
the needs of the
local community.
It began with a
day nursery. The
couple that
founded the
group moved to a
different part
of the country
in 1993. After a
period of
instability, we
began a new
project,
focusing on
children,
teenagers and
their families.
More than 5,000
children have
been helped by
The Fraternity
House. In 1997,
when I joined
the group, there
was widespread
poverty in the
area and
ostensive drug
trafficking near
our building.
Many people
stayed away. In
2000, the
council decided
to build a new
day nursery in
the
neighbourhood
and that is when
we decided to
renovate our old
building and
begin a new
project for
children in
school age. That
is when we began
with the
Juventude Luzes
do Amanhã
Project (Young
Lights of
Tomorrow).
You also began a
new educational
methodology,
human values
classes. Tell us
more about that.
We strongly
believe that
religion cannot
be imposed on
people. But the
principles of
spirituality
must be part of
the lives of
those who are
assisted by us.
One of our
teachers had
worked with
Divaldo Franco
and told us he
put into
practice the
pedagogy of
human values
before each
activity. We
tested it and
began opening a
debate on a
particular
message every
week, and the
children loved
the classes. We
realised we
needed to focus
on an
educational
approach and we
began applying
then the method
of Pestalozzi.
Who are the main
benefactors of
your services
and how many
people are
assisted daily?
We attend 205
children and
teenagers aged
between 6 and 14
and 20 teenagers
aged between 15
and 18. They
take part in a
number of
activities, such
as choir
singing, ballet,
theatre, guitar,
information
technology,
arts, chess and
capoeira.
Your project was
awarded the
highly esteemed
Criança
Esperança award
in Brazil. What
did they take
into account for
their decision?
Every year
nearly 2,000
projects are
submitted. They
look into the
innovation
aspects of the
projects, the
pedagogic
proposal, the
changes in the
community etc.
After we got the
award, we
noticed we
gained
visibility. The
number of
children and
teenagers
attended nearly
doubled.
Tell us a bit
more about your
Youth Project.
After 13 years,
this project has
become an
alternative
space for arts
production in
the city. The
project has
encouraged
integration and
the development
of everyone’s
potentials,
under the motto:
“To accept
that each human
being brings
inside them
potential
qualities to be
developed is to
admit the
concept of
permanent
transformation.”
Our project
provides
education on a
number of
subjects using
art together
with education.
What are your
details for
those who wish
to visit or help
the project?
The Fraternity
House’s address
is Rua Pedro
Gomes, 740 –
Bairro Lagoão –
Araranguá, Santa
Catarina,
Brazil. Our
phone number is
+ 55 48
35270214. The
email is
casa.fraternidade@gmail.com.
Our website is
www.projetojuventude.com.br.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
I would like to
thank Jesus for
the opportunity
of working in
his name and
also to thank
those who have
trusted and
supported us
with their acts
and words, which
have enabled
this project to
carry on.
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