World youth day

It's been a while since our last blog. It has been difficult to get an Internet connection and the time to blog.  We have lots of travelling but spirits our high since arriving in Rio and meeting pope Francis. 

God bless to all. Especially our friends in parnaiba 

Chelsea Brage..............Life in Parnaiba and Parc es stefan

Hi Everyone,
since the groups arrival in Parnaiba, Piaui in early July, i have been struck by the immense cultutral & social differences between Ireland and Brazil.The attitude towards those who live in favelas or slum areas is particularly shocking. we were told that a person who lived in these areas would be recognised by the way they looked or the way they dressed. if they ever entered a supermarket for the middle classes, employees or guards are told to keep an eye on them or refuse them entry. Their reality and situation is deeply saddening and it made worse by the general attitude to those on the fringes of society and below the poverty line.

On the other side of the coin, Brazilians are really ´Gung Ho´ and euthiastic and happy about life and very friendly. They readily welcome strangers into their community and their kindness can be seen in other our interactions with them especially on the building site and with local builders.

My birthday occured during the religious festivities that were happening in the town which was really cool. it was also the night when the group were officially welcomed to the community at Mass in the town. During the Mass the Priest called us up to the altar and the whole community welcomed and prayed for us. Then Diarmuid told them it was my birthday and hundreds of people sang happy birthday to me. standing in front of the congregation was overwhelming and the kind welcome was second to none.

this is one birthday i will never forget and was without doubt one of the most amazing experiences in my life.

keep us in your thoughts and prayers

Chelsea braga

Clearing the Site

Sometimes in life we have to do a good clear out in order to make room for new beginnings. The clear out always stirs up old memories - sometimes good and sometimes bad. But inevitably it brings some pain and some relief.

So too it is for our families in Brazil. Yesterday and today we knocked down three houses. These houses were one room with sand floors and either plastic or clay held together by a frame of wood. We had cleared the three sites in less than 5hours!! One of the Brazilian volunteers helping Serve told me that the families (children included) eat their food off these floors. 

But for the families, this one room was their whole house. Their children were born there and raised there. The pain and pleasures of family life were all played out in that one room. And here we are knocking it down.

The demolition did not just affect the human families. As we knocked down the houses we displaced 5 toads, a lizard, at least four mice, a few cockroaches, God only knows how many spiders and...wait for it...a scorpion!!

The families watched as we worked with the builders and some family members to take the houses apart bit by bit. But for them the pain is worth it. In a week or so they will have a brand new house with two rooms and a solid structure. The germs and diseases and havens for creatures will no longer be. 

But more difference is made than just a new house. This new accommodation improves health, self esteem, prospects, opportunities...for the owners and their children.

What a blessing for us to be able to share this moment with them!

Seeing the vision before starting the work

On Friday we finally arrived in Fortaleza after three days of travelling. After settling into our accommodation we were brought to see the houses that Serve have built in the 8 years of work in Morros.

It is amazing what has been achieved in this time. Most of the houses we saw had improved and extended their house. One woman we visited said that she loves to have the Irish groups to come to visit because it reminds her of the blessings her house has brought to her life and how it has changed over the years.

The other thing that struck me was the pride and care with which these people looked after their houses and the wee extras they have added. One of the houses had a beautiful mobile with pink and white flowers and when we looked closer we realised that it was made from plastic bottles!!

There was something special about seeing the end product of our houses before we got to begin to prepare the land for them. It makes the work we will be doing more real!

Day 2: Arriving in Rio and staying in Fortaleza

We arrived after one hell of a flight from Frankfurt into Rio airport! The whole group was wrecked although we were entertained by Sean who chatted up every air hostess insight! 

We boarded our last plane.. Yet again time for more fun and games to keep us entertained. There's always a laugh with this group. Sure we're Irish of course! 

Poor Eileen couldn't get a wink of sleep! As you can see above she had a lot on her mind!!

We arrived into sunny Rio de Janeiro to be met by Serve's co-ordinator Diarmuid who had our transport waiting for us outside! Talk about service! And with a smile too!! We are definitely blessed to have a person who knows so much about Brazil and speaks the language on our team!

We travelled on a bus to a Redemptorist seminary where we stayed the night and had some lovely food! 

That night we went to do a bit of sight seeing where we went to Ponte Metallica to walk down the pier. We then went to the market stalls along the strip in Biera Mar where we got many souvenirs for you all at home!

Inspirational people live among the ordinary

We have a habit in life of looking up to celebrities like David Beckham or Angelina Jolie as our inspirational figures but not so good at spotting the people we meet in everyday. 

Today we all met a truly inspirational person who is a Redemptorist priest in Fortaleza in Brazil. Fr Martin Murray accompanied us around the local communities within his parish and we saw the community centres and community activists within his parish, all inspired to make a difference in their communities because of Padre Martin.

Martin is 84 and has just had a hip operation yet he still was able to walk us round the community. When he is in top form he travels around on his motorbike!! A quiet and unassuming man, Martin has been able to involve and encourage members in the local community to give their time to the people in need in their community. 

We saw a small room with two tables where they feed 200 children every day, a community centre offering computer and other classes to local people to help employment opportunities, the humble church where all feel welcome to worship. There is a spiritual side to the communities through worship and prayer and prayer groups. And equally there is a social side where they fight for the rights of communities to have their houses, services and healthcare. Padre Martin lives in a humble house among the people and locals welcome him with a warm smile. Because of his relationships we felt secure and protected but at the same time he and the locals were mindful that we don't stay long as it is not safe.

Projects like these exist at home as well. Churches in Ireland and Great Britain have food banks, education programmes, lobby on key issues. For those of you who can't have the chance like us to be inspired by the people who make a difference here in Brazil, have a look around your local community where you will surely find people who have a heart to make a difference in our communities. When I go to see their work I leave feeling like the world is a better place because of them. Yet for them it is just what they do.

I give thanks to God for people like Padre Martin and for all those working in local communities in the hope that we all will have the same opportunities in life one day.

Day 1. Dublin to Frankfurt to Rio

As the group got ready from 5am from the different parts of Ireland to begin the journey of a life time. One question became familiar! Are we there yet?

The bus journey from Belfast an Dundalk left us knackered as we began the amazing pilgrimage to Rio to begin the serve experience. 

As we prepared ourselves for life in the real world we indulged in some egg mcmuffins and bacon sandwiches. This gave us some energy but we still wondered where to go next. Oh yeah 12 noon flight to Frankfurt. 

As we arrived in Frankfurt, fr Gerry leads us in the right direction. However, we are all getting really tired after spending 7hours in the airport. Day 1 finishes with us waiting for our flight to RIO with TAM airlines and then parnaiba. We will sleep when we get to our accommodation on day 2. 

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we will let you know how the story unfolds. The only excitement in this airport involves camels and Stephen but that's a story for tomorrow. 

Good night from the group. 

Peace out

The last supper

Young people from the St Colmcille's enjoy a last supper courtesy of fr ciaran. 

Lots of food and Craic. We look forward to packing our bags over the next few days. 

So excited......

Article for website

Almost a year ago, Fr Ciaran Feeney and Kate Acton from St Colmcille’s Parish in Ballyhackamore thought about the possibility of bringing a group to World Youth Day in Brazil in July 2013 and also doing some humanitarian work in the developing world. That dream soon became a reality after a conversation with Chris O’Donoghue from SERVE. 

Serve discussed the possibility of getting involved with a great project in the North Eastern region of Brazil that had been developed in partnership with the Redemptorists and Caritas over the last 10 years. The project aims to make a huge difference in helping those who live in extremely sub-standard living conditions to live in decent homes and thus improve their health, wellbeing and opportunities in life. Serve also aims to build the capacity on the ground through youth leadership programmes and development education work. Diarmaid Ua Bruadair from SERVE will co-lead the team and he has a wealth of experience, expertise and credibility in the local community. Kate signed up for the Serve Project and committed to bringing a group of young people to Parnaiba, North East Brazil to make a difference.

Inspired by the project and the possibility of bringing a group the recruitment process began. Fr Gerry Campbell, from Armagh Diocese, heard about the project and decided this was too good an opportunity to turn down. Together they decided to bring a group of twenty young people to Brazil to build houses for those in need and to go on pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Rio with Pope Francis and millions of young Catholic’s across the world. The young people are made up from the parishes of St Colmcille’s Parish Ballyhackamore, St Colmcille’s Holywood and a number of parishes from North Louth recruited by Fr Gerry. They will be representing their families, schools, parish, diocese and country as they embark on this great endeavour.

The group developed friendships on a team building weekend and heard about the importance of development education and heard about the exciting project they were involved in. They enthusiastically started fundraising with many creative ideas from bag packs, sponsored stay awakes, Barbeques and coffee mornings. Thanks to the many donations from our kind and generous family, friends and community, we have met all the targets that will ensure the project is a success and we will ensure that the people of Parnaiba will know of the generosity and solidarity shown by the kind people in Ireland.

After many months of fundraising, planning meetings and teambuilding and a few hiccups along the way.  We have finally made it to the summer of 2013 and are we are ready for the Serve Brazil project in Parnaiba.  We leave for Brazil on the 9^th of July and we will spend the first couple of weeks building houses in Parnaiba and then we will travel to Rio for the World Youth Day pilgrimage were we will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. We ask you to pray for us and the local community we will be working alongside and also pray for a safe journey. We look forward to showing you the many photographs and telling you about the amazing project and the difference you have helped to make in the world. Once again, thanks for your kind and generous donations. God Bless.

Please follow our Blog at http://servebrazil2013.blogspot.co.uk/ or check out www.serve.ie for more information.

Getting Ready to Fly.........

During our time in Parnaiba, Brazil, we will spend the days building houses and engaging with the local community. In the evenings we will learn about international development work and development education and how we can continue to make a difference on our return.

Please read about our blog and journey over the next few weeks....

Many thanks
Serve Brazil 2013





Please read about the amazing impact serve (www.serve.ie) makes across the world with its international development oversees volunteering and maybe you will do something like this next year and to give to this project........please donate below or on the Serve website

http://www.justgiving.com/Joe-in-Brazil-with-Serve