Brazil: Circo Ponte das Estrelas
Running costs for Circo Ponte das Estrelas
Circus Ponte das Estrelas is a social institution that helps young people who come from extremely poor and difficult backgrounds. The institution needs your support to be able to cover their daily occurring costs. Your donation helps them for example to buy flour and grains to bake their own bread, rice and beans for cooking, paints and paper for painting, notebooks and pens for working and sometimes a new set of guitar strings. Your donation also helps them to pay their electricity, water and gas bills. Without these simple things, unfortunately, the Circus cannot sustain itself. In total, they need about 8,500 euros to cover their daily costs.
About the project:
Circus Ponte das Estrelas offers up to 25 young people aged 12 to 18 a daily program after school. Since 2005, the employees have been helping young people from extremely challenging social backgrounds by offering them a safe place of retreat in the circus.
The children and young adolescents come from the outskirts of São Paulo - the so-called "slums", built-up slopes with unplastered walls, small alleys, stairs and clay paths leading to huts made of wood and furniture remnants with plastic sheets or corrugated irons as roofs. There they live in chaotic circumstances that does not offer them any support for their personal development. The neighbourhood is one of the most dangerous in São Paulo and offers the best hiding place for drug gangs and criminals. Danger to life is almost constant, as the children are often used as so-called "planes" to deliver drugs. Unfortunately, the young people are familiar with violence, a lack of structure, drug use, hunger and abuse in all forms - even within their own families. They know the feeling of being alone or being responsible for several little brothers and sisters on their own.
At school and in the families, it either doesn't matter what the young people do, or they are even excoriated. The consequence is that they end up believing that they can't do anything. During the pandemic, everything was twice as hard because they could not meet other people who could help or encourage them.
Therefore, many students come to the Circus with post-traumatic disorders or chronic trauma; they are either hyperactive and boundless or apathetic, depressed, without motivation or vitality. Learning blockades, antisocial behaviour, addictions and compulsions, sexualisation far too early, rhythm disturbances in every form and psychological problems, up to auto aggressions, mental illness and suicidal thoughts, are the consequences. In the Circus they can find a safe place, encouragement and peace.
Here they get two meals a day and a violence-free environment where they can feel at home. They can take part in lessons in various circus disciplines, handicrafts, manual work, music and art, are supported with their homework and receive individual support if needed. The staff work with parents, guardians and relatives and offer them support in everyday life. Together with the school and the family, they work towards the integration or "reintegration" of the pupils, most of whom have learning difficulties.Regular practice of the Circus disciplines strengthens the children in a therapeutic way, brings balance and a new cooperation of body, vitality, soul and the ego will of the children, which has often retreated in the face of so much adversity.
"We are three teachers and project leaders and we firmly believe that transformation is possible and that everyone is capable of taking control of their lives if only they are given the chance and the necessary support. That is why we work in this simple daily togetherness.... And with art, which can help so much to make transformations possible.
In circus there is dreaming and laughing, even at mistakes or stupidities, but above all out of joy and trust that we mean well together."
What is the money needed for?
With your donations you can help the Circus to cope with their daily expenses. The Circus House should always be comfortable, have enough food and the things that are needed to work with the children. So, flour and grains for bread, guava jam and peanut butter for a popular breakfast with fresh bread, rice, beans, salad and milk. They also need colours for painting and paper, notebooks, pencils and now and then a set of new guitar pages. Then there are the electricity bills and water and gas to cook with. All very simple, unspectacular things. Every year the Circus needs about 8,500.00 Euros for this.
“Your WOW-Day donations are always an irreplaceable and great help and we are grateful for the connection to WOW-DAY and that we were even allowed to visit some of you on our circus tour in Germany. Thank you for your effort and commitment!"
