Community initiatives to clamp down on violence against children

Located a few kilometers away from Arena Fonte Nova – the stadium where four World Cup matches are to be held – Saramandaia is one of the many impoverished communities in Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia. The main concern felt by the people of Saramandaia is that the number of children selling electronic devices and beverages near the stadium might rise with the influx of tourists during the World Cup.

Home to 70 thousand people, Saramandaia suffers from the lack of schools and quality leisure centers. The only option for local children is an unpaved plot of land known as “hunger-killer.” Community leader Abrão Joviniano says, “After leaving school, children usually come here to play ball, running the risk of being hit by a car because the area is meant for vehicles to make U-turns.”

For the young people living in the community, the school facilities are precarious. “The sports court fills with water whenever it rains” said one of the boys. Another child overheard the conversation and complained: “There’s no court where I go to school.”

Art against violence

The alarming violence rates in the communities motivated residents to organize boxing, circus and percussion classes for young people. This is how the project Arte Consciente was created, which benefits around 100 children and adolescents in a modest house.

“This place makes me really happy, because I feel emotional whenever I grab a musical instrument. I keep learning; I learn different drumbeats, which make me grow and become a great artist,” says 13-year-old Marcos Antonio Gomes, one of the teenagers in the program.

Arte Consciente tackles the shortage of resources and is currently preparing to keep their doors open during the World Cup, when schools will start their vacation period and children will have nothing to do. And this is also why child labor is seen with grave concern by educators.

“There’s a serious problem: family income. Regardless of our activities here, the parents of some students work as vendors on the street. Some will take their children with them, there’s no way out,” said Fábio Santos de Jesus, one of the coordinators.

The founders of Arte Consciente are aware of how important access to leisure, culture and sport is for the development of children. Years ago, they took part in the Projeto Axé, a program that has helped children on the streets of Salvador for 24 years.

In the weeks preceding the World Cup, Helmut Schned, Coordinator of Projeto Axé, believes the number of children living on the streets will increase due to the international competition. “They’re exposed to all sorts of risks on the street, from child labor to sexual exploitation, not to mention the risk of being exposed to drugs – either as a user, to escape from reality, or as a trafficker. They’re the most vulnerable section of the population.”

One of the adolescents in the project, who is 16 years old, says that he has been intermittently living on the streets for over ten years. On the ramp leading to supermarket Mercado Modelo, in Cidade Baixa, one of Salvador’s major tourist attractions, he meets other kids facing the same situation. To him, violence is just part of everyday life. “I’ve been bit by a dog, and my head got cracked once. Earlier today an officer hit me with a cudgel. It’s insane! People discriminate against you, they can act like real cowards,” he noted.

Another teenager from Projeto Axé reveals how violence has escalated: “I was kept tied up for six days, eating bread and water, like a dog. Some guy did this to me.”

After being contacted by our reporters, the city government did not disclose their plans for fighting child labor during the World Cup and helping children living on the streets.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira

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