By helping these projects, Norwegian youngsters were able to show their solidarity with, and help improve conditions for young people of their own age in another part of the world.
Slums, violence and drugs
Life can be tough for poor young people in the Brazilian cities. Children as young as 10 may be recruited as armed footsoldiers for large drugs gangs, and as many as 40,000 young people are killed by small arms each year. Slum areas are growing, poverty is a constant burden, and violent crime tarnishes hopes of a better future.
Education for the future
Norwegian Church Ais is working to improve the quality of public education in Brazil to provide young people with stronger chances of finding employment and living a life in dignity. Our projects will also provide education opportunities outside of school, and use a variety of actities such as hip hop, dance, music and computer games both to give young people an arena where they can be themselves, and to build self respect and self knowledge. Norwegian Church Aid is also working to ensure that young people's opinions about their own and their city's future are heard and taken seriously.
Brazil's city youth receive:
- Education
- Self respect and a belief in their own abilities
- Extra-curricular activities
- The opportunity to influence their own surroundings
"Operation Day's Work" is a national fundraising campaign that has been arranged yearly in Norway since 1964. It challenges young people of school age to spend one day in employment, and to donate their day's wage to a good cause chosen every year by a committee of young people. This year's proceeds go to Norwegian Church Aid - next year's will be directed elsewhere. Each year around 30 million Norwegian Kroner is raised - around USD 5 million.
For more information, check the Operation Day's Work website (Norwegian only)