Hope Unlimited

Philip Smith, David Nowell, and student

On Saturday and Sunday we visited with the leaders and children of Hope Unlimited in Campinas, Brazil.  Hope Unlimited was founded in 1994 by Jack Smith and his son Philip Smith, the current CEO.  Philip lives in Campinas and leads all daily operations.  Hope concentrates on caring for children of ages 10 through 18 that either lived on the streets or have been removed from abusive situations by the Brazilian government.  It is literally true that these children have two choices:  live at Hope Unlimited or die.  The boys have most likely been involved in crimes, such as theft and drugs if not worse.  The girls have most likely been sexually abused by strangers, family members, or through prostitution.  Hope offers these children a home with Christian leaders, a high school education, and vocational training, such as cooking, computer skills, auto repair, and other trades.  Notice in the picture that the closet is open.  The children are very proud of their closets, because for the first time in their lives they actually have belongings and a space that they can call their own.

A unique aspect of Hope Unlimited is that when the children graduate from the programs at age 18, Hope continues to support them as they find jobs and start their own families.  Graduation is not considered success.  Success comes many years later when the Hope graduates have maintained their lives away from crime and abuse and have started their own families.  The cycle of abuse and destruction has been broken.

If you want to learn more about Hope Unlimited, please go to their website at www.HopeUnlimited.org. 

Today Hope Unlimited serves over 1,000 children in Brazil and has 10 sites.  We visited four of the sites this weekend, guided by David Nowell, the president of Hope Unlimited.  David is based in Tennessee and is responsible for generating U.S. support, but he is in Campinas several times each year.  The main site is called the City of Youth, and it encompasses the educational facilities for all of the children, plus the dorms for the boys.  The Hope Girls Ranch, about five miles away, is where all of the Hope girls live, and they take a bus ride to the City of Youth each day for classes.

Entrance to the City of Youth

Boys' Dormitories

Girls Ranch

Boy Residents

Two of the Girls

Buck with Two Girls

 
Hope Unlimited has established a positive, long term relationship with the Brazilian government social services by successfully helping thousands of children over the years.  The government has mandated the construction and opening of preschool centers in all of the city slum areas.  However, there is often not enough local funding to provide for the staffing of the new schools.  Because of Hope's track record, Philip has been asked to manage the operation of a new preschool on behalf of the government.  This wonderful new facility, part of the Nave Mae ("mother ship") preschool program, now provides daily care for over 100 favela children, under the tutelage of Hope Unlimited leaders and teachers.

Rosalina Favela Preschool

Rosalina Favela Preschool

We also visited the Hope Girls Graduate Home, which is a home in Campinas for the girls that have graduated.  Currently, there are ten girls living there, learning to live on their own after their Hope Unlimited educations.  We met several of the girls, and they are so delightful -- very positive about their experiences and forward looking about their opportunities to succeed in life. 

Graduates of the Hope Girls Program

Because of contributions from Christ Church, we were able to move and retrofit the Hope Unlimited dental clinic earlier this year.  This investment has enabled Hope to continue its dental care for all of the children, as well as make room for a new science laboratory.

Dental Clinic

Science Laboratory

As you can see, we were very busy, hustling around four locations and talking with many teachers and the children.  How inspiring it was to see what is being accomplished!  These children are overcoming huge problems -- drugs, prostitution, abuse -- and they are learning to take care of themselves and treat others with respect, all under the umbrella of Christ's teachings. 

We will be communicating with Philip and David over the next few weeks to identify ways in which Beyond Our Borders can continue to engage with Hope Unlimited and help these beautiful children.  One idea on the table is a 2011 visit by a larger contingent from Christ Church and All Saints, perhaps to do some building or repair work.  Stay tuned and let us know if you are interested!