Projeto Povos
Amazonas, Brazil
Empowering Lives in the Heart of the Amazon
Life in the Amazon can present formidable challenges for individuals, marked by poverty, malnutrition, frequent flooding, and the alarming prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as child sexual violence. At Projeto Povos, we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those residing in this region.
Projeto Povos Tutoring Centers
Access to quality education is a pressing concern in the Amazon, where illiterate 10-year-olds struggle academically, falling behind their peers. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue further, as remote learning deprived many children of the necessary technology to continue their education. As a result, our children have endured a loss of nearly two years of learning, hindering their development of critical thinking skills, creativity, and hope for the future. Recognizing these challenges, Projeto Povos has established tutoring centers to address these pressing issues.
Our tutoring centers focus on promoting cognitive skills by creating a supportive and encouraging environment where children can engage with subjects such as reading, writing, math, history, and more. Through this comprehensive approach, we aim to boost their confidence and enthusiasm for learning. Additionally, our dedicated team works on developing the children's relational and physical skills while nurturing their spiritual well-being through the Word of God. By addressing their holistic needs, we strive to help these children heal from past trauma, reduce the risk of involvement in dangerous activities, such as drugs and prostitution, and provide them with the foundation they need to succeed in life. Emphasizing the importance of involving the entire family system, our centers also engage with parents, offering them social skills, conflict resolution training, job skills, assistance with unemployment benefits, and social security applications. Through consistent monitoring and family development, we empower parents to reclaim responsibility for their children's education.
Currently, Projeto Povos operates two educational centers—one in the bustling city of Manaus and another in Parintins, a two-day journey up the Amazon River. Since 2021, we have been able to support approximately 50 children through our program. However, the demand for our services far exceeds our current funding capacity. Many other children in need continue to reach out, hoping to join our programs, and our vision is to expand our reach by securing additional funding. Furthermore, we are committed to improving the nutritional health of these children by providing monthly food baskets or a daily lunch. Recognizing the importance of addressing their psychological well-being, we plan to enhance our support by adding a psychologist to our staff.
Women's Support Groups
At Projeto Povos, we believe in uplifting the entire community. Noemi, one of our dedicated missionaries, is working diligently to develop women's support groups in an isolated Rio Negro village. These groups aim to cultivate self-esteem among the women by fostering an environment where they can gather and create indigenous jewelry to sell at a nearby resort. This initiative empowers the women economically while fostering a sense of community and personal growth.
Church Planting and Religious Ministry
Traveling through the Amazon can be exceptionally challenging, requiring days of navigation, financial resources for boats and fuel, and overcoming language barriers. Projeto Povos supports various indigenous leaders by providing them with boats and supplies, enabling them to share the love of Jesus with the communities surrounding them.
We invite you to embark on this transformative journey with us, as we strive to uplift the lives of children and communities in the Amazon. Your support will make a tangible difference, enabling us to reach more children in need, provide them with essential resources, and offer a brighter future filled with hope and opportunity. Together, we can empower these individuals to overcome their challenges and build a better tomorrow.
Igor & Val Vale
(Projeto Povos Project Directors)
Igor and Val met each other in Manaus in 2011 and married in 2012 to serve the Lord together as missionaries in the Amazon. Igor Vale has skills in computer engineering and also anthropology. Val Maia has a BA in biology. They work with riverside indigenous and refugee people along the Amazon region in Brazil. They have three beautiful children into the world; Caleb, Mary Julia, and Jasmim.
Projeto Povos was born in 2016 when they lead short-term teams to do social work in the Amazon. Igor and Val realized that they could help bring about change by helping people in rural areas through social works. Their dream is to spread many schools, churches and health clinics in the amazon jungle. Together, with their children and by the grace of God, change the of many families and children in the amazon jungle.
Meet some of the children in our program…
Ana Maria
Ana Maria is eleven years old and lives with her maternal grandmother as her mother is in prison serving a sentence of twenty years. She is in the sixth grade at school, but struggles with the alphabet and many other educational expectations for her age. She is very shy, rarely talks, and struggles to get along with other kids. “A beautiful but very sad girl who seems to live in great suffering”.
Pedro
Pedro eight years old and is a very smart boy. He lives with his paternal grandmother, an aunt and his father. His mother left him when he was a baby. His father and grandmother struggle with substance abuse. We are worried that Pedro is also at risk of using drugs if we are unable to help him as they all live in a very small house together where he is exposed to their drug use. He has a good friendship with his aunt who talks to him a lot. He likes to play with figurines and he is very interested in his studies.
Kenner Alessandro
Kenner Alessandro is an eleven-year-old boy just arrived from Venezuela. He lives with his parents and a three-year-old brother. He is a very smart, kind, and helpful boy. His father is unemployed and lives on small jobs when he is called to work. Unfortunately, because of poverty, he and his mother sometimes go to the traffic lights in the streets to ask for help from people who drive by. Kenner Alessandro has great concern for his family, as they are in a lot of poverty.