Success Stories of Two Brothers Whose Lives Have Changed Through MORE Project: Joao and Jonathan
Joao Victor and Jonathan are two brothers from Vila Ipiranga, the slum close to our school. Joao Victor is six and Jonathan is four. The boys are raised by their father because their mother abandoned the family. Jonathan takes prescription drugs because the shock of separation from his mother.
Joao and Jonathan came to our school in March 2011 but at first they really struggled. School work was very difficult and the boys couldn’t focus long enough to learn or even to communicate with the other children in their classes.
Unfortunately, Joao and Jonathan’s story is similar for many of our children at MORE Project. Most experience difficult family lives where conflict at home is normal. Most children suffer from lack of nutritious food and live in homes with intermittent running water. It is not an easy life.
Our new students can be very withdrawn or they are quite aggressive and act out. Many times the children cannot read well nor understand their school lessons. Family members and public schools fail to work with these desperate children.
As new children enter our schools, our social workers and psychologist immediately step in. Our goal is to provide a safe haven and unconditional love to help the children not only survive but thrive. The team of social workers and psychologist also work with the whole family teaching parenting skills, discipline and how to demonstrate love. They help the parents to understand the issues the child is facing and how the parent can support the child.
Although Joao and Jonathan only started at MORE Project in March, we are so happy with the progress they are making! They are learning in class and they have managed to develop their cognitive abilities quickly as well as creating rapport with their teachers. They are responding beautifully to the nurturing environment which focuses on cognitive support, daily love and respect and emotional support. To our joy, they also began communicating with the other children and with adults around them. They are making friends. We look forward to 2012 to continue to watch them grow at MORE Project. With your support, we are changing lives every single day!
