Wealth Inequality

October 7, 2010 | Bahia Street

Harvard professor Michael Norton recently discussed U.S. wealth inequality with Steve Inskeep on NPR.  The gap between reality and perception is interesting and probably universal.  Engaging citizens of any country in work that addresses inequality is difficult if they don’t perceive the issue to be as pressing as it is.  Professor Norton gives culture and our belief in upward social mobility as one explanation for this gap between reality and perception, and certainly culture plays a role in every country’s response to poverty alleviation.

Bolsa Familia and its impact on poverty

September 14, 2010 | Bahia Street

The Economist recently reported on the Bolsa Familia poverty alleviation program in Brazil.  The story is interesting on many fronts.  It discussed the intractable nature of urban poverty, and how “new poverty” in the form of drugs and violence is proving more difficult to impact than “old poverty,” defined in terms of lack of employment and access to opportunity.  The story reminds me a summary of a World Bank report I read that concludes that the world has experienced a 7-percent drop in the population living below $1 a day but a 10.4-percent increase in the population living below $2 a day.  We are helping to move people away from the edge of despair, but not to long term prosperity that will succeed in ending poverty in the long term.  Programs like Bolsa Familia and Bahia Street working in tandem can address both the short and long term needs of children living in poverty.

NYTimes: “Educational Gaps Limit Brazil’s Reach”

September 9, 2010 | Bahia Street
“Educational Gaps Limit Brazil’s Reach – Bahia Street board member Melanie Wyffels has this response to the Sunday, September 5, 2010 New York Times story about education in Brazil.  “It is interesting and sad.  It reminded of one of my last conversations with Rita when she told me that part of the group that is taking the pre-college prep course is illiterate, or almost. This factor slows down the whole program, as teachers have to give one-to-one classes starting from the very basics.

But education in Brazil would be worse if it weren’t for the thousands of invisible educators dedicated to changing the system, such as everybody at Bahia Street. Today I listened to a speech given by one of Chico Mendes’ daughter.  (Chico Mendes was a national environmental hero, activist and union leader in the Northern state of Acre. He was brutally assassinated in 88 by the local ranch mafia). The clarity of her speech and message was amazing!  She obviously received  high quality education in the middle of the Amazon forest.”

Defining Beauty in Brazil

June 8, 2010 | Bahia Street

The New York Times just published an interesting article about changing concepts of beauty in Brazil.  It reminds us of Rita’s tremendous effort to promote concepts of beauty for African-descent children.  She has a bulletin board and pictures of black women all over the Bahia Street Center — models as well as “regular” women– to show Bahia Street girls and young women that they are just as beautiful as all of the southern Brazilian models that fill local magazines.

Stay Updated~

March 1, 2010 | Bahia Street

An article was published about a recent yellow fever outbreak in a couple southern states in Brazil. According to the CDC, part of the state of Bahia is at risk for contracting yellow fever, but the area near the coast and Salvador is not included. Places with stagnant water and open sewage, like favelas and impoverished neighborhoods, are subject to increased risks with more areas for mosquitoes to breed. Many of Bahia Street’s students live in these kind of neighborhoods, but Bahia Street provides medical attention for each student. For more information about yellow fever and preventative methods read the Yellow Fever In Brazil article.

Next Page »