Brazil

Judo and fun for 225 children

Patricia Franco

On 18/07/2017 day, was celebrated the Mandela Day in Aspen Pharma Brazil in a fun and special way. Two beneficiaries received the attention of the team in Brazil, these being Associação Beneficente Bem Ama and the Reaction Institute.

The Associação Beneficente Bem Amar is located in the Goiabeiras neighborhood in Victoria next to Aspen’s manufacturing facility in Serra, ES, while the Reaction Institute isin Rocinha, close to the Rio de Janeiro office.

Bem Amar’s Moses Project targets children aged 6 to15 years from disadvantaged backgrounds. The project provides upto 75 of them with a healthy environment that encourages social development, provides educational opportunities, health workshops and recreational activities, while at the same time evangelizing to them andserving asan example to the community. Aspen’s employees hosted the children for an afternoon and shared Mandela’s history with them, in addition to providing snacks and entertaining as well as activities including making crafts, singing and taking some time to laugh together as jokes were shared. The children were delighted to also receive gifts of school supplies that had been donated by Aspen employees.

Staff from the Rio de Janeiro office adopted judo as a sporting code to encourage social transformation andeducation among some 150 children younger than 17 from the Reaction Institute. Time was spent focusing onthe basics of this sport following which there was much needed relaxation that included games, a puppet theatre and delicious treats. Two of the Institute’s classrooms were also renovated adding to the appreciation of this community that is caught in the grip of poverty, crime and violence.