| Brazil – Princess Elena visits the Salesian school in Rio de Janeiro |
| Brazil – Sport as a way to change society |
As part of the Salesian Youth Centre in Rio de Janeiro, the Socio-Sporting School has been operating under the aegis of the “Mapfre Foundation” since June 2010. The visit began in the afternoon and for two hours the Commissioner was able to see the work being done with disadvantaged children in the city, and also to speak to those benefitting from the work made possible through an agreement with the Real Madrid Foundation. She was accompanied by Fr Agustín Pacheco, Director of the Salesian Missions, Fr Marcelo Vicente de Paula, Director of the Youth Centre and Fr Jairo Fonseca, Vice Provincial of Brazil-Belo Horizonte.
With this school the Salesian Youth Centre in Rio de Janeiro now has something else to offer to hundreds of children and young people as a further incentive through sport to escape from social exclusion and poverty. It has been a very successful venture, managing to involve parents in meetings and in the whole education process.
Dr Vassiliou spoke about the work being done by the Salesians in schools and other places where there are children and young people suffering from the violation of their rights or who are in situations of economic or social disadvantage and unable to have access to good quality education “I believe that sport is a marvellous school of values and an incentive for children and young people to face the future more cheerfully. Therefore I am in favour of initiatives like this and wish there were more like this one provided by the Salesian Missions and the Real Madrid Foundation, of which one can already see the benefits” declared the Commissioner.
Dr Vassilliou and her team were given examples of the work done by the children in the various semi-professional workshops in the school as well as a project shirt “Cidadania pelo Esporte”, which is the Real Madrid Foundation project of which the socio-sporting school forms a part. The Salesians also gave Dr Vassilliou a plaque commemorating her visit.
On their part the children and young people expressed their joy at the presence of the Commissioner performing some Brazilian dances such as the makulelé and capoeira, and a mini-football tournament led by Adolfo Sanchez a trainer from the Real Madrid Foundation.
Published 08/04/2011
