Sertão Vivo: Bringing Hope to Araripina’s Communities
by Revista algomais
Sertão Vivo is a project created by the Canadian NGO Life for Lives, which has been working in communities in the city of Araripina, in Brazil’s Sertão region, for the past seven years. Formed by members of the Brazilian community in Toronto, Canada, the NGO has structured the project with the help of volunteers and through fundraising events and initiatives. The funds collected are used to purchase school supplies, build schools, and provide food for rural communities in Araripina.
According to Dianna Santos, a native of Pernambuco and president of Life for Lives, the project aims to bring dignity and hope to people living in extreme vulnerability. “Our goal is to provide a minimum level of dignity so that these people feel they are not forgotten and that someone cares about them, even from afar,” Dianna emphasized.
She also highlighted that Sertão Vivo is structured to be sustainable, and the plan is to establish public-private partnerships to ensure the project continues helping families. “Over these seven years, we have witnessed transformative changes in the lives of these people. Knowing that our actions directly or indirectly impact their lives is incredibly rewarding because doing good is transformative and inspiring. We are born to serve others—this is our mission, and we cannot let this dream die because we must never stop dreaming of a better and fairer world,” she added.
As the needs of the community have increased, so have the demands. To address this, a Community Center is being built as a model reference for the state of Pernambuco. This space will serve as a hub where citizens can access information, gather for social and educational events, and participate in recreational activities.
Sertão Vivo has a team of 30 permanent volunteers providing services in education, psychology, and dentistry. Over the past seven years, the initiative has already supported more than 250 families.
Read the article in Portuguese at https://algomais.com/sertao-vivo-leva-esperanca/
