Studying at PRECE

Studying at PRECE
Students from PRECE study together under the juazeiro tree in small groups using cooperative learning

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Taking it all in stride...

When I was at the home of Jose Alfredo and Dona Marta (in Boa Vista) yesterday a giant water truck pulled in behind me. I was confused because typically there are buckets of water lining the walls of the house, but I was quickly notified that they were down to one 2 liter bottle of clean drinking water and they needed to buy more.

This is what I learned about the reality of living in the impoverished rural areas of northeastern Brasil:
- It only rains December through June. During this period rain water is caught for drinking/washing/bathing.
- When the dry season comes and the water dries up, plan B is enacted:
- The county government provides 2 hours of bathing/washing water every other day. This water is too salty and contaminated to drink.
- Water for drinking must be purchased from a private compandy that extracts water (untreated) from a local reservoir and delivers it to homes. It is not expensive, but it is not cheap.
- And, this by no means makes life easy.

I entered in to one of the bedrooms which was filled with hundreds of 2 liter water bottles, big jugs and giant barrels waiting to be filled with water. This supply would have to last as long as possible. The only problem was that when we rain an extension cord from the house to the motor of the water truck we remembered that we had lost power about an hour ago and were still without energy. Now what?

Unfortunately, this is not unusual here. Living in the interior of northeastern Brasil I have developed a much greater appreciation for all the things I typically take for granted- water and energy simply being the most recent examples!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

And... We're Off!




It’s like we are doing a triathlon right now. There are moments where we sprint; moments where we catch our breath; moments of frustration and struggle; and moments of great joy and sense of accomplishment. But, there is never a moment when we quit.

These past two weeks have been both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. You know, that feeling, when you are running on adrenaline and feel like you have all the energy in the world but at the same time are completely worn out. And, when your head hits the pillow at night you either can’t sleep because your mind is still running a million miles a minute or your exhaustion causes you to collapse in to bed before taking a shower or changing in to pajamas! That is how the faculty and staff at the new High School and Technical School have felt the past two weeks (or, maybe it's just me! HA!).


Two weeks ago we initiated the “Open to the Community” Aerobics and Yoga classes… with instructor Kacy. Believe me; I am in no way qualified to teach either aerobics or yoga! I have been an athlete all my life and have taken hundreds of fitness classes and do yoga/pilates regularly. But, that doesn’t mean I am certified or qualified to lead others. But, that seems to make little difference to anyone here and we are having a great time learning together! The first day we had two students; the second 25; and now we have more than 40!! Everyone is at a different level but everyone is enjoying burning off a few extra calories with the support from others.


This past Monday we began meetings and entrance evaluations for the English courses and the students who are preparing to study here for High School next year. The “welcome” meetings this week have presented the school, courses, faculty and staff, PRECE, and the methodology of cooperative learning to the students. The excitement and anticipation on the faces of the students has washed all of the exhaustion away and given us more energy to continue.


This might be the testimony that our methodology of cooperative learning works- when you work closely with others they give the energy and motivation to continue pressing on toward your goal; those who struggle together also succeed together.


Sunday, August 7, 2011

Motivation... without Handouts




This past weekend I had the privilege of spending quality time with one of my favorite Brasilian families. There is a long list of reasons why I love the Monteiro de Oliveira family- they are welcoming, kind-hearted, generous and loving. And, when I am with them I am reminded of my life in the United States and my family there. This is partly because when at their home I have all the comforts that I am accustomed to the United States, but mainly because I am able to enter into deep conversations with them and discussions with Carlos (the father) which make me feel like I am sitting in my own father’s study debating the politics of the day. This past weekend was a perfect example.

I was sitting by the pool reading an article on the current American political situation (the crisis with the debt ceiling) in the Brasilian magazine Veja. The article was fascinating to me (always enlightening to read the news about your country from an outside perspective!) and sparked many questions about American taxes, social services, and inequalities… and the Brasilian equivalents. So, naturally I asked Carlos to share his opinions. And, just as I anticipated, his answers, from a Brasilian perspective, mirrored the thoughts of my father, from an American perspective.

When it comes to social services such as welfare (or in Brasil, Bolsa Familia) Carlos and my father raise a reasonable question: “Why are we providing incentives for people not to work? If they can stay at home, have children and receive more money from government assistance programs than they can if they work a minimum wage job than we are doing a disservice to our countries by providing “hand outs”.” I understand their perspective, but the “bleeding-heart liberal” (as my grandfather calls me) sees the situation from a completely different point of view.

The beauty of PRECE is that it is a movement which both the “bleeding-heart liberal” and the “hard-nosed conservative” can stand behind and support. PRECE in no way gives “hand outs” or a “free ride”, but is built upon the premise that each individual must be self-motivated and work hard to improve their own future and the future of others. Hard work, dedication and persistence are key characteristics of each Precista. They know that no one else is going to change their lot in life for them- they must rise to the challenge and pave a better way so that future generations do not struggle like they did. At the same time, PRECE is built upon the support, encouragement and motivation of others who believe in lending a helping hand in order to provide those born in to poverty a way to pull themselves out of their misery. PRECE is a movement where people like my father and I can come together on common ground and support the dreams of those whose reality sometimes appears to be a nightmare.

When I returned to Pentecoste on Sunday morning I was reminded of exactly how much drive and motivation the PRECE students posses within them. In a city where opportunity is not innately behind every door, the PRECE movement is opening windows of opportunity. This past weekend hundreds of students in each PRECE EPC took an ENEM practice test to prepare for the ENEM (university entrance exam) that will be administered in October. From 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday the students could do nothing but take the test- filling in multiple choice circle after circle! If 5 and a half hours of practice test taking does not show hard work and dedication, I don’t know what else does!

These students know that education is the path to a better future and that they must work hard to secure their place in a competitive college market. At the same time, they are surrounded by a community of Precistas who believe in them and who walk the path alongside them. They do not expect a free ride but from time to time, with gratitude, they rely on the helping hand of the PRECE community.