I woke up and stumbled into the living room of the grand home in which I currently reside to see a storm pounding the beach of Santos with rainwater. Struggling to activate my senses after about four hours of sleep, I ate a breakfast sandwich, took a shower, and, then, it was off to the races. Originally, the day was supposed to begin with a tour of the port of Santos, but due to the rain, this was cancelled. Instead, we went straight to the second planned activity of the day, a visit to a Rotary-supported project named, “Projeto Esculpir (Sculpting Project).”
Projeto Esculpir is located in a poor area of downtown Santos. While there are no favelas in downtown Santos, there are many “cortizos,” shanty dwellings that shouldn’t house any inhabitants, but are home to seven or eight families at a time. The best way to describe Projeto Esculpir is to call it a day care center for children who live in the cortizos. Usually, when you think of a day care, you picture parents dropping their kids off at a safe location, signing them off to fairly well-trained, in-ratio staff with a decent amount of resources, and then picking them up, signing them out, and taking them home for dinner. (Of course, this picture-perfect situation isn’t necessarily “normal,” and the many cases of domestic violence and child abuse have led most, if not all, states to require day care staff to become mandated reporters and such.) Well, the goals of Projeto Esculpir are well beyond the means of most day care centers.
Located in a deteriorating building in a dangerous area of town, Projeto Esculpir provides a temporary haven for children with a multitude of problems at home, aiming to give them the only thing that can get them out of the misery they live in: hope. The problems I speak of include parents who are addicted to drugs, involved in the drug trade and/or prostitution, and cannot afford to feed their children; parents who have, in fact, stopped being parents, and have left their children to fend for themselves. The majority of the children are not taken to the center by their parents. They make their way to the center on their own. Sometimes, the program staff walks directly into the cortizos to bring the children to the center. Run by an entirely volunteer staff, it is a luxury when there are two staff members present to supervise the 20-25 children that are present.
The coordinator of the program shared some heartbreaking stories with us. On multiple occassions, she had gone into a cortizo to bring a child back to the center, only to find the child bunched in a corner while his or her mother prostituted herself, not to support the household, but to raise money for her drug habit. Even more frequently, she had gone into a cortizo and found a child at the side of their drugged-out parent. Many times, the center attempted to offer parenting classes for the community, but parents didn’t care enough to attend. A year earlier, Projeto Esculpir was robbed. At the time, the Projeto's computer lab had about 15 computers, now their “computer lab” had a single computer that looked like it still ran on MS-DOS, and didn’t have a functioning keyboard. During the week after the robbery, the center had no food or supplies. For many of the kids, the lunch that the center provides is their only meal of the day.
The “play area” for the kids:
Initially a bit apprehensive, the kids warmed up to us quickly. They wanted to learn how to speak English, so we taught them basic phrases like “good morning,” “good afternoon,” “good night,” “how are you?,” “what is your name,” etc. One of the kids asked me if I was from another part of the planet. Another asked me why I spoke so strangely. They were all so happy to have their picture taken. They became even happier when I handed over my camera, so that they could become the photographers. In my opinion, they were simply excited that someone new was taking an interest in their lives.
A view of the entire Projeto Esculpir from the office located upstairs.
As I mentioned earlier, this is the only meal for many of these kids, so when one of the girls offered me a piece of bread, it nearly broke my heart.
I’m a terrible soccer player, but a couple of the boys, who were very good, put me up on game.
Unfortunately, we had to leave. It took our hosts a while to pry me away from the center. I just didn't want to leave.
What we then experienced was even more disconcerting. The mother of one of the kids at Projeto Esculpir volunteers as the resident chef, and had to go home after lunch, so we offered to drop her and her daughter off at home; home being a cortizo. She invited us in, only to find out her husband had just left, and left her locked out of her home.
Her neighbor invited us into her home, and I never could have imagined what I saw.
The cortizo lacked running water, gas, or electricity. The kitchen area smelled awful. The walls were filthy. Water was leaking from the roof, and children were sleeping on mattress directly placed on the repulsive floors. Unbelievably, one of the kids was on a brand new computer and my phone alarmed me that a wi-fi signal was available.
I asked our host how it was possible to have a brand new computer in such a decrepit abode. She explained to me that the son ran a few favors for a local drug dealer, and the computer was compensation. I can only imagine what he did for that computer.
I don’t want to get on a high-horse. But this experience made me second-guess everything I had ever thought was acceptable. I thought about every time I had ever spent money in what could be considered a foolish manner: gambling, bottle service, outlandish purchases, etc. I thought about all those haircuts, manicures, shoes, car washes, and expensive watches that I didn’t really need. I’m not sure I had ever felt such guilt. My friends and I spend thousands of dollars a month on luxuries and entertainment, and all I could think was that if we sacrificed our spending allowances for a couple of months, we would pool enough money to help Projeto Esculpir thrive. The money could be used for a new computer lab, new soccer balls, an extra weekly meal. I know better than to think all this could really happen. (Or could it?) But if it did, it would do so much for these kids. Either way, I know it’s going to be very difficult to spend money on some of the things I’m so used to spending money on. I don’t think I ever will, and nor do I want to shake the picture of those kids I met that live 10,000 miles away. It was very difficult to stomach this experience, but it is something that everyone should be aware of. I know that I am one hundred more times thankful for every opportunity I’ve been given. If you take one thing away from reading this, its this: Be thankful for everything you have, especially everything you take for granted.
After Projeto Esculpir, we visited the local Policia Militar. We had lunch at the station, visited the 911 station, and saw a presentation detailing the tactics used by the police to combat crime.
It was then off to the municipal courthouse. I wasn’t sure what to expect. What unfolded was another touching experience. We were invited to view an actual trial in session. The defendant was a 17-year old young man who was accused of, and had already admitted, to robbing a store at gunpoint, making off with $7,000 reals (about $4,000 dollars), and fleeing from police. He was also accused of shooting at the police, something he vehemently denied. The trial wasn’t being held in a courthouse, but rather the office of the judge who was overseeing the case. Juvenile court is usually behind closed doors, but strings were pulled so that we could enter. Despite being very interested in the proceedings, we also felt very uncomfortable.
In Brazil, the legal system is drastically different. First of all, to become a lawyer, you only have to study law for four years at an undergraduate level. No postgraduate work is required. Secondly, if you practice law for two years, you are eligible to become a judge. I can only imagine what can happen when 21 year old lawyers prosecute and defend in trials under the purview of 23 year old judges. In addition, most crimes committed by juveniles become infractions, and the most serious ones will never warrant a sentence longer than three years in juvenile hall. Even if you are 17 years and 364 days old on the date of your crime, you will be treated as a juvenile, no matter the gravity of your crime. For adults, life imprisonment does not exist. The death penalty only exists in the event of treason. The maximum sentence for adults is 30 years. The only crimes tried by jury are attempted homicide, homicide, and abortion.
Back to the trial at hand, the mother of the accused sat at his side. We witnessed the two officers, who arrested (and shot) the young man, testify against him, identifying him as the suspect who shot at them. The kid’s body language was one of denial, and tears began to stream down his face. His mother simply closed her eyes tightly, trying as hard as she could to refrain from showing any weakness. The defense called two character witnesses, who stated that the young man was a good student. Their testimony was deemed irrelevant when the prosecutor pointed out the kid had dropped out after the sixth grade.
After the testimony was over, we spoke to the judge. (With the child in the room for most of the conversation) The child was not incarcerated, because 1) the judge felt he was not a threat, and 2) he was shot by the police while the crime unfolded and needed surgery and recovery time. (Of course, this happened months ago, and the defendant only needed two weeks of recovery time)
In a very candid and direct discussion, the judge revealed to us what the punishment would be, before the trial was even over. This seemed completely unethical, but who were we to correct him. 36-years old with 13 years of experience, the judge told us he would sentence the child to a one-year term where he would have to sleep in jail. Because it was his first offense, he was free to attend school and work during the day. We asked if the fact that he shot at the cops made any difference, and were shocked to find out that this heinous act wouldn’t affect his sentence. Even more shocking was the judge’s reference to the movie “Precious,” as justification for his style of decision making. He told us that he felt Brazil allowed its citizens to become judges at too young an age, but that this didn’t apply to him because he was wise beyond his years. (I wonder what my facial expression was like when he said this.) Before leaving, we took a picture with the judge and prosecutors.
(The judge is in the middle)
None of us were really as happy as we seem, but we’ve learned to smile any time we see a camera flash.
We then met privately with one of the prosecutors, who was infuriated with the judge. She told us he had a reputation for lax punishment. In her opinion, there was no way that someone who shot at police officers should be allowed to walk. (Sounds rational, right?) She also informed us that the child did not come from a poor or broken family. Both of his parents were involved in his life, and could even afford a private defense attorney, a luxury that is impossible for most juvenile defendants.
I’m not sure what to say about everything I just described. A part of me has always believed in people regardless of whatever terrible decisions they make. The Brazilian judicial system clearly believes that criminals can quickly become rehabilitated and become contributing members of society. (In addition, I am definitely opposed to the death penalty.) Yet, even I can’t come to grip with the fact that a judge stated, point blank, that an young man’s foolish decision to shoot at a police officer would not factor into his sentencing. To me, this basically tells every juvenile out there, “If you ever decide to rob a store and get chased my police while making your escape, fire ammunition at the police officers chasing you since it will improve your chances of getting away, and, ultimately, won’t matter if you are caught.” In my opinion, the justice system has to deter everyone, especially children, from a life of crime. I’m not sure that this happens in Brazil. I sure would like to see some numbers. (I asked but there was nothing they had to show me.)
The remainder of my second day, as well as my third day, in Santos kept us busy. However, it was full of meetings, visits to projects, universities, aquariums, and such. Things I’d rather not lose sleep writing about. (Except for a visit to Casa de Esperanza, a center for mentally and physically debilitated children and adults, and Quiero Workshop, a project that teaches children from the favela how to act and produce movies. But sorry, I’m tired) Here are some pictures.
Tomorrow is a holiday, Corpus Christi. We have a guided tour of Santos planned, a fejoiada celebration for lunch, and a visit to a local pizzeria for dinner. (Where we will be making pizza for customers) Because of the relaxed pace, lack of significant activity, and, most importantly, the start of the NBA finals, don’t expect a blog entry for a few days. Chau!
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