Escola/Creche Caminhos para o Futuro (Paths to the Future Pre-School/Day Care)
Date of Completion: June 1993
The families of Barrio Liberdade all come from the shantytowns (favelas) that can
be found in and around large South American cities. Most of these families
were living in tin or cardboard shacks and truly horrendous sanitary
conditions outside the city of Belo Horizonte in southeastern Brazil.
Through a government program, a large group was given the opportunity to
move out of the shantytowns to this new piece of land. With the help of
Habitat For Humanity International
the families helped to build their own houses. As the community grew, they
became aware of a serious problem. Small children were being left alone as
their mothers had no choice but to go to work in the city so that they
could feed their families.
In partnership with Building with Books, the community came together to
build this new pre-school for their youngest children. In five and a half
months, the community contributed all of the unskilled labor necessary to
construct their new school.
The Creche now cares for 48 children and employs a teacher, two assistants
and a cook.
The families of Barrio Liberdade all come from the shantytowns (favelas) that can
be found in and around large South American cities. Most of these families
were living in tin or cardboard shacks and truly horrendous sanitary
conditions outside the city of Belo Horizonte in southeastern Brazil.
Through a government program, a large group was given the opportunity to
move out of the shantytowns to this new piece of land. With the help of
