Brazilian Childrens Charity

Crianças de Maria

Mary's Children

Crianças de Maria (Mary’s Children) is a chain of help that tries to give children with fewer opportunities in Brazil a little more happiness and Light on the 12th of October - day commemorated as ”Children’s Day” in Brazil.

This chain started in 1998 on the “Children’s Day” in Brazil, when my friend - Fernando Galindo - and I were waiting at traffic lights in the town of Tatuapé, East of São Paulo where we saw many kids asking to clean the windows of the cars for a change. We decided to buy some food and drink for them and when we returned and started to distribute the food, the happiness of those kids on receiving a “present” was so big that it touched our hearts. At the time we were only 20 years old, and we started to think how it must be to live in those conditions and how those kids must feel when they see other kids inside cars with new clothes and new toys while they are there asking for any spare change so that they can try and buy something to eat.

Since that day, each year on 12th of October, my family, friends, and all those included in this chain donate money, toys, clothes, etc and we distribute it to children in locations we are “guided” to.

The idea is that each year we are able to help more children, and that one day we are able to help these kids not just on Children’s Day, but throughout the whole year, with education, orientation, love and care.

I am sure we will get there! As the saying goes - “A single swallow does not make a summer”

Thanks to God for the opportunity that life gives me in being able to lead this chain and for always blessing our work.

Thanks also to all the people who participate every year, donating not only money, but time and work to make this happen.

To find out more about the charity, go to www.criancasdemaria.com

To support Crianças de Maria and to send donations please contact Marcus Cabeca

Please donate.