Aramitan
August – December 2011
I remember the first evening that I arrived
at Aramitan; it was an incredible feeling to finally be inside it and see with
my own eyes what I had only seen in photos. The beauty of the environment and
its people was apparent everywhere. One feels strong foundations here, ready
for people with an impulse to create something in this beautiful space.
São Paulo is a city of extremes, which seem
to co-exist of each other’s doorsteps. The wealth in the centre is undeniable
yet on the pavements at the feet of churches, apartments and high-rise
buildings are the poorest people of the São Paulo, living off the scraps that
the rest of the city has left behind. The realities of the peoples’ lives here
in Embu Guaçu and the favelas of the periphery are very much different to those
of other parts of São Paulo: the favelas to me are very beautiful, without
looking at particular situations and the capitalist system with is so hard to
escape from, there seems be a family orientated environment, the kids play
together on the streets and families have many neighbours close by! On another
side, the children are playing and growing up in a very adult world; the
inappropriate exposure to funk music, alcohol and the many problems which come
alongside that, seem to take away some of the innocence of childhood.
So, when you see great impact that
the Organisations Aramitan and Monte Azul have on the people and environments
around them and the richness they create; it is from there that the driving
forces to carry on the impulse in a true gesture of social work arise. Creating
events to commemorate traditions of Brazil and Seasonal festivals is one of the
strong qualities of Aramitan; it is in these moments that one sees the affect which
Aramitan has upon the lives of the people in the community, especially for the
children and the young people... Dia das Crianças, São
Nicolau, Dia dos Desafios . . . many moments to be remembered.
The rhythm has been diverse,
volunteering also at the Chácara of Monte Azul in the creche and the
bio-dynamic garden, and at the Parque da Várzea, an ecological low lands to
preserve the rivers of Embu Guaçu and prevent deforestation. Within in
Aramitan, one of the parts I cherished most was the time spent with Juliana’s
group of children (ages 6-10) who come twice a week, with watercolour painting,
wax crayon drawings, baking bread, and activities preparing for festivals and
seasonal rhythms. It is certainly a challenge to keep strong boundaries and hold
the space while still giving them freedom to explore! Another challenge was
giving English Lessons, and discovering that to teach your own language is not
so easy, but managed to stumble along somehow!
From my experiences of the past four months
at Aramitan, the most overwhelming feeling here is that of truly great heart
forces at work here. In reflection one can see a need for a constant driving
energy for evolvement to continue . . . the more people who are dedicated in
carrying this impulse the more Aramitan can meet the needs of its community and
its purpose. There are truly dedicated and inspiring people in this space, and
I hope that more people have to chance to experience some of what I was
privileged enough to experience, and for them to bring initiative and energy to
help evolve this wonderful space. To continually hold a picture of what Aramitan
is and what we all wish for it in the future is a difficult task, but I know
that personally, this is a place which I always hope to be connected to in some
way, and one day perhaps I will be able to return with something more to give.
Camille Iona
Volunteering in Aramitan, Brazil.
On the 1st of August
we arrived in Aramitan which is situated in Embu-Guaçu, Sao Paulo. It is a
large house with a beautiful garden and is in some ways an oasis from the world
outside. The reality of Brazil’s social classes is very saddening and very much
in “your face”; you can be driving down a street lined with grand, wealthy
homes and turn the corner into a massive sprawling Favela. Coming from my life
in N.Z and the family and community that I was a part of, to seeing the struggles
and hardships that people face here, made me truly realise how lucky my life
has been.
Getting into the swing of things
here took a little bit of time; however a routine soon developed and very
quickly I found myself adapting to a completely new way of life. The other 10
volunteers here are all Brazilian and each and every one of them are incredible
inspiring people. They are all so different which keeps everyday interesting
and there is always a lot of laughter through the house.
I have a very diverse schedule
which I love as I enjoy experiencing all that is to offer here. I work part of
the week in the garden were we grow Bio Dynamic veggies, I also help run our
second hand shop which is open two days a week, I volunteer one afternoon a
week at a local nature reserve where they are planting hundreds of trees to in
an effort to reforest around the local wetlands. I volunteer another afternoon
a week working with recycling in the Horizonte-Azul favela and then I work two
days a week with the children. Camille and I also offer two English lessons a
week in the evenings to anyone in the community who would like to learn.
My time here has been very
different to what I pictured beforehand, but I time I will always cherish none
the less.
I look forward to what the next
few months bring.
