Casa Carioca

The Casa Carioca is a shelter and transitional living program for sixteen boys, 13-18 years old, in Rio de Janeiro. Staff includes six educators, a social worker, a psychologist, and administration.

Casa Carioca has arranged a partnership with a local private school, Sta. Lucia, so that clients get the best education possible. Many of the boys appreciate this opportunity and take advantage of it. Others do not. An on-site library also encourages scholarship -- the boys themselves are the librarians, and many become avid readers. The Casa would like to expand this work to include internet research, and one boy has finished a computer course, but funds and computers are limited.

The boys’ problems include family (the Casa is dedicated to returning children to their families, but this seldom succeeds) and drugs. Educators are specially trained in drug counselling and in seeing the signs of drug use (90% of the problem is marijuana). The location of the shelter, in the center of Rio (where many of the kids lived on the street) can also be a problem. After dark, the area is very violent, and drug-dealing and gang affiliation constantly tempt the boys. The house is also very distant from the favelas where the boys’ families live.

Rua República de Paraguay #1 (esq. Rua Carioca)
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
20031-180

tel-fax 21 262 8093

Contact: through Claúdio da Silva at Fundação Fe e Alegria <fealerj@alternex.com.br>