Children’s Ministry (Pastoral da Criança)
Worried by the horrible rates of child mortality among poor families in Brasil, the Catholic Church created the Children’s Ministry in 1982 to teach mothers and families about reproductive and infant health. We include the project here because of an unexpected result: in a 2001 study, it was discovered that of the millions of children who had passed through the program, apparently none became homeless. It appears that a strong relationship between mother and infant undermines the violence and exclusion that force children onto the street.
Shine a light met with the Ministry in Belém, so this essay describes that project. Ministries exist in every state in Brasil, with small changes in methodology.
The Children’s Ministry is based on “Multiplication.” Women volunteer to attend workshops on community leadership, reproductive health, infant health, community resources, and outreach. Once they have been trained, they visit all of the pregnant women in their communities and invited them to join mothers’ groups. These women also teach how to care for sick babies, how to assure prenatal health, and how to prevent domestic violence. Hygiene is fundamental to this educational process; mothers learn that poor is not the same as filthy.
Community educators concentrate on four areas as they teach groups of 15-20 women:
- Nutrition: what does a baby need to eat? How can one feed h/im cheaply and well? How does one breast feed?
- Digestive system: how does one diagnose diarrhea? What are the consequences of diarrhea? How can it be prevented? How can one keep a sick baby hydrated?
- Respiratory system: How does one care for a baby with a cough? With a cold? How can one avoid air-borne bacteria? How does one recognize pneumonia?
- Pre-school education: The mother learns that she is the baby’s first teacher. This course includes information about childhood development, educational stimulation, and how toys can be educational.
Educators also address STDs, family relations, vaccination, literacy, and family income.
The Ministry is run by the Church through local parishes, but it is fully ecumenical. Many community educators are Evangelical or atheist. The most important issue is the baby’s health, not sectarian divisions.
With this model, the Ministry provides services for 60,000 families and 90,000 children a year in the state of Pará.
Pastoral da Criança, Estado do Pará
Tv. Barão do Trinfo 3151
Marco, Belém, PA, 66093 000
Brasil
91 226 2919
fax 246 1140
Contacto: Irmã Marcela, pdcpara@conectus.com.br
o Evandro Santos <evsantos@terra.com.br>
