COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MONTE AZUL

Organizational Vision
Citizen Base Strategy
Results 

Organizational Vision

An impoverished Brazilian community, Monte Azul is nearly considered a favela (shanty town). Both the health and social infrastructures are weak, if existent at all. But, like most of Brazil, the poverty of Monte Azul is sharply contrasted by the wealth of communities nearby, located in Monte Azul in the form of private schools and their students. 

Many years ago, a professor from one of these schools ventured into the Monte Azul community and was shocked by the poverty in such close proximity. With her discovery came the realization of the dichotomy of rich and poor in Brazil and that despite close physical proximity, the rich are very isolated from the reality of poverty. The teacher formed the Associação Comunitária Monte Azul as a mechanism to teach citizenship and responsibility to the students from her school by building relationships with students, parents and teachers and the community of Monte Azul. 

Citizen Base Strategy

In targeting the private schools, the Associação Comunitária Monte Azul is seeking to generate financial, material, and technical resources for Monte Azul. To accomplish these goals and reach the students, Associação Comunitária Monte Azul first had to build an institutional relationship with the private school, including deans, professors, and parents. They then raised public awareness through presentations and generated income by selling food and handicrafts at school benefit events. Next, they brought the students out to the community to teach basic educational courses. They participated in "living together" activities such as sharing meals. These activities were designed to inspire a sense of mutual responsibility and awareness between the students and the community of Monte Azul. Monte Azul also brings parents and teachers into the community for the purposes of day care and tutorials. Students, parents, and teachers have since been encouraged to become part of a monthly sponsorship campaign.

The idea of the Citizen School consists of raising not only financial resources as well as human and material resources at the private schools community at the region where the Associação Comunitária Monte Azul is located. It has the following supporting aspects: 1. private schools are places where there is a concentrated number of privileged people, that is, in a good socio and economic situation, and therefore, these people are characterized as potential donators. Moreover, a campaign targeting this public makes it easier to reach sponsors in the private sector, given the companies' interest in promoting their image as socially responsible vis-à-vis the public. 2. the synergetic point between these two institutions, the private school and the social entity, focusing on the education for citizenship which presents educational potential to be explored - knowledge, experience and resources. Associação Comunitária Monte Azul publishes its work through talks to students, their parents, teachers and school workers, fostering the understanding about the social reality. It organizes campaigns to attract monthly contributors, material resources, such as clothing and school materials, organizes events and recruits volunteers both for the activities that take place at the school and at the association.  Associação Comunitária Monte Azul exemplifies the multiple use of the citizen sector; the organization not only benefits in fundraising but is also learning to effectively engage local communities in volunteerism and grassroots organizing.

Results

The Associação Comunitária Monte Azul has raised 6500 Brazilian Reals, approximately US $3200, from the profit of two benefit events at two schools. In addition, they raised 800 Brazilian Reals (US $400) selling handcraft products from Monte Azul.

Thus far, Monte Azul has been able to reach three schools and a total of 1500 students. The Associação Monte Azul is planning to include eighteen more schools and is in the process of developing new ways to involve the student body in resource mobilization schemes.