Outside the Community in Action office in Complexo de Alemão
August 2013 – Rio de Janeiro – After nine years bringing hundreds of volunteers to the Complexo do Alemão favela, Community in Action decided to move its base of operations to the headquarters of another community NGO—Oca dos Curumins—headed by community leader Elisabete Aparecida Dias da Silva, known fondly as Tia Bete.
Community in Action’s focus–expanding our educational outreach programs via local partner organizations–prompted the decision to relocate in a more strategic location and combine forces with a prominent community leader in the region. Between 2005-2013, the Community in Action headquarters was situated in a large house in the Complexo de Alemão with a garden and terrace. During an eight year period, the house hosted 50 to 80 students a month and served as a refuge for many women in the favela. However, after redesigning our operating model to place volunteers in other organizations throughout the region—NGOs, schools, and public entities—the CiA team concluded that a new location was more appropriate. It would not only allow us to lower overall operating costs, but it would also strengthen our long-term sustainability goals.
Inside the new Community in Action office
Tia Bete has been working in the community for over 40 years and will serve as a valuable partner for the Community in Action team. Her insights surrounding community changes and needs positions Community in Action to make an even greater impact. Her presence and local knowledge cannot be understated; everyone knows Tia Bete.
With her humble days as a young girl working as a street vendor; to the divorced mother of three working to support a family during difficult times; to an aspiring student and activist determined to reverse the path of a community with high levels of illiteracy, violence, and crime; to one of the leading voices for community betterment through education, Tia Bete’s story is one of struggle and triumph over adversity. She is a shining example of Community in Action‘s purpose in the Complexo do Alemão region and we are proud to be working with her and Oca dos Curumins.
View from the Community in Action office window
Our new office space has an amazing view of the Complexo do Alemão, it is equipped with a computer lab, and it will serve as a great home-base for Community in Action volunteers. For more than 30 years, this location has been a cultural center, school, and place of refuge. It represents an excellent platform to expand Community in Action’s volunteer placement services!
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Visit our project page to discover exciting volunteer opportunities.
Tia Bete in the Complexo do Alemao
