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Jonny and Gareth. We have never met a more welcoming and generous group of people, which is a testament to their character considering the hardships they have to deal with on a daily basis. It is humbling to go to a place where children have to sleep on hard floors, up to 6 to a room.
It is plain to see how much these people are grateful for your help in the way that you, and us for that matter, were greeted with hugs and smiles from all. The concrete steps that have been put in clearly make a massive difference. How the older members of the community got up that hill with bags etc before they were there is hard to imagine.
The most overwhelming thing for us was how happy all the children were to play with us and how much a simple game of catch or face painting bought a smile to their faces. The packets of sweets and biscuits we took for them were never asked for before they were offered, and when they were given out and opened, they were offered straight back to us to take a sweet ourselves. An incredible display of the sharing nature of these people that have next to nothing. Not once did anyone ask us for anything, money or otherwise, a stark contrast to the people in Copacabana that are equally impoverished. I felt perfectly comfortable to leave my bag unattended and let the children play with my digital camera with every confidence that it would be returned.
Once again thank you for an amazing and eye opening day, and we wish you and all the people we met the very best of luck in the future.
 Annie.
hi guys,
well i'm back home in england after an amazing 3 months travelling round south america and as promised here is a write up from my journal for your web page... thank you so much.
Probably one of the most memorable times in Rio was the opportunity to go to a little village near the favelas, a village set on a muddy slope with half built shacks, telegraph poles, a tiny tap of running water and with more children than adults. Its a village that a few of the guys there are trying to make sure doesn't slip into the same pattern as the favelas with drugs and corruption, a charity not for them to depend on but to give independence. We went up with sweets, lollies, bubbles, cards and paints using pinched hostel bed linen torn in half for big banners...shh! Its strange how we take the simplest things for granted like paints and photos and it's not until you see children amazed and bewildered by a piece of cut up sponge dipped in paint and splodged on a bed sheet or a woman cry being given a photo of her and her cat that you even realise. The children are beautiful. I know all children are but to see children that come from nothing, have nothing or demand nothing is humbling. Maybe its because we know different living in a western country that it upsets us more. Our cleanliness, hygiene, education, clothes, toys, television, play stations, food and water.. is it fair that some can have so much and others so little? But who is happier? The one that wants a sack full of presents and the latest mobile phone or the one that expects nothing and asks for nothing but whose eyes light up when given a simple sponge dabbed in paint?? There was a little boy playing on this rough slope and he cut his foot on a rock. He had ripped his nail off and it looked awful. With no medical attention it´s a good job Dr Jones was here with her first aid kit! Its amazing what a plaster and a tube of bubbles can do. The children have such strength and toughness to life. If they fall they get up, if they hurt they get on with it. After that I had a queue of kids all showing me old cuts and grazes saying "magical" - they wanted my magical plasters. Dr Jones hands out all her plasters and will probably get a blister now but it was worth it!
 Sarah. Coming...
 Michael.
Coming...
 Mirva. Coming...
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