Brazilian Students Send Messages of Solidarity to Flood Victims in Rio Grande do Sul
27 May 2024 |
In Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, an organization called Adventist Solidarity Action is collaborating with an ADRA Distribution Center to aid families impacted by the recent flooding in the region. According to the Adventist News Network, this center serves as a hub for nationwide donations, distributing essential items such as clothes, food, and hygiene kits through local Adventist churches.
A touching contribution came on May 8, 2024, when the center received letters of solidarity from fourth-grade students of Escola Municipal Cônego Vitor in Três Pontas, Minas Gerais. Born from classroom discussions about the disaster, teacher Lila Mendonça and her students sent messages and drawings expressing hope and support.
In the article, Mendonça described how the letters and donations came from her students wanting to discuss what they had seen on the news:
“They talked a lot about the rescues, how they happened, people without homes, where they were going. They said that many people lost everything, everything. They had nothing left. What if it were us in this situation, in this suffering of losing everything! So we arrived at the point of donations. The question was: ‘Auntie, can we donate, can we help?’ And then we talked and agreed that whoever could, could bring something to help. And did they ever, each one with a little something! You should’ve seen their joy in bringing the donations from home!”
Many letters contained drawings of helicopters saving people from the water, along with words of encouragement and hope. The classroom initiative, complemented by donations from family and friends, deeply moved both the recipients and volunteers at the ADRA center.
The floods have been called the “biggest climate catastrophe in Rio Grande do Sul,” and ADRA has been working hard to assist families in the region. This article outlines ADRA’s efforts in the last several weeks to provide aid in the cities of Igrejinha, São Leopoldo, Canoas, Lajeado, Gravataí, Novo Hamburgo, Porto Alegre, and Rio Grande. You can donate here if you’d like to help.
