Updated: March 2009
Brazil
Overview | World Vision's history in Brazil | World Vision in Brazil today
OverviewThe Federative Republic of Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world in both area and population. It borders every country in South America except Chile and Ecuador, and it has a coastline of more than 4,600 miles along the Atlantic Ocean. The northern region of the country is dominated by the Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical rainforest in the world. Temperatures in the north average around 80 degrees with typical annual rainfall totals of 80 to 100 inches. Brazil’s subtropical southern region features low plateaus and small mountains. Several mountain ranges are found along the coast where there is a cooler, but still pleasant, climate. Natural resources include gold, iron ore, nickel, platinum, tin, petroleum, hydropower, and timber.Nearly 54 percent of Brazilians are classified as Caucasian, mostly of European descent, while 38.5 percent are mulatto—a mixture of white, black, and Amerindian. The rest of the population is made up of blacks, Asians, and Amerindians. Portuguese is the country’s official and most widely spoken language. Other less commonly used languages include Spanish (used mostly in border areas), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a number of minor Amerindian dialects. Brazil is the only Latin American country that derives its language and culture from Portugal, which began its colonization of the area in 1532. After Brazil declared its independence in 1822, an empire governed the region until 1889 when an era of military rule began. A succession of civilian presidents in the 20th century ruled from São Paulo until 1960 when Brasília became the nation’s capital. Another military administration ran the country until 1985, when it stepped down amid several protests. A new constitution went into effect in 1988, reestablishing democracy and providing for a directly elected president. Until recently, Brazil’s economy fluctuated widely as it was dependent upon demands for sugarcane, rubber, and coffee. In the past five years, there has been stable economic growth, successful reforms, and a decrease in the inflation rate from 12.5 percent to 4.5 percent. |
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| Despite these economic advances, an inadequate infrastructure remains, along with elevated tax rates, high cost of credit, and rigid labor markets. In the past five years, there has been stable economic growth, successful reforms, and a decrease in the inflation rate from 12.5 percent to 4.5 percent. Despite these economic advances, an inadequate infrastructure remains, along with elevated tax rates, high cost of credit, and rigid labor markets. And though the government has pledged to reduce poverty and increase social reforms, there still exists a vast economic inequality among the people. The government’s goal of achieving strong economic growth while reducing its massive debt burden has resulted in just a small percentage of the national budget allocated to health-care programs. The majority of vulnerable people in Brazil live in the northern region where infant mortality is high and access to safe drinking water is well below the national average. The current administration is trying to improve access to health care for the nation’s economically depressed. The government has developed an efficient strategy to slow the rate of HIV and AIDS infections and to care for those already affected. Brazil was among the first developing countries to provide free distribution of drug therapy and to conduct awareness campaigns. Though there are approximately 620,000 Brazilians living with HIV and AIDS, the government’s programs have halved the number of AIDS-related deaths since the late 1990s. The education system also has suffered from a lack of funding. Primary school attendance in Brazil is mandatory, and approximately 95 percent of boys and girls attend. However, this rate falls to 42 percent for boys and 50 percent for girls by the time they reach secondary school. The government does not impose control over secondary education, leaving the administration to each individual state. Public education standards have dropped in under-funded states, and in wealthier areas, where parents have moved their children to private schools, the state is reluctant to invest money in a poorly attended institution. Back to top World Vision's history in BrazilIn 1961, World Vision began working in Brazil through child sponsorship at the Nosso Lar children’s boarding home in São Paulo. The first pastors conference in 1963 was held in Porto Alegre with 500 in attendance, and a 1964 grant funded an orphanage in Macapa.By 1975, a child-care office was established in Belo Horizonte, which was later designated a national office in 1978. Several one-time grants were provided in the 1970s, including a medical assistance grant to combat a fever epidemic in the city of Recife, and an emergency relief package to flood survivors in the Minas Gerais Province. Early development projects in Brazil included the provision of food and medical care to expectant mothers and children, the establishment of day-care facilities, health education classes, and assistance for indigenous Amerindian tribes. The largest development project in the 1970s, Land for the Landless, was implemented in partnership with the Presbyterian Mission of Brazil. The four-year project settled 44 impoverished families from the drought-stricken northeast region on five tracts of land that were donated by the mission. By 1982, there were 24,655 children enrolled in World Vision sponsorship. A second office was established that year in Recife, and four pastors conferences were conducted from 1982 to 1985. Approximately 40 development programs and 13 relief projects were implemented during this period, including the Northeast Drought Relief Project that distributed supplementary food and water to 500 families. Income generation assistance and the construction of a canal in the community of Charco also benefited Brazilian families in need. During the late 1980s, five pastors conferences were conducted and nine relief projects provided aid and rehabilitation to flood and drought victims. Additional development projects included expanding a shelter for people living with HIV and AIDS and providing assistance for 35 peasant families who were without resources to work government-supplied land. Other projects emphasized community leadership and technical assistance, as well as practical skills training for women who could not read or write and who were unemployed. By the end of 1991, 474 projects were operating and nearly 60,000 children were sponsored. Numerous relief projects ministered to victims of landslides, windstorms, cyclones, floods, drought, and hunger. The Medical River Project sent boats to remote villages along the Amazon River where there was extreme poverty. The Pro-Micro Program encouraged sustainable economic growth in three metropolitan regions of Brazil, through microloans, management training, and technical assistance. Back to top World Vision in Brazil todayWorld Vision is committed to partnering with the people of Brazil to enhance their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their communities, families, and children. Currently, 78,292 children are registered in the World Vision sponsorship program. Several times this number of children and other family members benefit from World Vision activities. Of these registered children, many have World Vision sponsors in other countries. U.S. donors sponsor more than 29,500 girls and boys. In addition, World Vision operates 52 development programs, 21 of which are supported by U.S. donors. Highlights of these efforts include the following:
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