“SMARTkidS"— made in Brazil

"SMARTkidS" is an adaptation of SMARTIES - the name of the much-loved chocolate button sweets made by Nestlé, a favourite with all British children.  The scheme was created to provide a means of help for the children with whom we have become involved through our schools, crèches and the Children’s Home in Brazil.  To most of our children school is more than just a place of learning; it is a place of refuge and comfort from the violence and suffering that is their lot; a place where hunger pains are stopped and where they hear of the love of Jesus for them and see it in the faces of the teachers round about them.  LAM now supports six Christian schools with around 800 children; from Indian children in the Amazon to shanty towns on the outskirts of big cities in various parts of Brazil.

A Smarties tube holds £15 worth of 20p pieces (the equivalent of 25 euros) and with that amount per month you can help the school of your choice by "adopting" one of their children.  This money goes towards meals, books and uniforms for the children and also helps with the teachers' salaries.

CALVIRIO SCHOOL & CHILDREN'S HOME - RED BUTTON CLAN 

Was started by Pastor Reinaldo and his wife Neli in the 90’s in a very poor suburb of Rio de Janeiro.  God gave them a commission to care for the street children in their area.  From there the project has developed into a school for nearly 200 children and a Children’s Home upstairs currently being expanded to take 25 children off the streets.  Many of the children come to school in the morning with hunger pains.  Six children from a family of ten are currently studying in the school, none of these children are registered or have a birth certificate, all of them are suffering from malnutrition and one has mental problems because of this.  Another family wouldn’t send their children to school as there was no food in the house and the mother was ashamed for people to see that her children were hungry.  They have since returned as a meal is now provided daily.  All the children in the Home have sad stories of violence and suffering, but have found the love of Jesus..

 GATEWAY OF FAITH SCHOOL - GREEN BUTTON CLAN

Was started by Pastor Jaime Cruz and his wife Cecilia in the year 2000 in one of the poorest suburbs of Cuiabá, with around 35,000 families.  The Pastor himself comes from a background of violence and poverty, but the love of Jesus in his life has transformed him into a powerful testimony for the Lord and his desire now is to help others like him.  Gateway of Faith is “home” to some 180 children.  Most are from unmarried mothers or parents who are separated and without the crèche would be running wild on the streets all day whilst the mothers work to make ends meet.  The children are there from 6am until 6pm and receive three meals a day and loving care and attention.  There is also a Junior school to reach out to the older children of the district.  Drugs and prostitution are prevalent in the area and there have been revenge killings, affecting the families and even some of the children at the school and it is our concern to bring a message of the love of Jesus to them whilst we can.   

  MAUÉS SCHOOL in the Amazon - BLUE BUTTON CLAN

Was started in 2002 by Pastor Luiz Carlos and his wife Gloria.  They worked for 14 years in Maués and saw many souls saved.  Maués is a small town on the banks of an Amazon tributary.  Poverty is rife and child prostitution is the norm there, more often than not with the parent’s knowledge to bring food to the table.  Most children in our school in this town have been abandoned by their parents or given away, because of broken relationships or early pregnancy and some other relative has shouldered the responsibility of bringing the children up.  The children hear constantly that they are not wanted and grow up with an inferiority complex and a sad heart.  Home is usually a small house with a dirt floor, shared with two or three other families all living together.  These children come to school hungry for affection as well as food, and teachers try to make up as best they can for the sad situations by expressing  the love of Jesus and providing a solid meal daily.

  PROJECT "SALT FOR THE EARTH" - PURPLE BUTTON CLAN

Was started by Adilson and Roberta Malaquias in the year 2000.  Adilson, newly saved and a  black belt champion in Karate and Judo wanted to reach out to children on the streets in his area and God told him to use the talents in his hands.  The work has now grown into a Community Centre for children and adolescents from the two near-by shanty towns and around 100 children attend.  Classes in the Centre range from Judo, Karate, Hair Styling, English, Spanish, Drama, Choreography, Singing etc. all with the purpose of keeping the children off the streets and away from the drugs and dangers that rule in the shanty towns and giving them a better chance to improve their knowledge.  The children also attend Bible Club weekly and the choir visits many churches in the area.  Through these activities several of the children have given their lives to the Lord and joined local churches.  A hearty meal is provided freely in the Centre every day and many of the children come for that even if there is no class on.  “Salt for the Earth” is in need of its own HQ.

BLACK VALLEY (VILA ALZIRA) CRÈCHE AND SCHOOL - YELLOW BUTTON CLAN

Was started by Pastor Jánio in a shanty town on the outskirts of Rio as he saw the tremendous need of the local children.  It is the result of a small one-roomed crèche which was started in the year 2000 and many people's lives were changed through the dramatic conversion of one child's father, a professional killer since a teenager.  From there the work with the children grew quickly and a big building has now been built incorporating both church and crèche.  This is an area ruled by drug barons and killings are common place, but the gospel message of saving grace is reaching even such hardened hearts and lives are being radically changed.  Children of drug barons are now singing and dancing in the church and learning of the love of Jesus.  The crèche has beautiful new surroundings and there is already a demand for a proper school.  There is real potential for good as Jesus is exalted in this area.   

 TICUNA INDIAN SCHOOL - CHOCOLATE BUTTON CLAN

Was started  by Deonora, the daughter of an Indian chief and Clauber, her husband in a little Indian village in the heart of the Amazon jungle.  She herself had obtained a tremendous victory in her own life by graduating to be a teacher.  Very few Indians can read or write in their own language, never mind Portuguese and hardly any achieve a profession of any kind.  Her uncle, Pastor Eli has one prayer for his own people, that they will arise to the need for education and so be able to help themselves and develop as a Christian nation.  For that reason he started an Indian Bible Seminary in the year 2000 and seeks to encourage young people from his tribe to learn the Word of God, which gives a people dignity and a belief in themselves instead of accepting the disdain and belittlement so often put upon them.  From those beginnings the idea of a children’s school run entirely by Christians also came and in 2003 classes began in the couple's home.  A new school building has now been provided and with its first year 260 children enrolled.

(Click on the coloured buttons to see some of the children who would love to have you as their "Aunty" and/or "Uncle", to adopt them and encourage them)