Reflections

Throughout the course of their time in Brazil, each youth member will contribute to a Group Journal that becomes a record of each day’s activities and the meaningful insights acquired while studying and living overseas. Below are some of those journal entries, which we will update periodically during their trip.

ISP has been off to a great start with our group having a full week exploring the city of Rio de Janeiro. We started off our journey together flying in and members immediately felt immense love and connection to this city. Some of the most meaningful moments for them have been through moments of connection with people here.

One of the first people we got to connect with with Rene Silva, a longtime friend of BroSis. He is a journalist and founder of Voz Das Comunidades, a newspaper founded to lift the voices of people living in Brazil’s Favelas. We got to visit the headquarters of Voz and had time for meaningful connection with the staff there sharing truths, practicing language, and learning about their important work uplifting the voices of people that are not always centered throughout the country.

During the week we have been able to visit various Favelas and learn about some of the meaningful work that is happening there. One of the first connections we made was with Instituto Entre Ceu Ea Favela, located in Morro da Providencia, the first Favela ever created in Rio de Janeiro. They are an organization that focus on uplifting community care and addressing the needs of folks around them directly. We were able to tour the favela with leaders directly and see their work with young people through theater, ways they address the needs of the community through hiring local residents to engage in local improvement projects, and the technical training work they provide to increase opportunity. 

Members have had a number of moments that have allowed them to learn about historical and cultural significance in the country as well. They got to visit a space called, Cidade de Samba, and get a behind the scenes glimpse of how they make the floats for carnival. Members learned about the techniques, processes of labor and all the different ways that floats become the masterpieces that they are. Some other highlights for folks included a visit to Ipanema Beach, visit with the US consulate and having exchanges with different youth here in the country. Our members are learning more about societal issues that impact young people across the country and expanding their minds in the midst of building connection. 

Many of the moments our members are having are significant and very special, as they are gaining access to new experiences and moments that many Brazilians do not even have the ability to explore. We are moving with much gratitude and humility due to this fact and look forward to what’s ahead. 

We are thankful for the immense warmth we have felt along our journeys and all the ways we have been welcomed here. We are now settled into Miguel Perriera and look forward to what is to come.

Brittany Reyes
July 1st – July 7th, 2024

Our members of ISP have been having an amazing time throughout their journey in Brazil. We have since made it to Miguel Pereira and a major highlight for our members was going to a class hosted by the group Capoeira Abada. Members were welcomed into the space with openness and much warmth. They learned how to do some of the foundational movements and got to engage with each other in some play. Members got to learn in real time about the history, community and power of doing capoeira with others. We saw many members learning proper ways to fall, do flips and the ginga (which is the foundational footwork of this movement). Members were enraptured seeing the members of this group engage with each other and pull in rhythms of samba, with instruments like berimbau, and lots of joy. 

After departing Miguel Pereira, we headed to Paraty. Members were able to learn about much of the city and the heavy history that encompasses every inch of this town. Seeing different historical landmarks and being on guided tours around these areas were eye-opening for our membership in their personal growth and awareness. 

Members visited the Quilombo Camphino da Independencia in Paraty. They got to learn the rich history of this space and got to see what it has shifted into today. We saw how this Quilombo set the pathway for how others could get legal rights to their land. Over the years it has become a big space for community connection, celebration and nourishment with a restaurant where our members were able to enjoy one of their favorite meals of the trip so far.

We were able to visit the Caiçeras Community and first take a hike through the trail of this site. The hike was definitely a challenging moment for our members but they supported each other throughout the journey. Members spent this day in the community observing and asking questions of folks to gather information for the Day of Observation project. Members were asked to explore topics such as people at work, youth at play, elders, and the demographics of the town. They presented their findings back in some amazingly creative ways such as through news shows, trivia games, and skits.

We have now made it to Salvador and are eager to see what’s ahead of us for this leg of the trip!

Brittany Reyes
July 8th – July 14th, 2024

ISP has departed Salvador and made it to our final stop of the trip – Arembepe! We’ve had an incredible last week exploring the streets of Salvador and learning about the history that lines the city around us.

Members have been able to explore much of this city by foot – streets here are lined with cobblestones and much powerful truths that lie in the buildings around us. Some of the highlights of this stop in the trip were visiting an organization called Instituto Cultural Steve Biko. Steve Biko was a South African Leader known for his organizing, activism and voice against apartheid. This organization works to specifically center and uplift a pathway for Black students to have access to college, educational resources, professional development and cultural exchanges. There is a lot of synergy between this organization and Bro Sis which was incredible to see. Members were able to hear from some of the participants about the impact of this organization and ways that it has helped them in life and taught them many life lessons around identity, as well as encouraging their personal growth. 

Members got to visit a Tereiro de Candomblé (Candomblé Temple) called Ile Osumare. They got to learn in more detail about each of the orishas, methods of practicing this religion, and learn about the sacredness of this space for communities. Many members were in awe of this space and felt a deep connection for themselves – it was beautiful to witness. 

Visiting Ilê Aiyê was another significant moment for our members. This is a carnival group located in Bahia and they are known world wide. We had the honor of being able to meet with the founder Antônio “Vovô” Carlos and learn about his legacy in creating this carnival group that specifically holds space for the Bahian Black community. In their early founding, they faded a lot of backlash for the ways that centered Afro-Brazilian culture, but are now praised for the cultural revolution that they were able to spear. Ilê Aiyê just celebrated 50 years since their founding in 1974 which is such an incredible milestone to learn about. Each year through carnival a different country is focused on and this year the focus may potentially be Kenya. The ways that they hold space for education, music, dance, and joy is something to be revered. 

We wrapped up our final Youth Seminars of the trip and members truly allowed for their creativity to shine in their facilitation skills. Some of the topics that we covered included modern day slavery through charcoal camps that exist in Brazil, women and girls rights through labor and education, along with an in depth exploration into favelas. 

As we head into the final week of this trip together, we are in immense gratitude for the time shared and lessons learned along the way. Here’s to our final week together!

Brittany Reyes
July 15th – July 21st, 2024

Photos