Adolescent girls in Dona Aurora have little hope of finding a decent job in a region of widespread unemployment. Many are struggling not only with extreme poverty, but also with poor public school conditions, learning disabilities and parents who are ill, addicted or abusive. They are extremely vulnerable to the rush of their own hormones and romantic hopes. One out of every four babies born in Brazil is born to a girl under 17 with less than five years elementary schooling. In impoverished communities like Dona Aurora criminal predators actively recruit them into prostitution.
To capture the energy of these girls, harness it for skill and confidence-building, and create the first-phase of a Leadership Development track for girls we developed the Flash Girls a photography project. This project gave 24 young women between the ages of 11 and 17 the opportunity to express the reality and character of their community as they saw it through the lens of a camera. They had no previous experience and used only disposable cameras. The quality of their work was so impressive that Chick Rice, Canada's nationally known art photographer, and Sung Van Studios helped us produce a beautiful bilingual photo-calendar with rare, intimate images of life in a Brazilian favela.
This year, Please Mum partnered with us to sell these calendars. Since 1986, Please Mum has been making growing up fun for children around the world. Please Mum is 100% Canadian owned and operated and has over 90 retail stores across Canada. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Please Mum supports charities both locally and internationally, and were honoured to partner with Street Angels who they believe are a unique cause helping children in poverty stricken areas gain valuable skills needed to support themselves. Street Angels Calendars are sold at select Please Mum locations Nationwide.
Adolescent girls in Dona Aurora have little hope of finding a decent job in a region of widespread unemployment. Many are struggling not only with extreme poverty, but also with poor public school conditions, learning disabilities and parents who are ill, addicted or abusive. They are extremely vulnerable to the rush of their own hormones and romantic hopes. One out of every four babies born in Brazil is born to a girl under 17 with less than five years elementary schooling. In impoverished communities like Dona Aurora criminal predators actively recruit them into prostitution.
