fbpx

2020 Retrospective – Lar Maná

2020 Retrospective – Lar Maná

2020 brought challenges we couldn’t even imagine coming our way, didn’t it?

The kids at Lar Maná were used to receiving lots of visits, going to school daily and being in close contact with their educators. With that no longer being a possibility, they had to adapt and get used to a new routine during the pandemic.

Though very difficult, we would like to focus on the positive aspects of 2020 in this year in review. Several children were able to find new homes. Others participated in workshops, sports and computer lessons. Neighbors in the community found new jobs here at Lar Maná. And we experienced so many other blessings.

For that reason, we would like to share the good news with you and thank you for your prayers, giving, words of encouragement, or for simply being virtually present with us.

14 Children Find Loving Homes

Throughout 2020, our hearts were warmed by witnessing a total of 14 children encountering each their own new safe haven. Of these, 2 were reintegrated with their families while another 12 were adopted. Many of the processes were long, but gratifying in the end.

We certainly miss the kids who left our “nest”, but we were overjoyed to observe them flying away to homes with a healthy environment. Homes where they can count on fresh meals, loving words and cozy hugs every day.

Hands-on

Paper everywhere, pencils all over the table and lots of paint-covered hands. This was a picture of just one of the many workshops held for the children at Lar Maná throughout 2020.

These pedagogical workshops give the kids an opportunity to exercise their creativity. They thoroughly enjoyed the arts, music and other activities provided for them at Lar Maná.

Judo Moves, Slacklining and Soccer matches

What kid doesn’t like playing, especially outdoor games with some competition between teams and some engaging teachers?!

The kids at Lar Maná, with the support of the “Hope for Children Project”, learned judo moves, slacklined, played and cheered a lot in soccer or volleyball matches and learned how to swim with their beloved swimming instructors.

And do you know what was the best part of all that? We observed an increase in the kids’ self-esteem and teamwork skills as well as a significant improvement in their health! After the project was implemented, there were far less medical emergencies and health issues among our little athletes.

Jobs for The Community

You might already know that Lar Maná works to offer better quality of life for children. But did you know we also work to impact the lives of adults?

That’s right. Throughout the past year, Lar Maná was able to hire a few people who live in the neighborhood. Most are people with lots of needs..

It has been a blessing to provide an income for families in our community and somehow play a part in fighting poverty and violence.

Preschool for The Little Ones

Before the pandemic, the smaller children stayed at the home and played when the older kids went off to school. Now, they participate in their own little school inside Lar Maná, called “Maná do Céu” (Manna from Heaven).

In this preschool, children from ages 1 to 4 take part in reading, storytelling and activities planned for their holistic development.

This way, they can be ready when the time comes to “graduate” from Maná do Céu to school!

“Google it!”

Today, it is common to see kids teaching adults when it comes to technology, right?!

It is no different here at Lar Maná. Through the “Valuable Friend Project” by Santander Bank, children from 4 to 12 years old count on weekly computer classes. They are already doing great at writing and editing text, online searches and educational games! Hearing phrases like “Google it!” in conversations between our little ones are now a common solution to their daily curiosities.

Sponsor one of our children

Over the years, sponsoring a child has been one of the most effective ways to help them develop a positive self-image, get an education and rise up out of poverty.

When you join our dedicated team of professionals and volunteers through sponsorship, we work together to guarantee the physical well-being, mental health and spiritual development of that child. If you want to be closely involved with the transformation of an at-risk child, you can now personally sponsor a child who lives at Lar Maná from wherever you are! Click the link to start your journey of positively impacting a child’s life: https://www.larmana.org/sponsor-a-child/

Newsletter Index

Sign Up to Receive Updates

Insert your email below to stay up to date with news from Lar Mana.

You information is 100% safe.

Skip to content