The NGO Revarte (Redemption of values for the art) has been set up by Alice Domenech. It has always been her dream to set up a library in a poor community. She has always believed that through reading it is possible to improve people and transmit good values for everybody showing that help is worthwhile.
Alice
has always liked children. As soon as she retired, she moved to
Fortaleza
and felt that here she had found her mission. Her main objective has always been to offer, above all, love, and also knowledge, something that will not be destroyed by time.
For a long time Alice joined with children to give classes in sewing, flute playing, reading and also singing, but she hadn´t found a fixed place where the children could enjoy some comfort.
In the middle of 1994
Alice
met the librarian Lúcia Cardoso and they became partners. In Lúcia Alice she found a helping hand and a friend who supported her ideas and shared her dream of the library. Lúcia loved the idea of the project and promised that she would help and promised that she would help as soon as
Alice
had found a permanent place.
Then one of the children discovered a vacant house in the “Conjunto Alvorada” and warned Alice, who decided to speak to the owner. The house belonged to an NGO called Support group Communities in need (GACC). After telling them about her work, they complied with her request and let her use the place. In 1999 the dream became a reality and
Alice
and Lúcia began the mission of transforming that community. Every day a lot of difficulties have come up, but they were not seen as obstacles but as challenges.
Today, almost 10 years later, we see how through perseverance this dream has come true.
Revarte has its starting point in the Library “Monteiro Lobato”.
Reading
is the passport for those who want to enter in the Kingdom of the Revartelândia, as it is affectionately nicknamed by the children.
We also offer judo, dance, yoga, recreation and good meals to take care of the body; chess and reading to develop the mind; singing, theater, and playing the flute and guitar to improve their artistic side; drawing, craftwork, story-writing workshops to release their imagination. And we also organize walks that transform these small citizens into discoverers of our city.
To participate in all the activities developed by the NGO, children and teenagers have to be registered in the library and, most importantly, they have to be up-to-date with reading.
We cannot forget that love of our fellows, dedication, friendship, respect and affectiion are essential requirements for everybody who works in Revarte. Most of the activities take place in our “school” from monday to saturday and are led by volunteers, people who believe in the value of a friendly hand. All these projects help many children and teenagers between 5 and 20 years from the “Conjunto Alvorada” to avoid idleness and protect them from the dangers of the street and from delinquency (crime, criminal practices, delinquent behaviour). Revarte provides a new world and a better future for those who believe that the values of life can be rescued through art and sport.
