Centre for Youth Communications

Teenagers outsides CCJ building interested in each others art

Friday, August 13th.

Another beautiful, hot day on the coast of Recife, Brazil.

Our guide and translator, Leo, arrives at the hotel at 9am to escort us to the CCJ youth centre. A program run by our partners at Equip. Before long, we are standing outside of a rough looking, fenced in, white washed building. The outside of the building is detailed with and array of colorful, intentional graffiti, strategically and artfully painted all over the walls and fencing. Inside this building, awaits us, Grace and Caja, two of our new Equip friends. Along with them are about 20 of the youth who are a part of the CCJ (Centro Communiciao Juventude) youth centre, one of Equips primary programs.

We are introduced to the youth and they to us. They are young men, young women, ranging in ages from 17-25. They are representative of a great majority of the youth in Brazil; poor, at high risk to become drug users/trafficers, young offenders, prostitutes.

Today we have the privilege of meeting Wagne. Wagne is a 19 year old young man who tells us how his family has suffered . Several years ago, his older brother was swept up into the life of drugs and at the age of 18 become yet one more victim to the epidemic of crack cocaine in Brazil. Wagne now works with the other young men and women in the centre to empower youth to choose to live drug free.

The youth in the CCJ centre use out-dated video and photographic equipment to produce video, photographic and paper anti-drug campaign materials. They share their most recent production with us; a 5 minute video, depicting the graphic realities of drug use. Their realities. It is both shocking and heartbreaking. These are the messages that they are bold enough to share with other youth in their communities....offering hope and giving others like them the strength to choose a drug-free lifestyle.

In the youth centre, human connection is at the heart of all that they do. We are included in their circle ceremony of love and support. These youth are connected. They are united. The young men raise their fists at the word resistance. It is these youth who will fight for change in Brazil. These youth who will be a part of changing the world.
It is on this day, Friday, August 13th, that I both cry and rejoice.
 
-Brenda