Under the guidance of filmmaker Katia Lund and other cinema professionals, (We in Cinema) was originally founded to train the award-winning cast for roles in the Brazilian film City of God (Golden Globe nominee and Brazilian entry for the Oscars in 2003). The project, now serving over 200 boys and girls from Rio de Janeiro’s poorest neighborhoods, has been structured into a program that offers a winning solution to the problems of youth in the favelas: access to information, training in media skills, an introduction to the formal job market, and a powerful means of self-expression, give disadvantaged youth a unique opportunity to voice their realities through audio-visual works. Nós do Cinema empowers these young people as they explore, discover, rewrite and appropriate their own image and history.
Nós do Cinema offers participants training by professionals in basic communications (writing, computers, etc.) and specific training in areas such as directing, screenwriting, journalistic writing, lighting, sound, photography, production, and computer science. Experienced participants complete the cycle by returning and teaching workshops for newcomers. Participants also have access to the Nós do Cinema Talent Agency, where they obtain access to the job market as actors, models and technicians following their training. In this way they achieve gainful employment while diversifying the market.
rom 2001 until today, 470 children from more than 20 communities in Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Belford Roxo and São Gonçalo participated in the 17 courses and, approximately 50 workshops promoted by the Nós do Cinema
Audiovisual Educational School.

An everyday scenario in Rio de Janeiro is a very poor (often young) couple of little or no means visits a public hospital with their sickly child and is told to wait or is told that the hospital does not have the resources needed to treat the child. If the baby dies in the waiting room the parents are told that this was God’s will. Dr. Rosa is emphatic that these children be saved and that these parents are spared the unnecessary sorrow of losing a child because they could not pay for the medical treatment that is available to families of means. Lack of bed space is also something that is a significant problem. A hospital will call Dr. Rosa and say there is a baby here that will die if it does not get immediate attention. The problem for Dr. Rosa then becomes if she is to do the surgery and return the child back to that hospital will the hospital be capable of keeping that baby free of infection and oversee proper follow up care in Dr. Rosa’s absence. The current hospital that donates their facility has very limited bed space to offer these charity patients. Parents are often sent shuttling between hospitals begging for the life of their child- before they find Dr. Rosa. Dr. Rosa estimates that 40% of her time is spent in private practice and 60% towards the project. She spends many evenings attending
events that will mean that she can get her story out in order to continually raise funds. She credits much of her success to the generosity of friends and wealthy business people who come to her aid when she is in a difficult position. If she cannot find a hospital bed she will later hear that the baby has died. This is why she insists that no child is turned away.

In 2007 a major push for the Dreams Can Be Foundation will be to assist Dr. Rosa Celia Barbosa in her goal of building a children’s hospital for the poor children of Rio de Janeiro and nearby environs. The hospital will have both a for profit and non-profit side in order for Dr. Rosa to continue serving the needy children and families that she currently serves through Pro Crianca Cardiaca Foundation; at the ProCrianca Clinic and where surgeries are now performed through the generosity of a nearby private hospital. The plan for ‘Hospital da Crianca” is a first class hospital to attend to the paying public and that will help generate funds in order to support the charitable side of the hospital.

If you are interested in being a part of this very rewarding opportunity to save the lives of these innocent children and would like to know more about how you can help, please contact Christine Clauser by e-mail contact@dreamscanbe.org or by phone at 814-255-4379 or in Brazil (55)21-2249-5772 for more information.

The Final Feliz Cultural Association was founded in July 2001 by Wilton “Moreno” Cruz. At the time, Moreno, a citizen of the Final Feliz community, worked as a security guard at a health insurance company. He observed the children of his community hanging around without organized activities. This situation worried him because he knew that a lack of activities could lead to delinquent behavior. Moreno´s conscience would not allow him to stand by and let the futures of his community’s children waste away, so he started the Final Feliz Cultural Association.
The Association offers classes five days a week in social circus, dance, capoeira and other disciplines, as well as tutoring in academic subjects for nearly 70 youths. A sixth day is reserved for additional weekly training for educators and bi-monthly meetings with the families of the project participants.
The family meetings have had an extremely important impact: ten parents have returned to school to further their education and many others have learned how to preserve their local environment through recycling and selling of trash.
Another important result of the project has been the creation of a student delegation for the Association. This group of student representatives was initiated by the students who continue to have an active role in making decisions about the project. These students are responsible for organizing events and for creating a library at the Association.

The Circo Baixada project has been running in the City of Queimados, Fluminense since 2002. The project takes place monthly with 180 children and adolescents who are in at risk situations or are living on the streets, together with their families through psycho-social intervention which aims to integrate the family and community. On a larger level, the project looks to fortify the network of governmental and nongovernmental actors in Queimados and Fluminese in order to promote the guaranteed rights of children and adolescents.

During 2005, they supported 250 children and adolescents in 5 big tops (circus activities, drums, theatre, dance, singing, art). Listening, caring, team work and the art education activities are springboards for the integration of the family and community and the social participation of these young citizens.

During the 4 years of the project, it has greatly enhanced the abilities of the adolescent participants, which has allowed them greater participation and integration into the project. They lack, however, the space that allows them to develop their art- education abilities and potentials.

This project intends to contribute to the training of art-educators, and put on at least 5 presentations in 2007 for 1,000 spectators in Queimados and Baixada Fluminense. This way the project grows with the adolescents, as the presentations sensitize the community to the problem of at-risk street children in Baixada Fluminense.

The objectives of this project are to form a group of 15 youths as art- educators, aiming to empower them through the creation of a reference group which can represent Circo Baixada. The aim is to search for a way to benefit the community with cultural shows and to raise questions about children and adolescents on the streets.

In 2007 Dreams Can Be will initiate their support of this project with a donation of R$2.079.