News feature

On a mission in concrete jungle

LIMERICK mil-lionaire JPMcManus haschanged thelives of hun-dreds of chil-

dren in one of Sao Paulo’sdrug-ridden slums, butIrish missionaries workingin the area believe he maynever know the huge dif-ference he has made.

The Co Limerickmanprovided j10,000 to a cen-tre for children in Vila Pru-dente, one of Sao Paulo’smore “privileged” favelas,or slums, among some2,500 in the city.

Fr Pat Clarke, director ofthe Centro Cultural, saidthe cheque received in Sep-tember last was one of thefew “miracles” they havereceived.

“He’s made a differenceto the lives of hundreds ofchildren he’s never seen,and that will never seehim, in a faraway place. I’dlike him to know that we’regrateful for what he did,though it’s hard for him toknow the contribution he’smade,” said Fr Clarke, aHoly Ghost missionary,and a native of the Liber-ties, Dublin.

The centre covers fivebuildings, catering for chil-dren in a favela of 18,000people in an area of 31,000square metres.

Fr Clarke said he ini-tially though writing to theJP McManus Foundationto seek financial helpwould be “a waste of time.”

But a month after writ-ing the letter, his sister liv-ing in the Mid-Westreceived a call to collectthe cheque and was toldthe centre in Sao Paulo hadbeen selected from some100 applications receivedeach month for assistance.

“You wouldn’t hardlyever get anything like that.I’ve had a few miracles.Mostly it’s crumbs but youdon’t despise the crumbs.

“Very few of these chil-dren would have themeans to break into anysocial mobility, becausethey don’t have education,finance or culture. Peoplehere suffer from very lowself-esteem because here

you’re nobody. You’re in aplace you don’t want to beand people on the outsidelook down on you and viewyou as a potential crook,”he said.

The Limerick Leadergained entry to the CentroCultural Vila Prudenteafter permission wassought from the drugbarons who control thearea by the missionariesworking on the ground.

We were “watched”throughout their visit,where we negotiated ourway through narrow alley-ways - overshadowed byhaphazard, make-shiftstructures, which thou-sands of people call home.

The centre is protectedby armed gunmen at therear of the property, bor-dering a railway line fromwhich the favela expanded40 years ago.

However, Fr Clarke, 68,said they “don’t have achoice” in their choice of“protection”.

“It’s either them or menin official uniforms withguns,” he said.

The centre for arts andculture caters for peopleaged eight to 18, and specif-ically “provides an alter-native” for children andteenagers who spend as lit-tle as three hours per dayin school.

Up to 120 children are ontheir books at any onetime, and Fr Clarke said“they won’t refuse anychild”.

“Some of their mothersare involved in drug traf-ficking and their fathersare missing. There are kidsof eight years of age watch-ing porn on a mobile phoneon the side of the road inthe early hours of themorning. This offers theman alternative; up to nowthere were no alterna-tives,” said Fr Clarke.

Psychologists are onhand to unravel some ofthe violent scenes theymay have witnessed intheir own homes, andabove all they aspire toimpart respect, integrityand self-esteem to thosewho come through theirdoors.

Aside from funding fromthe JP McManus Founda-tion, they are also fundedby Misean Cara, whichsupports the work of Irishmissionaries abroad,through Irish Aid, whichwas recently decentralisedto Limerick.

The city of Sao Paulo,with a population of 20 mil-lion people, was describedby one local missionary as“the equivalent of Limerickand Clare together if itwere covered in concrete”while another noted thisparticular favela has a pop-

ulation greater than “manyan Irish town.”

Despite Brazil’s recogni-tion internationally as theworld’s ninth strongesteconomy, more than 50 mil-lion people continue to livebelow the poverty line.

In Vila Prudenta, wherefamilies of five live on aslittle as j120 per month,many and any means areadopted to survive. Lorriescontaining electrical itemsand food are hijacked, withgoods seized for distribu-tion and sale.

For the missionaries, thematerial luxuries of life arefew, if non-existent. FrClarke doesn’t own a TV, acomputer or a microwave,and cycles a bike. But hefeels he lives an enrichedlife: “I don’t know whatdepression is, and gener-ally feel a basic sense of joyor hope. Tough times arethe grease of the mill, but alot of great friendships areformed in adversity, someof the best.

“I don't think I've wastedmy time here. I'd do it allagain. It's not about socialadvancement but thehumanity of people.”

Leader reporter ANNE SHERIDANreports from Sao Paulo inBrazil where the vital work of Irish missionaries helping society’spoorest is supported by development organisation Misean Caraand was also boosted by a donation from JP McManus

ACLONLARA man whohas helped brokerpeace in one of themost dangerous areasof Sao Paulo believessolving the crime situ-

ation in Limerick should be “verysimple”.

Fr Jim Crowe, an internationallyrenowned human rights activist, hasworked for 22 years in the area ofJardim Angela, once declared by theUnited Nations as one of the mostviolent places in world.

During that period, Fr Crowe saida person could be killed for as littleas 2 because “life was so cheap.”

In 1996 there were 120 deaths per100,000 people of the population, how-ever that figure has now dramati-cally reduced to 30 to 40 deaths ayear.

“There wasn’t a day you’d go with-out seeing two to three dead bodieson the street. One time there was adead man in front of a bar and peo-ple stepped over him to get a drink.You wouldn’t do it to a dog,” he said.

Like troubled estates in Limerick,violence increased in Jardim Angelain the early 1990s due to rising unem-ployment and a struggle by drugbarons to take control of the estates.

However, he believes resourcesback in the Mid-West should havebeen much greater to tackle Limer-ick’s gang warfare.

“Things are so straight forward inplaces like that, where everybodyhas a name and an address. In Lim-erick, everybody knows who they[the gangs] are, but here they’re hid-den in holes.

“I don’t know why the guards can’tcontrol it more. Southill should neverhave been allowed to happen in thefirst place, the same with Moyross,”said Fr Crowe, of the KilteganFathers, who went to the CBS on Sex-ton Street.

He described the murder of rugbyplayer Shane Geoghegan inDooradoyle in November last as “anawful killing”, and noted how in SaoPaulo people only sat up and paidattention to the problem once anelite member of their own societywas killed.

Change came in Jardim Angela in1996, when Fr Crowe said theydecided “it wasn’t enough just to

pray about the situation”.A fan of football, and especially

hurling in his native county, he usedthe lessons of the game in theirapproach to taking back control ofthe area, which was a population of300,000 – at least three times that ofLimerick city. “The more you drawback,” he said, “the more space yougive your opponents.”

On November 2 of that year theyheld their first march for “life andpeace”. It continues today, and par-ticipation has increased from 5,000people to 25,000, many wearing whiteheadbands bearing the names ofloved ones who lost their lives inwhat he described as “an undeclaredwar”.

The transformation of JardimAngela is now used as a model forother cities, however violence anddrugs use is still a feature of every-day life.

“The Government here has money

but the trouble is to get it out of themfor the right causes. The money inSao Paulo is scandalous; the problemis the distribution of wealth.”

Fr Crowe was awarded a nationalaward for human rights in Decemberlast, another in the same field fromthe University of Sao Paulo, and hasbeen asked on numerous occasionsto accept the freedom of the city.

“Ah sure, I couldn’t accept that,leave it to someone else.”

The Limerick Leader travelled to SaoPaulo as a guest of Misean Cara, whichsupports the development work ofIrish missionaries abroad, throughfunding from Irish Aid, now based onHenry Street in Limerick city. In 2008Misean Cara allocated over j813,000to fund missionary projects andindividuals in Brazil. For moreinformation about their work seewww.miseancara.ie.

‘The more you draw back the morespace your opponent gets’, saysrenowned peace broker Fr Crowe

Children sleeping in one of the creches run by Fr Clarke’s group. He says the donationby JP McManus has made an enormous difference to the children’s lives

Left: Fr Clarke with a parkishioner in one of the favelas inSao Paolo - a city described as the equivalent of Limerickand Clare together if they were covered in concrete

Fr Crowe and a community policeman in Jardim Angela, Sao Paolo

Above: Sao Paolo’s sprawling skyline. The city’s population is 20m people

Fr Crowe tells Anne Sheridan that the crime situation in Limerick should be easier tocontrol, since the names and addresses of everyone involved are known

NCW COURTJAKUB Kochan, 62 ThePaddocks, Newcastle Westwas fined j90 at the localcourt for using a mobilephone while driving atGortboy last September 5.

MARK Shanahan, Garry-duff, Newcastle West, wasfined j200 at the local courtfor driving at 72kph in a50kph zone at Ardagh lastJuly 17. The fixed noticepenalty was not paid.

PETER Magill, Sean NosLodge, Carraward West,Dromcollogher was finedj150 for driving at 96kph ina 50kph zone atFeoghanagh last July 24.

COURTBRIEFS

LIMERICK LEADER Saturday 21 March 2009 21

KILMALLOCK MARTEVERYMONDAY

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN TIMESCalves 10.00 a.m. in Calf Ring

Special Section for Fr. Heifer Calves at 1 p.m.

CALF COLLECTION SCHEME INOPERATION

Tel. (087) 2526182

Dry Cows 11 a.m. in Dry Cow Ring followedby Suckler Cows & Heifers

Weanling Bulls in Main Ring at 11 a.m. sharp fol-lowed by Bullocks

Dairy Ring 12.30 p.m.

NEW SELLING SYSTEMWeanling Sale will start at 11 a.m. sharp. No Entry

required.Weanlings must be born after 1st January, 2008.Confined to 100 Lots on a first come basis.

Entry System will operate for Bullocks – A Drawwill take place for starting pen

(Pen 1 to 20 will be included in Draw and must bein yard and penned by 10.30 a.m.

CATALOGUE BOOKING ENTRY SYSTEMNOW IN OPERATION

for Heifers, Bullocks & Dairy StockEntries will be taken

EVERYMONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWINGMONDAY

SPECIAL ENTRIESMON. 23RDMARCH

1) 10 P.B.R. FRIESIAN CALVED HEIFERSBY GMI., CIX., SOG, TIH

Vendor: Sean Crowley, Ardglass, Charlveille2) 12 CALVED BRITISH FR. HEIFERS

Vendor: Basil Fitzsimons, Morgans, Askeaton

NORTH MUNSTER BULL SALEFri. 3rd April, 2009

Tel. Paul Hannon (087) 9176011

Wanted Friesian bull calves suitable for Export.Calves will be collected at Assembly points atDromcollogher Mart this Thursday at 3 p.m. &Sixmilebridge Mart this Thursday at 10 a.m.AS AND FROM MONDAY 23RD MARCH

CALVES WILL BE COLLECTEDIN DROMCOLLOGHER MART BETWEEN3.30 P.M. & 5 P.M. AND EVERYMONDAY

THEREAFTER

Call Kevin Leahy on 087-2569447 or Denis Laneon 087-9480484 for further details.

Head Office, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick 063-98050

ABBEYFEALE MARTEVERY SATURDAYSALE 11 A.M.

Tel. (068) 31290

STORE CATTLE SHOW & SALEON SAT 28TH MARCH

FULL DETAILS NEXTWEEK

CALF COLLECTION SCHEME INOPERATION

Tel. (087) 9480484

SIXMILEBRIDGE MARTEVERY SATURDAYSALE 12 NOON

Tel. (087) 2569447

RATHKEALE MART

EVERY TUESDAYSALE 12 NOON

CALF SALEEVERYWEDNESDAY

INTAKE OPEN 5.30 P.M. SALE 7 P.M.

Tel. (069) 64188/ (087) 2569447

CALF COLLECTION SCHEME INOPERATION

Tel. (087) 9922595

DROMCOLLOGHER MART

EVERY THURSDAYSALE 12 NOON

Tel. (087) 2569447

CALF COLLECTION SCHEME INOPERATION

Tel. (086) 1021807

GVM DIRECT FARM TO FARM SALES

Wanted 07 Store Bullocks & HeifersAlso, Wanted Fr. Bull CalvesBought & Collected on Farm

Tel. Eddie O’Dea (087) 6869070

FFoorr ccoommpplleettee MMaarrtt rreeppoorrttss oonnlliinnee,, pplleeaassee sseeee wwwwww.. IIrriisshhaaggrrii..ccoomm//mmaarrttrreeppoorrttss..ggvvmm

SALESIANAGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

PALLASKENRY, CO LIMERICK

OPEN DAYFOR SCHOOL LEAVERS & PARENTS

ON THURSDAY 26th MARCHFROM 10:30 A.M.TO 1:30 P.M.

Courses Offered 2009-2010

• FETAC Advanced Certificate in Agriculture• FETAC Advanced Certificate in Agricultural

Mechanisation• HETAC Higher Certificate in Technology in

Agricultural Mechanisation (LC841)• Closing date for applications: Friday 5th June

2009

Apply directly to the Principal

Tel: 061-393100