Living and working in Rocinha has been a blessing. The hill is full of friendly people who patient and caring, I learned this my first day when a stranger helped me carry my bag up a large flight of stairs. Teaching at the institute is fun and a great way to improve your Portuguese, not to mention the experience you gain and the friendships built.

I have nothing but great things to say about Rocinha, Instituto Doisi Irmãos , and the compassionate people who make this opportunity a possibility.

I teach English to Adults, and its astonishing how keen they all are to learn English. You really feel useful during the hours spent and its good to see the result of your work.

I am working as volunteer here in the 2bros Institute mainly because I want to give back something to this great Country Brazil, which received me with open arms and such heartiness. Especially I fall in love with the Rocinha and its open-hearted and lovely people, if I could and wouldn’t have to study in Germany and if my VISA would let me, I think I wouldn’t leave this wonderful place anymore…

Ciao, io sono Mara e vivo a Milano, in Italia Lavoro in un ufficio e quando ho tempo libero lavoro come volontaria in molte attivita’ (con bambini, in attivita’ artistiche e per la protezione dell’ambiente), nel mio paese e quando posso, all’estero. Mi piace incontrare la gente, diversa da me, scambiare idee ed esperienze. Questa volta ho trovato, guardando su internet, l’Instituto Dois Irmãos in Rocinha (Rio de Janeiro). Io rimarro’ per alcuni giorni, e daro’ una mano nell’insegnare la lingua inglese alla gente del posto e vivro’con una famiglia in Rocinha. Qui le persone hanno voglia di vivere, di conoscere e incontrare gente nuova. Si tratta di una grande esperienza, che io ho la fortuna di vivere!

In our mask making class, the children learned about how masks are utilized in other cultures. The students were encouraged to use their imaginations to create mythic animals or monsters decorated with vivid designs and colors. Using mask making technique learned in the class, the children constructed their own masks to use. They then photographed each others work.

Seana Monley
PhD Student in Cultural Anthropology- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

I came to Instituto Dois Irmãos (i2i) to volunteer during my preliminary dissertation research on the social relations and cultural productions in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, mainly through the lens of funk carioca music. Because I am an art teacher in the United States, I wanted to lend my skills to the institute and help teach. I knew before arriving in Rocinha that the staff and volunteers love what they do, what I learned while I was here is that the institute means so much to the children and adults who take classes here. Education is a priority to everyone involved in the institute and it is so apparent in even the youngest students. I plan to continue teaching and helping in anyway I can at i2i so that I can continue to share with and learn from the students, staff, and volunteers.

Last semester volunteers helped prepare three students for their depature on a trip to Italy. Three students from i2i were selcted to be judges along with other young children from all over the world at the Geffoni Film Festival in Naples, Italy.

The Spanish class was very successful last semester and pending new volunteers with knowledge in Spanish, we will continue the class this semester. We had an art class, scrapbooking, sewing and belly dance class last semester as well. Long-term volunteer Jake took his class on an outing to Parque Dos Lage and the Forte de Copacabana. Last semester reinforcement classes included education in science.

Volunteers and Interns have been working behind the scenes creating new fundraising efforts and preparing i2i for the many new changes. These include our first giving website page

We currently have volunteer art work for sale at i2i and are hoping to affilliate with a near by hostel for volunteer use and to sell i2i shirts.

Last semester we started a much anticipated Women’s Health Workshop (Papo Reto). The class meets once a month and confronts the many changes teenage girls experience. The first meetings have been successful and we are excited to see this program flourish later on.

Sundays i2i is closed and as part of our efforts to help the community, i2i opened its doors to the Igreja Assembelía de Deus. i2i is not affilliated with the church or other religious and political groups, but are always open to helping other members of the community and their groups when given the chance. When the church did not not have a location to teach religious classes, i2i opened its doors and now allows the church to use the school on Sundays.

The semester just started and In one week we will lose Sarah, Irem, Lyndsey, James, and Erin. But we are excited to Welcome Gary, Allison and Sarah this semester along with Benji, Amy, Jake, Rebecca and Samantha, volunteers who are still with us. The semester will bring many changes and one of those important changes is the addition of literacy classes for children and adults in Rocinha who do not know how to ready and write.

We are excited for the start of a new semester and for all the great things that will come . The newsletter will have more details on the events from the previous year. If you want to recieve the newsletter please leave a comment with your e-mail or send an e-mail to rogerior@2bros.org

We hope everyone had a good winter/summer break!

Abraços,

from everyone at i2i

Eis umas fotos dos eventos da KU-2bros semana passada, realizados na cidade de Lawrence, na Universidade do Kansas, nos Estados Unidos. O grupo estudantil arrecadou US$1008 com a ajuda dos artistas de bossa nova/MPB, Ricardo Vogt e Leala Cyr. Ricardo acabou de gravar uma nova canção com Milton Nascimento (com a banda da qual Ricardo é guitarrista, Esperanza Spalding Quartet). Foi o sexto show de arrecadação de fundos que Ricardo fez para o i2i/2bros e o segundo da Leala, sua esposa. (veja artigo em baixo para mais detalhes)