Débora and Ana Carolina

On both sides of the highway, there's a strip of land (about 50 meters wide) on which it is forbidden by law to build anything. But very often it is the only land available to otherwise homeless people, and so they build their cabins and huts very close to the highway. Since these houses are illegal (but tolerated by authorities), it is very difficult to improve their living conditions. Any help from an NGO would result in legal action against that organization. 
This is one reason why Projeto Amar concentrates it's efforts on the children. We hope that, by giving these children access to a formal education and health care, they will one day be able to move out and build a better life for themselves. 
Projeto Amar is now dividing it's 80+ volunteers into task forces of four or five who will be responsible for one or two families each, providing access to social workers, health professional and checking in on the progress of the children from time to time. Whenever there is an emergency, such as a flood or fire, the entire organization can be activated (a few weeks ago, the hut of an old man in one of our neighbourhoods burned down, and Projeto Amar rebuilt it in three days).