São Paulo – The Arab and South American Library and Research Center (Bibliaspa) will promote its first charity bazaar on September 26th in the city of São Paulo. The goal is to raise money to help in expenses of 120 refugees studying Portuguese in the organization. Among the expenses that will be covered by the funds collected are transportation and nutrition of the students.
“We need to collect R$ 12.000 (US$ 3,056), approximately R$ 5,000 (US$ 1,273) for transportation and R$ 7,000 (US$ 1,782) for food and other expenses, such as learning material. Without [money for] transportation, they can’t attend the classes. And before classes, they are offered a meal, which, for many, is the first meal of the day”, explains Paulo Daniel Farah, director of Bibliaspa, about the main needs of the refugees attending classes at the center.
To raise the money needed, the bazaar will sell products such as women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, fashion jewelry, household utensils, silverware and decorations. The admission is based on cooperation, that is, the price is decided by the visitor starting with a minimum of R$ 5 (US$ 1.27).
The bazar also have scheduled several cultural activities, such as presentation of Arab folk dance, Arab and Colombian cuisine workshop, storytelling, application of henna, poetry reading and a presentation by the Syrian singer Ola Taisir Alsaghir, among other attractions.
Currently, the majority of refugees attending classes at Bibliaspa is Syrian, but the organization also tends to people coming from Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Cameroon, Colombia, Haiti, Nigeria, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ghana and Tanzania.
In general, they have classes once a week, but some go to the institution on other days to have tutoring classes or to ask for help with translations. “The classes cover the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. We work with cultural mediation [with the foreigners]”, points out Farah.
Bibliaspa’s director says that currently the activities with the refugees are funded by the institution itself, which offers paid classes taught by Arabs to Brazilians, and also by contributions by individuals. The NGO’s idea, however, is to be able to get help from companies to fund its activities with the foreigners.
“We are planning to build an industrial kitchen and three more classrooms. We hope to raise awareness because what weights a lot on an individual’s budget, for the company it weighs less. We want to try to raise awareness with the businessmen”, says Farah.
Besides offering language and culture classes to the refugees, Bibliaspa also set up a team of translators to help these foreigners in activities such as medical appointments, enrollment of children in local schools and legal aid, since the language becomes a barrier for them in these activities. “We need to improve [this service], but need more investments”, emphasizes Farah.
Service
Bibliaspa’s First Charity Bazaar
On September 26th, from 10 AM to 7 PM
Where: Bibliaspa’s central office, at Rua Baronesa de Itu, 639, Santa Cecília, São Paulo
Admission based on cooperation: minimum price of R$ 5 (US$ 1.27)
Further information available at http://bibliaspa.org/2015/09/17/programacao-do-i-bazar-colaborativo-da-bibliaspa/
*Translation by Sérgio Kakitani
