The Brazilian newspaper O Povo highlights the work of Lar Santa Mônica, founded by the Augustinian Recollects in Fortaleza, as an example of reconstruction of lives marked by social vulnerability.
In the midst of the challenges faced by thousands of Brazilian children and adolescents marked by social vulnerability, broken rights and family traumas, foster homes represent much more than just a temporary shelter: they can be the starting point for a completely new life. This is what the newspaper O Povo reports in an article signed by Paulo Augusto da Costa Bezerra Filho, which highlights the model of the Lar Homes, in particular Lar Santa Mônica, a work of the Augustinian Recollects in Fortaleza.
This space was founded in 2009 by the Order of Augustinian Recollects through the Asociación Beneficente dos Agostinianos Recoletos de Fortaleza (ABARF). Since then, it has become a place where girls and adolescents find not only shelter and food, but also dignity, affection and accompaniment. As the article emphasizes, what Lar Santa Mônica offers is what is most essential to human development: the feeling of belonging.
A story of hope: the testimony of L.A.
The testimony of L.A., a 26 year old young woman, was presented in the national program Criança Esperança, and reflects the transforming power of the Recollect accompaniment. L.A., who was welcomed in Lar Santa Monica after having seen her rights violated, found there the protection, affection and support necessary to rebuild her life.
Despite the difficulties, her time in this shelter allowed her to redefine her story. Today she works in social projects and volunteers at a soccer school for children. From her experience, she helps others to believe in a better future – the same one she once received.
A mission that transforms
Lar Santa Monica represents a concrete example of the mission of the Augustinian Recollects in the service of justice, compassion and the promotion of human dignity. In the face of contexts marked by poverty, violence or abandonment, this house is a sign of hope that transforms lives with love and perseverance.
As O Povo states, this work has the capacity to. “offer what is most essential to human development: the feeling of belonging”. A profoundly Augustinian value that today continues to bear fruit through the dedication of the religious and lay people who make this mission possible.