The Social Action Monastery of Salvador Association, a private legal entity, is a Civil Association of a philanthropic nature, created in 1981 by the Benedictine Monks of the Monastery of Salvador, with the purpose of providing the community of Coutos with a social assistance service, which seeks to meet the needs of the excluded population, reflecting on the problems, proposing organizational strategies and ways to exit the condition of exclusion. Its objective is social work in the neighborhood of Coutos, integrating the lay of the Monastery of Salvador and the local community, around the social problems of the neighborhood.

 

Sensitive to one of the many needs, first, a kindergarten is created to accommodate 150 children under the age of six. Finally, since its inception, the entity has provided relevant services to the community of Coutos and adjacencies. Like the neighboring community, Colina do Mar, an occupation created in 1983 around the Monastery, without any infrastructure, whose organization was strengthened by this association through a work of awareness of the population. An infrastructure project was created by URBIS (the body responsible for the urbanization of communities on the outskirts of Salvador). Result: community effort for urbanization, conquest of electric power, water and sewage network, improvement of houses, and finally, ownership of lots. From then on, the organization organized a Community Center where various workshops were held in the areas of health, culture, sports and education, such as: tutoring classes, capoeira, computing, percussion, Afro dance, theater, toy workshops, sewing, natural food, home remedies etc.

 

The social context shows a low educational level, housing with great deficiencies of sanitary conditions, lack of work opportunities and conditions that could favor social inclusion. In the face of the picture, new challenges arose requiring the entity to monitor also the professional technical aspect, employment and income. In this way, the Association has expanded its beneficiaries by inserting them into its programs. They are children, adolescents, young people, families and communities in situations of social vulnerability. Being strengthened and instrumented for the improvement of the quality of life and the achievement of citizenship.

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The main activities are described below.

 

main activities

Kindergarten and pre-school, with 100 children, divided into 04 groups, regularly enrolled, and registered in EDUCA CENSO of the Ministry of Education. The day care center has a Political-Pedagogical Project, which directs all activities, being this project prepared by the team of teachers, and coordinated by a pedagogy professional.

Karate classes: With 70 children and teenagers divided into 6 classes with classes twice a week. Children and young people from the community of Coutos and adjacencies in the age group from 06 to 17 years old. It helps to develop psychomotor ability, oral and body expressiveness, concentration and disinhibition. Make thinking through sport, rescuing self-esteem and strengthening your identity, as well as the union within an alternative space. Students participate in championships throughout the year.

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Ballet:

Among the different styles of dance, the classical Ballet is the perfect base for a dancer, working the breath, posture, flexibility, resulting in well-being and body perception, agility and motor coordination. This is one of the activities of greater visibility and prominence of the association. Currently, there are 250 enrolled children and adolescents, who practice the Ballet in a shift opposite the formal school. Throughout the year, these children and adolescents participate in technical and practical classes, exams, elaborate choreography. As well as some of them take the International Exam of the Royal Academy of Dance.

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Professional Training Program in Banking Services:

Adolescents aged 15 to 17 years are cared for. The program is designed for adolescents of the Suburb Railroad of Salvador, enrolled in the public school, are impoverished adolescents, families with per capita income of up to half a minimum wage living in poverty and / or social vulnerability. The program places them in the labor market for apprentices. Encouraging completion of studies and academic and professional growth. The young people performed their practical activities at the Bank of Brazil and received theoretical training at the Association of Social Action Monastery of Salvador. Staying for 2 years in the program. The Association has served around 400 young people and adolescents since 2005.