Social action takes Christmas joy to children in Amazonas’ countryside

Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The social project “Make a child happy”, which is performed since 2012 in the community of Lago do Limão, in Manaquiri, 165 kilometres from Manaus (AM), celebrated its 11th edition this Saturday, 10, taking, once again, the joy of Christmas to more than one hundred riverside children. Besides the delivery of gifts, the action promotes a day of games, distribution of goodies and raffles of gifts to the community.

The objective of the social action is the sponsorship of children from 0 to 12 years old, both from Limão Lake and Miraaua community. They make their requests to Santa Claus through letters and volunteers, affectionately called “godfathers” and “godmothers”, who send dolls, cars and even gifts to the localities.

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Project coordinator, Socorro Medeiros told CENARIUM MAGAZINE what motivated her to start the action, which is performed together with family and friends.

“In my childhood here in Lago do Limão, along with my brothers, toys were a luxury. After we grew up and formed our families, we thought of taking more joy to the children of these communities and changing a little the difficult local reality of the interior of our state”, she said.

Volunteer Naci Medeiros, who fetches the children’s cards, shares the same memory as her sister and recalls that as a child she could not celebrate Christmas in the same way as the children of Lago do Limão and Miraaua do today.

“As a child, I did not have this opportunity to have a toy, a party, a leisure afternoon, and today I help to make the dream of so many children come true“, she recalled. “In the middle of the year we organize the children’s letters, visiting the families and getting the information. From there we distribute the letters to the godfathers and godmothers and everything turns into a great joy.”

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Afternoon of leisure

Janaína Aguiar has participated in the project since its first edition and says that the work is done with love. She recalls that the children arrive at the event site in rabetas, a characteristic Amazonian boat that has a propulsion motor attached to the back of small boats that are driven manually.

“I have been taking part in this project for 11 years and it does me so much good. We receive donations and distribute them with a lot of love, with presents, games, snacks, prayers. And when it’s over, the children are heading for their tails, the heart is grateful to be part of the project for another year”, she said.

How to help

The “Make a Child Happy” is open to receive donations. Interested parties can contact the event page on Instagram (@facaumacriancafeliz_manaquiri) and Facebook (@projetomanaquiri). The contact phones are (92) 98414-7210 and (92) 98211-5393.