In the early 1970’s, the Society of the Sacred Heart sold its large Motherhouse in Rome, in favor of moving to smaller and simpler quarters. Excess funds from the sale of the property were designated for the most poor and marginalized people in countries where we serve. The commitment to share in this way became known as “The Solidarity Fund”, and continues as such to this day.

Each year RSCJ, and only RSCJ, recommend poverty-based projects in their region for funding consideration. Included are works by and for those who have been impoverished and marginalized all over the world – and who lack adequate assistance from other organizations. The Society puts strong emphasis on building the capacity of recipients to become independent in their efforts.

We share here the list of this year’s Solidarity Fund projects, noting (and sometimes picturing) the work and mission of the Fund for the coming year as well as the past year. We count on God’s blessing for the continuation of the work so well begun, by so many people.

Projects Funded in 2003
2002 Project comments and photos

Projects funded in 2003
ARGENTINA - URUGUAY
Buenos Aires
Focus on popular education distance learning from Buenos Aires
US $9.000
This project benefits teachers who work with poor people on the periphery of urban areas and in rural areas, and who want to be trained to do popular education. There will be six modules of 6 workshops over a 4 month period and 6 workshops for which attendance is required. The goal is to bring a wave of new Christian pedagogy to Latin America.

Fortín Olmos
Scholarships for students
US $10.000
The goal of this project is to support and collaborate with young people with financial needs who are close to us, so that they can continue their university studies or training specialization in order to find professional careers. The scholarships will be given by some of the communities of the
Province based on specific criteria articulated by the Province.

Reconquista
Center for workshops promoting human development and growth in faith
US $6.000
The barrio Nueva Fé needs a community space for workshops for the human and spiritual development of women and young people. The workshops are led by a team of volunteers.

BELGIQUE - NEDERLAND
Louvain-la-Neuve
For an “alternative” globalization
€ 2.000
This is a social justice group for young people “who want to change the world”. It promotes reflection and action in countries of the northern and southern hemispheres. Funding is requested by the sponsoring organization for scholarships for the young people.

Curitiba
Space for social and educational interaction
US$10.000
For the construction of 5 classrooms and furniture at the CONEGO CAMARGO school attended by poor children, ages 6-12. The school also works with families. The head of school is a Sacred Heart alumna.

Rio de Janeiro
Bate-Bola: - PONSA. (Pequena Obra Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora)
US$10.000
To adapt an outdoor area into a playing field for “Bate-bola”, for recreation and sports for children from the Morro Dona Marta slum area of Rio de Janeiro who participate in the PONSA project. This project is being led by Sacred Heart alumnae.

COOPRIN (popular education cooperative for teachers of young children)
US $5.000
This cooperative provides education and nutrition for poor children ages 6-12 of Morro do Banco, as well as food for undernourished children ages 0-2, and helps to pay the young people who help with this work. Funding is for the purchase of a computer and printer and for 2 fans.

COLOMBIA
Barrancabermeja
Project for a group of women
US$3.000
For the formation and empowerment of women who are heads of households, with children, unemployed and seeking housework. The goal is to empower the women for a better quality of life, with a view to reaching another 50 women. Funds will be used to buy food and household goods, for training and for transportation.

Barranquilla
House for young people
US $5.000
For the construction of a multipurpose area to help RSCJ engaged in pastoral work with groups of young people and women, and for other types of gatherings.

Cali
San Joaquín Center
US$7.000
The parish and the barrio need to find ways of helping a growing number of elderly people, the majority of whom are beggars who wander the streets. The money will be used to upgrade the Center, to fund some aspects, and to establish a permanent fund to cover ongoing expenses.

San Joaquín School
US $7.000
This school started by the Archdiocese of Cali in a very poor area needs financial help to upgrade the sports facility, to buy educational materials, to provide financial help to students and to establish a permanent fund for emergency expenses.

Huila and Cauca
Base communities of the Southern zone
US $2.000
Support for Church-based communities in an area of guerilla violence. Financial help is needed for meetings and gatherings, for outings to formation workshops and for educational materials.

Medellín
Golondrinas Foundation
US $3.000
It provides reading and writing and other educational support for children ages 8-15 who have few resources and who are not accepted into formal schools. This project benefits 210 children and helps to pay for the programs, for food and for health services. It is run by alumnae of the Sacred Heart.

“Promesa”, ecumenical center for theological formation
US$4.000
This ecumenical project is aimed specifically at persons who have few means and who want to become Christian leaders in their communities. The funding will help to continue offering courses and workshops to benefit 60 people directly and still more persons through an extension course.

Saco
Team of Missionaries
US$5.000
To support the efforts of a team of 10 missionaries which includes RSCJ and lay people who go to Saco to educate children, young people and women at the Colegio San Jose de Saco. Funds will be used to purchase materials and supplies for the work, stipends for the lay missionaries and upgrade of the space for this work.

ESPAÑA NORTE
Valencia
Prevention project for minors from the Nazaret Barrio
€ 3.000
This project responds to the greatest needs of the children by providing educational opportunities during free time, as well as one-on-one tutoring. The money will be used for educational materials and for remuneration of personnel.

Leisure and free time activities; social life for a prison population
€ 3.000
Domus Pacis-Casal de la Pau is an organization that takes care of persons who leave penitentiaries and who are in need of resources. This request is to support the leisure and free time activities of 25 ex-prisoners who are in the process of learning a new way of life.

Bilbao
Educational help for migrants
€ 3.000
This program serves 40 children and adolescents, migrants from Morocco and Latin America in a popular section of Bilbao, who need financial support for food, books and school supplies in order to learn successfully.

ESPAÑA CENTRO - SUR
Madrid
“Mandacarú” (welcome center)
€ 2.000
This program provides shelter, care and support by way of medical and educational assistance to women and children from Africa and Latin America who come to the house in Chamartin seeking assistance.

Panamá
“Expansion of Pastoral Work with Children in
Latin America and the Caribbean” – Panamá
€ 900
This is a pastoral project of the bishops of Brazil who will have a meeting to study, organize and make a decision about expanding this pastoral work with children in Central America and the Caribbean. Funding is for the airfare of one RSCJ from Madrid who is involved in this program.

Torrejón
“Acción Solidaria”, a city camp
€ 2.674
The camp serves to immigrant children ages 4-10 during vacations in an atmosphere of relaxation, playfulness and friendship, while their mothers are at work. Financial assistance is needed to provide these services.

INDIA
Patna
Center for continuing education for women and children
US$4.000
This is a project to educate those who do not have the means to attend school. Many children come to the Center daily and it functions as a normal school. The staff visits the homes of local women regularly, make contact with young, illiterate girls of the neighborhood and identify possible leaders among them in order to give them suitable training. This project was subsidized last year but still needs funding to become stabilized.

Torpa
“Education Lifeline Torpa”
US$10.500
The focus is on providing education for literacy for women and children. It has 10 pre-school and adult literacy centers in an interior tribal area, and provides training for 8th and 9th grade dropout to become teachers of the younger children and refresher courses for teachers.

INDONESIA
East Timor
East Timor women’s group
US$1.500
Groups of women and widows in the mountain area of East Timor were raped by militia and by Indonesian soldiers and lost their husbands and sons due to violence. The program helps them to receive some income by selling handicrafts. Funds are needed for the purchase of threads, a sewing machine and other materials.

Irian Jaya
Advocacy training for human rights victims
US$5.000
The money will be used to take to court the case of over 100 people injured and chased from their homes by the Indonesian police in West Papua in December 2000. It will also be used to provide training for the victims, mostly young people, to become aware of their human rights and to
learn to address their own life issues.

Jakarta
Training for becak drivers
US$1.100
This is an on-going project to educate becak (pedicab) drivers, one of the lowest income groups in Jakarta, in their human rights through the Extension Program at the University of Indonesia. The funds will be used to pay entrance, testing and course fees.

KOREA
Inchon
Welfare of women and children in impoverished areas
US$5.000
The Bupyoung Women’s Organization requests funding to help needy women receive free medical care and treatment. It also runs a center for children and provides basic educational activities such as tutoring and homework assistance, field trips and other extra curricular activities. Funding is to pay personnel and to purchase educational materials.

Seoul
“Action for Corporate Social and EnvironmentalResponsibility”
US$7.000
This is a project of the Center for Corporate Social Responsibility with the purpose of working for social justice by facilitating corporate responsibility and sustainable development through investments and other activities. The project has been run by volunteers up to now and is in need of hiring two full time people to coordinate and run activities. Funding will be used to pay their salaries.

MÉXICO - NICARAGUA
On-going formation for popular Bible study
US$2.500
The program which is sponsored by the Network of Popular Biblical Study teaches people to read the Bible from their own reality and community situations. It covers 10 states of Mexico. Funding will pay for the publication of materials, supplies and help with transportation.

Coahuila
Human rights and gender perspectives
US$12.000
To promote and defend human and social rights of vulnerable groups who come from the Chihuahua Desert of the state of Coahuila. Primary benefits will be for women and people from remote areas through workshops on human rights, the rights of women and gender perspectives. Funding will be used to cover workshop expenses.

Jalapa, Nicaragua
Medical and pharmaceutical prevention and community health project
US$5.000
This project provides 3,000 office and home medical consultations annually for people without resources. It also gives workshops in preventive health care and provides low-cost medications. The funding will cover salaries, teaching materials and support for those who are poorest.

San Luis Potosí
“Profiles of Hope”
US$9.700
This project is starting with 5 groups on the periphery of the city, establishing an education process with a accent on gender, for women and adolescents to develop their potential. Funding will cover salaries, supplies and teaching materials for courses and other services.

PERÚ
Bambamarca
Alcides Vásquez Library and Video Center
US$6.900
The library offers students and adults from this rural area the opportunity to complement the formation they are receiving at the Center. Funds are needed to purchase print materials and to establish a video section.

Chorrillos
Pastoral work
US$1.000
The program helps members of the school community, with few resources themselves, to work with the very poor in a social center, with people who have AIDS, with young unwed mothers and with sick children in a hospital. Funding will pay for materials and for travel expenses.

Jaén
Support for pastoral work
US$1.500
For the purchase of Bibles, videos, hymnals, posters, etc. for teachers of a Bible distance learning program connected to the Sacred Heart school in Jaén.

Layo (Cusco)
Program of secondary schooling for adults
US$2.000
This request is to give stipends to teachers who work with adults in a rural area giving them a basic secondary education.

Lima
Workshop for making cleaning materials
US$5.700
Funds are needed to start a workshop for residents of a therapeutic program who will benefit by learning a trade that can later help them to become integrated into society.

Tinta (Canchis-Cusco)
Expansion of the library
US$4.750
Support is needed to expand the space and reorganize the personnel of the library of a school in this rural area of the Andes which serves close to 2000 children and adults.

PHILIPPINES
Catarman, Northern Samar
Grassroots capability building and livestock development
US$4.500
The project engages five villages (50 people) in a poverty alleviation and food production venture by training leaders and participating families and out-of-school youth in a swine development project. Funds are needed for training and formation, for purchase of tools and materials, and for building pigs pens.

Rizal
The Learning for Living Center
US$2.000
The Center provides pre-school education for 3-6 year olds, gives them a hot meal daily and also offers parenting workshops. Funding is requested for stipends for teachers, educational materials and for building a classroom ceiling to protect from heat and to keep out rats and mosquitoes.

RÉPUBLIQUE DÉMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO
Kimbamseke
Legal help-Parish of Mbaga
US$4.000
Financial help is requested to support a team of 3 lawyers who defend the poor in cases of injustices, at no cost. The parish ensures the formation of persons who are oppressed and unaware of their rights.

Kinshasa
Support for the Mercedes Eguilior Center
US$22.000
Funds will be used to purchase an ice cream maker and two containers for keeping the contents. Revenues from the sale of ice cream will be used to pay the staff of this center and also to take care of young girls who are in the greatest need.

Kipako
Nutrition program for pregnant women
US$700
The dispensary at Kipako is in need of funds to help women who are pregnant or breast feeding by giving them the nutrition necessary for healthy babies, as well as to teach them how to prepare a balanced diet in order to avoid malnutrition of the infants.

TCHAD
Guelengdeng, Moulkou, Atron
Centres Culturels
US$25.000
This project of the Region of Tchad seeks to increase the fund to pay the salaries of the brarians of the 3 Cultural Centers. This is the second phase of this project which was supported last year by the Solidarity Fund.

UGANDA - KENYA
Bukungiri
The Bridge of Friendship and Solidarity
US$3.000
This NGO supports over 500 children, young people and adults by helping them with school fees and by providing workshops and courses for economic and educational development. There is a need to set up an office and hire a secretary to supervise the program on a day to day basis for 3 years.

Pallisa
Promotion of health and hygiene
US$2.000
Disease and lack of hygiene are prominent in this severely dry area of eastern Uganda due to lack of clean drinking water. Funds are requested to drill a well. Villagers will provide local materials for the well and will donate labor.

UNITED STATES
Haiti
Fonkoze’s Literacy and Business Skills Training Program
US$7.000
The US Province has requested funding for this project in Haiti which provides literacy and business skill training for members of Fonkoze’s grassroots organization. Funding is needed for salaries, stipends for monitors, training, materials and printing and rent.

San Diego
Sofia Immigration: Women to Women
US$5.000
This organization helps immigrant women who are being abused to secure their legal and human rights. An integral new part is to involve Associates from the San Diego Area in this work. The goals of the projects are: to help immigrant women and children secure a safe life, to provide education to women about their rights, to engage Associates in a work of justice, to build relationships between Associates and the immigrant community.

VENEZUELA
Cangrejal (Sucre)
Multipurpose center
US$14.480
For the construction and furnishing of a center at the school in Cangrejal that will be used for extracurricular activities, library and space for meetings for the community. 150 students will benefit from this project.

Cumaná (Sucre)
“Young Artists of Sucre”
US$7.520
This project will enable children and young people of this community of El Peñón to develop their musical skills. Funding is needed to purchase musical instruments, to support the leader of the program and to improve the space in which they practice and perform.

PROJECTS FUNDED IN THE YEAR 2002
Comments and Photos