HOPE THROUGH MUSIC.

When seminarian Akizou Kamina SVD was sent to the Amazon to help the Brazilian people of Humaitá, he quickly saw the tremendous poverty and instability of their lives. Many parents unable to provide an education, or even a reliable meal, for their children. Many young people stripped of their sense of worth by poverty. As a result, these young people end up on the streets, filled with despair and engaging in criminal activity.

In response, we created the St. Arnold Music Project — a program that keeps kids off the street by teaching them to play an instrument and empowering them to create something meaningful.

The program provides music classes to the youth while offering them access to guidance counselors, social workers and many other positive influences. It has created a safe space for young people to learn, to talk and to build meaningful relationships. Instead of running with gangs, doing drugs or remaining stuck in abusive situations, young people are making friends with each other and discovering healing resources while learning to play music.

The program started out by offering guitar classes, but it is quickly growing and the community is running out of funds to help reach more young people.

YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT.

We need your help to raise $10,000 for the Saint Arnold Music Project.

As the Saint Arnold Music Project grows, more instruments and equipment are needed. The program already has more students than instruments! Consider giving a gift to support music education and healing work of the Saint Arnold Project. 

Any gift, no matter the size, can truly make a difference in the lives of the young people of Humaitá. 

The longevity of the program and the number of students we are able to reach depends on the amount of financial support received. To ensure the success and sustainability of this program, we ask you to consider giving a gift to help us reach our goal of $10,000. 

If we surpass the funds needed to sustain the music program in Humaitá, your gift will go to support one of the many Divine Word Missionaries serving the poor and vulnerable around the world. 

In addition to supporting us financially, you can also help us make an impact by spreading the word about this Campaign and sharing this page to your friends and family.

LIFE IN THE AMAZON.

The diocese of Humaitá is located in the southern part of Brazil’s Amazonas state, a region plagued by poverty where many families struggle to meet their basic needs.  It is a very big diocese with eight parishes and one mission. The mission has 70 small outstations located along the Madeira river.

The people of Humaitá are diverse, but all share the crushing burden of poverty. Most of these people live a simple and humble life; they struggle to find enough food for more than one meal a day. Some parents resort to putting their teenage daughters into prostitution. The young boys get involved in drugs and gang violence. Parents are often unable to provide an education for their children, and so young people in Humaitá have nothing to do but hang out in the streets.

Drugs, alcoholism, gangs and prostitution are serious problems, and many young people are caught up in cycles of desperation before they have a chance to know better. They’ve been hurt by poverty, abuse and family trauma. But they can still be reached through music.