I am Calabar

I still have some Carnaval recap material to post, but I also wanted to remind people that Brazil is more than just music and parties. Two new friends of mine, Rodrigo and Igor, have been doing some amazing work in their community, the neighborhood of Calabar. They both work and study full time, but also lead the local residents association and youth group, and helped build and now run a public library for the residents of their community. They coordinate activities for children in the neighborhood and are true catalysts of social change. They are also very generous hosts and my friend Davidinho and I took a tour of their community as well as a look at the work they are doing at the independently organized community school and library. And on this day everyone was celebrating Igor's birthday and having a despedida, a going away party, for a Canadian English teacher that had been volunteering in the community. Also, to learn more about Calabar, its history, and the work being done in the community, definitely check out Rodrigo's blog, "Calabar Sou Eu" (I am Calabar).

The video is in Portuguese, but I'm planning on embedding some English subtitles ASAP. I also plan on expanding this post.