Showcase

Brazilian club blazes national service trail

Brazil is a big country. One of the world’s behemoths, it ranks fifth both in land area and population. Despite its size, however, the South American nation has only one Kiwanis club—but that club, the Kiwanis Club of Osvaldo Cruz, is proving the mighty power of “one.”

Girls pose poised in costume after a dance recital.

Brazilian Kiwanian Regina Pontelli began building the club after visiting a friend who belongs to the Kiwanis Club of Colville, Washington. The friend invited her to his club’s meeting, and Regina liked what she saw.

“We started the club with 20 women who believed we could make a difference in our community,” she says. Brazil’s first Kiwanis club became official in 2005.

For its inaugural service project, the club created a dance group for children who can’t afford private dance classes.

“We decided to start with this because we thought it would be a pleasurable way to (begin instilling) our purpose: teaching children notions of citizenship, ethics, and morals,” Regina says. “We believe that by helping these children, we are increasing their chances to have a better future, and we hope we’ll have better citizens in the future generations.”

The Osvaldo Cruz Kiwanians, with financial assistance from the Colville Kiwanians, purchase dance costumes and shoes, pay the dance teacher, and pay expenses when the dance troupe travels to other cities.

It’s been a good experience for the young dancers, for sure. But it’s also been good for the young club.

“After several dance presentations by the children, the Kiwanis club has become well known; not only in our town, but also throughout São Paulo (because they participated in an event in the state capital),” Regina says. “Our goal is to help other cities to found their own Kiwanis clubs.”

She notes that when she set out to build her club, she didn’t realize there were no other Kiwanis clubs in Brazil—and blazing the trail wasn’t easy. She credits the Colville club for its support and encouragement.

“I almost gave up,” she admits. “But today, when I watch the children dancing, I realize how important (Kiwanis) is.”