Transforming Young Lives

Mission of the Marist Sisters at the Casa de Nazaré Social Centre in Ji-Paraná

Sisters Izabel and Conça, together with volunteer educators, make the Casa de Nazaré Social Centre a place where children and adolescents can grow in respect and freedom, developing their abilities and skills.

Beauty Course

Each year, several vocational courses are offered for adolescents, young people, and adults. This year, a Beauty course is being offered. Because the course is very demanding and detailed, the beauty professional divided the class into small groups and offers both theoretical and practical lessons to two groups at a time, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. In May, the first two groups graduated and the second groups began their training.

School Support

A special feature of the school support programme in 2026 is the participation of children from Venezuela. These migrant children often experience language difficulties. At Casa de Nazaré, the social educators provide personalised and very welcoming support, helping the children learn Portuguese and feel included.

Building Relationships

Strengthening relationships is another important dimension of the sisters’ mission in this social centre: helping children and adolescents to belong, to create healthy family and social bonds, and to avoid the dangers of social isolation and the influence of organised crime. They encourage one another so as not to be drawn into drug trafficking.