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Focus on
Brazil
Hannah's Message for Brazilian Families
Brazil is described by Operation World as "a ‘melting
pot' of nations," since the country's roots developed from
Europe, Africa and South America, thus fashioning a distinct
cultural mosaic. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the
world, covering one-half of South America, and is home to the
third largest city in the world Sao Paulo.
But in this vast country of more than 170 million people, about
half of which are women, exists a growing disintegration of
the traditional family, as nearly half of all marriages end
in divorce. Even in those marriages that remain intact, nearly
70 percent of all married men are engrossed in infidelity, according
to Jim Kemp, director of a Sao Paulo-based ministry for Brazilian
families.
But grown men and women are not the only ones in danger, as
young adults age 18 and under comprise more than 50 percent
of the population. These youth are in crisis: 10 million children
make a living on the streets, and hundreds of thousands of them
have no home and are subject to drug abuse, prostitution, misuse
by criminal gangs and even murder by police death squads. Prostitution
is legal in Brazil, and the age of consent is 14. Estimates
reveal that around 500,000 street girls are reported to be ensnared
in the sex trade industry.
However, despite the trials they face, or perhaps because of
them, women are very open to the Gospel, and constitute a large
segment of Brazilian churches. "Wake Up Deborah" is
a movement consisting of mothers praying for their children's
deliverance and protection from drugs, illicit sex, and crime.
Across the country, 35,000 women meet every day at noon to pray
for their children, and consequently, exert a strong Christian
influence in their communities.
Brazil at a Glance
· 75 percent of the population live in urban areas like
Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
· 25 percent live in absolute poverty
· 13 million live in slums, called favelas
· Economic difficulties and corruption have resulted
in a great disparity of wealth in the country between the rich
(30 percent) and the poor (70 percent)
· 170,000 mothers are infected with HIV
· 17 percent of all women are illiterate
· An estimated 1.4 million abortions (31 percent of total
pregnancies) are performed each year, the majority of them clandestinely
and under unsafe conditions. Many abortions are self-induced.
Sources: Operation World; Simone Keith; http://www.ipas.org/region/brazilEG.htm
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