Donations and gifts to this foundation are completely and 100% used directly for the projects supporting the people. There are no funds used to maintain and subsidize the organization, because it entirely exists of volunteers. Even the daily cost of living of Piet and Johanna are not drawn from the foundations funds but paid from their own means. In addition, the funds are spent in such a way to maximize the benefit for the people that are being helped. It is amazing to see how much can be achieved with each Euro. It will be very difficult to find a charity origination which has more impact with each Euro spent.

Piet and Johanna Hagen and Aqua Viva have been very active for a number of years in Brazil and have already accomplished and concluded a number of projects. Some examples are: establishing a daytime nursery for children until 12 years old. These children can stay here before or after school which in Brazil is only half a day. This has many benefits: these children, who are living in slums at the edges of the village, receive decent meals and clothing (second-hand donated from Europe), and get also help with there homework from school. The other benefit is that the mothers, who generally are used to “babysit” the children, can now go working and earn an income. The Nursery has been completed 2 years ago and is running very well since. In fact, because it now has facilities which meet governmental standards, the Nursery receives subsidies enabling it to hire professionals to run the operations.

Day time nursery for children after/before school time.

Please have a look at the website www.aqua-viva.org to see the many other projects that have been concluded over the past years or are under way

Currently a number of projects are ongoing. The main one is a housing project. A plot of land has been purchased on the edge of Ritapolis, and a number of houses are being build (eight are close to completion). Each house costs 2.500 Euro. Once ready, these houses will be made available to people who need it most. People may apply for such a house and an independent committee will distribute the houses. The houses will not be for free. A small rent will be asked. This increases the binding with the house and enables the organization to get the people out again should they misbehave.

Houses under construction (March 2006)

The terrain purchased is large enough to build more houses, and could even facilitate a factory. Plans exist to expand the land further, to create more space for housing and particularly for a small number of factories, e.g. a cement factory or fabric factory. This would provide badly needed employment opportunities for the local community. Currently there is very little employment in Ritapolis.

In addition, a small number of local people are being helped directly with home improvements. Most of the houses in the slums are way too small for the number of people living in them.

House of a mother with 3 kids. The part on the right is currently being added.
A peek inside the house reveals the state of the furniture.

Another activity undertaken by Aqua-Viva is supplying food packages for families who really struggle to survive. Sponsors (currently primarily from the Netherlands) “adopt” a family with e.g. €15 per month, for which a food package is bought and delivered. This is somewhat similar to the old Fosters Parents Program, with the distinction that the €15 is fully used to buy food - no money is spent on overhead. The food package also gives Aqua-Viva an entry in the homes of these people, the basis from which Aqua-Viva tries to improve the position of the family.

As always the funds are limited and not everything that should be done can be done. Particularly, the project described below which has not been set up by Aqua-Viva, needs support, but currently Aqua-Viva lacks funds to support it from its own funds.

Day-care for disabled children
Obviously, in every community there are mentally and physically disabled children. Ritapolis has since many years a (private) organization which takes care of these children. The organization exists completely of volunteers (often the mothers) and depends on small local donations and some local subsidies. They just manage to run their day-to-day operations.

Head of the Ritapolis
Disabled Organisation

The organization has been renting a building for many years in which the people are staying during the day. The state of this building is very poor, reason why the head of the organization has initiated the construction of a new facility already five years ago. In fact, the change-over should have occurred last January, but in spite of the large effort to-date, due to a shortage of funds, the new location is still not finished.

Existing Building:
Kitchen Toilet
Main room Front

The new building is still under construction, but once finished will be a huge improvement:
Entrance Toilet
Inside Back

The new building should be completed within months, but progress has halted as there are now many bills unpaid for and local builders can no longer afford to continue. There is more than €10.000 needed to complete the building and proceed to opening of the day-care. Aqua-Viva has committed to find sponsoring to enable completion of this new home for the disabled children. Any donations are obviously very welcome.