Jackie, volleyball gold medal on beach volley and her new young players

Great brazilian volleyball athelete begins work with favela youngers

Jaqueline Silva was one of greatest stars of brazilian volleyball selection, golden medal on beach volley on Atlanta Olympic Games on 1996. Now she developed a project with children between 8 e 16 years old from Rocinha slum. The goal is to offer to these children an option against all criminality and drug dealing around them. Three thousand children are now playing volley ball on 25 Rio communities: Vigário Geral, Pavuna, Cidade de Deus, Tuiuti, Jardim América, Fazenda Botafogo, Mallet, Anchieta, Olaria, Acari, Salgueiro, Rocinha, Engenho Novo, Mangueira, Santa Marta, Santa Teresa, Parque Anchieta, Catete, Irajá, Catumbi, Rio Comprido/Turano e Chapéu Mangueira, Leblon, Copacabana e Madureira.

A problem was how to offer special shoes for children that usually doesn't has any shoe. Jaqueline opened then a campaign to get used special tennis to give for children. Into two weeks there were 100 pairs donated.

Innitialy the project was Born with support of Rio State government, but it will continue only until December, if no private sponsorship appear. Actually, there are classes on mondays, wednesday and Fridays, for 120 students. "Some of these children has great emotional lacks, not sport deficiences. Little gestures of caring, love, attention can change them for a better way."

Fabrício Mendes da Silva is 10 years old. "Now I play volleyball. It´s better than soccer!". Míriam Ferreira Ferro, 11, gained a pink shoe and didn´t knew volly before the project. Now she tells: "I wanna be equal to Jaqueline".

Who wants to help, sponsoring a volley club of the project, offering special shoes on anything must contact Jaqueline´s site (http://www.jackiesilva.com.br/). It´s a point for Brazil!

Adapted from
http://www.vivafavela.com.br/ /Gisele Netto

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