The Road to Citizenship in 2001
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In 2001, Make A Mark turned its attention to the street children of Rio de Janeiro where children as young as four or five have been abandoned by their parents and are left to fend for themselves. Many of these children work as shoeshine boys or street vendors. They clean car windshields or perform stunts for tourists for small change. To improve their meager daily take, many beg, steal or turn to prostitution or drug dealing to survive.

While there are a number of reputable organizations providing assistance to the street children in Brazil, Make A Mark has partnered with A Caminho Da Cidadania ("The Road to Citizenship"), an organization focused on helping the most excluded group of children in society - homeless and orphan teenagers. Many organizations have turned their backs on this group claiming there was little or no hope in helping these children.

With help from Make A Mark, The Road to Citizenship has acquired a residence that is centrally located near the "favelas" or slums of Rio and functions as a housing and outreach program for wayward children and teens. The residence provides food, housing, education and job skill training. Ideally, the young adults gain the confidence, motivation and tutoring they need to finish school or obtain vocational training, and begin leading productive lives. Additionally, the street children are provided a place to meet and discuss issues that affect them and their families, such as drug use and violence which are parts of their daily lives. A mentor program is also available where kids and adults help each other cope and find help.