Dokr and Jarena are sisters who live in “the Community,” a slum in Fortaleza, Brazil. Both women are in their early forties, and both are addicted to crack cocaine.  Crack cocaine abuse in the slums (favelas) of northeast Brazil is rampant.

Jarena spends much of her day looking for things to sale to support her daily crack use. Her husband is addicted to crack as are her teenage sons.  Jarena has two younger children (daughters aged 4 and 7) whom she is concerned will suffer the same fate as the rest of her family.  Jarena desperately wants to be free of her addiction, and is willing to do almost anything to see this bondage in her life destroyed.

On the other hand, Dokr, has no desire to quit using crack.  She too is a daily user, and has been selling her body to support her habit for years.  Dokr says she is 41, but she looks to be twice that age.  Dokr has had 21 children, and has abandoned the majority of them at childbirth.

Our goal is to see a community center erected in the middle of the Community slum project, where on-sight drug rehab can take place.  Also, we are in the process of working with the local police to identify and remove the crack dealers from the slum.

Right now, readers of this blog can help by spreading the word about world-wide injustice, and there is a probable fix by working with one community at a time through community organization and development.

More to follow…