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Brazil

Our work in Brazil began in the 1980s as a humanitarian initiative on behalf of Ameropa AG. In 1992, the Foundation became formally involved in the development of Mãe Luiza together with the Centro Sócio-Pastoral Nossa Senhora de Conceição, founded by Padre Sabino in 1980. At the time, the neighborhood faced severe poverty, poor sanitation and violence, but also a strong sense of local initiative and community leadership.

Over the following decades, the Foundation supported the creation of a kindergarten, a school for children aged 6 to 16, a music school, a social center and a home for senior citizens. Additional initiatives included support for vocational education, projects with subsistence farmers, and micro-credit and SME programs. Together with the community and the architects Herzog & de Meuron, a long-term urbanistic vision for Mãe Luiza was developed and gradually brought to life through educational, social, cultural, sportive and urbanistic measures.

One of the most visible outcomes of this collaboration was the Arena do Morro, inaugurated in 2014 and designed pro bono by Herzog & de Meuron. Managed by the Centro Sócio-Pastoral Nossa Senhora de Conceição in cooperation with the government of Rio Grande do Norte, the Arena serves as a sports and cultural center for the wider community of Natal. In the years following its inauguration, violence in the neighborhood declined significantly and the project became a catalyst for broader civic and community engagement.

Beyond Mãe Luiza, the Foundation has also supported projects in other parts of Natal and Brazil, including Passo da Pátria and the vocational training school ABCBrasil in Rio das Ostras. In Passo da Pátria, the Foundation partnered with ADIC to support educational infrastructure and youth programs, while ABCBrasil has provided free vocational training in welding, mechanics and locksmithing since 2004.

Mãe Luiza, a barrio in Natal, Brazil

One of the most visible outcomes of this collaboration was the Arena do Morro, inaugurated in 2014 and designed pro bono by Herzog & de Meuron. Managed by the Centro Sócio-Pastoral Nossa Senhora de Conceição in cooperation with the government of Rio Grande do Norte, the Arena serves as a sports and cultural center for the wider community of Natal. In the years following its inauguration, violence in the neighborhood declined significantly and the project became a catalyst for broader civic and community engagement.

Arena do Morro

One of the most visible outcomes of this collaboration was the Arena do Morro, inaugurated in 2014 and designed pro bono by Herzog & de Meuron. Managed by the Centro Sócio-Pastoral Nossa Senhora de Conceição in cooperation with the government of Rio Grande do Norte, the Arena serves as a sports and cultural center for the wider community of Natal. In the years following its inauguration, violence in the neighborhood declined significantly and the project became a catalyst for broader civic and community engagement.

“With great anticipation, the Ameropa 
Foundation looks forward to the future and the transformative change it will bring.”
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