Kristien Devos and Gunther Schollaert leave for Picos after having finished their studies (law and theology) to be involved in different development projects in the area of Picos. They decide not to live in a protected environment but to go and live in the poor neigboorhood ‘Cato Vento’. They become the neighbours of the do Nascimento family. Kristien and Gunther decide to invest in the future of Antonio and offer him a scholarship for the primary school ‘Colégio Sagrado do Coração de Jesus’. They are convinced that investing in young potentials will result for the poor society to benefit from it in the long term.
1996
Kristien and Gunther return to Picos for a short trip and they see the first signs of their initial idea. Antonio is picking up the school opportunity.
1998
Kristien and Paul learn to know each other at Compex and she enthousiasms him for her Brazilian story.
1999
Paul and his wife Madelon further guarantee the financial means for the scholarship of Antonio.
2000
The Bishop of Picos, Dom Augusto, is visiting Compex in Belgium and the ownership of the funds is handed over to him.
2002
Antonio is very committed to take the opportunity and is ready to switch to the secondary school ‘Colégio Sao Lucas’. Paul and Madelon engage for the next 3 years.
2003
Early 2003, Paul and Madelon launch the idea of raising funds on a regular basis in order to extend the commitment to the poor community of Picos. For the first time, the name ‘Amigos de Picos’ is used.
2003
Kristien, Gunther, Madelon and Paul decide to visit Picos to better understand the local situation and project opportunities. Antonio informs them that he wants to become a doctor (in medicine). They offer him a scholarship for the university only in case he succeeds the very difficult barrier of passing the entrance exams. They visit both the primary- and secondary school and are very impressed with the work that has been done, the quality of the teaching and the social commitment of the management and teaching staff of the two schools. A long- term relationship with the schools is concluded.
2004
After our visit in Picos, we puzzle about the fact that Agnaldo, the younger brother of Antonio, seems to have the same potential but he does not get the same opportunities. Back in Belgium, Paul & Madelon decide to offer him a scholarship for the secondary school.
2004
We provide funds to equip the primary school ‘Colégio Sagrado do Coração de Jesus’ with a first computer and some additional material. As from this moment, the management of the school can concentrate on providing studying- and exam material in a more efficient way. It will also give them more capacity for direct educational tasks.
2006
Antonio succeeds in getting the entrance opportunity to five different Medical Department of Universities. He is the only one of his state (Piaui) that can start at the ‘Universidade do Rio Grande de Norte’ (UFRN). This is the most famous university of the north-east region of Brazil (in size comparable to Western Europe). The incredible has happened and we are more than happy to celebrate this with him on our visit to Picos. We discuss his future and confirm his scholarship.
2006
During the same visit in 2006, we commit ourselves to further invest in the buildings of the ‘Colégio Sagrado do Coração de Jesus’. We invest in a decent airco system and isolation of the classes. At that time, Antonio’s sister, Simone, shows such an eager to learn, that we could’nt refuse her a scholarship as well.
2007
We want to extend the scholarship program beyond the do Nascimento family. Furthermore we would like to continue to have at least one student in the primary school and one in the secondary school. With Agnaldo and Simone being in the 1st and 2nd year of their 3-year study cycle, and no one in the primary school, we have to start working at this. We ask Juvenilde, the director of the primary school, to select a student for the primary school. She picks up Jackeline. After a difficult start, Jackeline is now showing progress month by month.
2007
We decide to visit Antonio and the Univerisity of Natal. We also invite Agnaldo and Simone to Natal and discuss about Antonio’s experiences at the university and the ambition of Agnaldo and Simone, their first holidays in life. They have, if even possible, been working harder than their older brother, trying to be as successful as he. We take the commitment to further finance their university studies, if they pass the Vestibular (entrance exam).
Meanwhile, Antonio shows great sense of responsibility and is trying to get free housing and food at the Campus. He is stimulating his sister and brother to succeed in their education on a permanent basis.
2007
With the initiative of MÖBIUS, we will be able not only to fulfil our ongoing long-term commitments, we will also be able to continue to invest in the educational infrastructure of the primary school and possibly take on additional commitments for more scholarships.
2008
Antonio continues to show progress. He has now an average score of more than 80 %.
Agnaldo is preparing for his Vestibular and will do entrance exams at 5 Medical departments.
Simone is in her Pre-Vestibular Year, anxiously trying to find out where her future is. Jackeline is very dedicated and is showing good results in her second year.
2008
With the sponsorship of MÖBIUS we can buy new computers for the CSCJ and they can install
a dedicated classroom for computer-lessons.
2009
We are visiting Picos in January at the occasion of the end of the Vestibular of Agnaldo. And
yes!, Agnaldo is accepted to start his studies of Medicine at the UFPI in Teresina. At the last
day of our staying we received the good news, a very good reason to have a typical ”Festa
Picoensa” with all the families, friends, neighbours and teachers.
2009
At the same occasion we went to visit the family of Jackeline. Her mother is working all day
and Jackueline takes care of her little brother during daytime, when they are not at school. It
was a very warm welcome at their little home. They live in a part of the city that we never
visited before. The conditions are very poor, but once again they take their chances for 200%.
We even detected another candidate (Jackeline’s little brother) but we want at first to evaluate
the progress of Jackeline.
2009
We also visited the home of our newest student, Juliana. She will start her primary school at
CSCJ. We never met her, she hardly knew who we where and she was very impressed,
intimidated by our visit. But by the end of the visit she was lareday a good friend of Madelon
and we are looking forward to see how she will evolve.
2009
During our visit we also have extensive discussions with the teachers of CSCJ about the
position of their school in Picos and how they can survive in the competitive landscape of
Picos. It was once again clear that they are very committed to their social (immaterial) role in
an environment where other schools with more (financial) means are investing in more
material aspects of the society.
As we were expecting, they need to invest in infrastructure and content. So we convinced them to
recruit a dedicated and specialised IT-teacher ; we promised to sponsor not only the related
investments, but also all recurring costs (teachers salary, maintenance, internet).
2009
At the end of the year we could look back at a very fruitful visit to Picos and very good results.
2010
Vestibular time for Simone. As her two brothers, she was successful in getting agreed to start
at two universities. She decided to go for the faculty of Psychology in Parnaíba in the north of
the state of Piaui.
2010
We are looking forward to make another extensive visit to Brazil this summer to check on our
ongoing projects and to look for new opportunities.
