Our beautiful city is full of peculiarities and we have to learn how to live with the social differences that are so near to each one of us. We, at the British School PTA Community Services Committee, think that we have a very simple role to play in our society and our environment. We just have to participate, and to teach our children the importance of this role.

The main focus of the Community Services Committee is to give pupils, parents and teachers the opportunity to help many families live a happier life. We currently focus our efforts on three neighborhoods: Favela Dona Marta in Botafogo (through CELPI-Costura e Lactário Pró-Infância) and Casa de Maria e Marta); Cidade de Deus (through Action Aid Brasil) and favelas Beira Rio and Rio das Pedras, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes.

Your support to the Community Services Committee campaigns allows us to:

• Distribute over 1.5 tons of food and 700 personal hygiene items every year to 50 families from the Dona Marta Community. These are collected during CELPI Weeks held monthly at the Botafogo site. A very generous group of parents also got together and has been sending 14 extra baskets every month. The monthly baskets consist of: rice (2kg), black beans (2kg), sugar (2kg), wheat flour (1kg), cooking oil (1lt), pasta (1kg), powdered milk (2 cans), Cremogema (500gr), toilet paper (8 rolls), soap (4 bars) and toothpaste (2 tubes).

• Distribute countless Easter eggs plus assorted candy to CELPI children collected in the Be an Easter Bunny Campaign.

• Collect blankets, shoes and warm clothing items in the Warm Up Campaign.

• Help 30 needy children do better at school through the Homework Hour Program.

• Collect countless toys, books, videos and CDs through the Children’s day Campaign. These are distributed to the children on Children´s day and leftovers are distributed at Christmas.

• Hold a Solidarity Bazaar at the Christmas Extravaganza Party. We invite NGOs who have productive activities to set up a booth at the party and they keep their proceeds.

The purpose of the Homework Hour program is to help children from the Santa Marta community with their schoolwork. We all know the importance of this task, but very few of the families assisted by CELPI have the time or skills required to perform it.

There are 30 children enrolled in the program who are making quick progress at school. The British School Mums who meet with them every week are doing a wonderful job. Some of them are also seeing volunteer psychologists, which helps a lot!

New children enroll in the program every week, so we need more help!!! You can donate some of your free time (as little as one hour a week would be great!) or help sponsor the snacks, books and school supplies provided to the children.

The groups meet at CELPI, which is located at Rua Bambina, 160 (Botafogo). If you would like to help us, please fill out the form below. We’re counting on you!


CELPI – Costura e Lactário Pró-Infância assists 50 families (over 250 people) from favela Santa Marta, which neighbours our Botafogo unit, providing monthly food parcels, clothing and school supplies. The assisted families also attend monthly lectures that aim at broadening their sense of values, ethics, and community life.

CELPI Volunteers also manufacture over 700 baby shower kits every year. These kits are distributed to Pró Matre, Ambulatório São Luiz Gonzaga, Instituto Fernandes Figueira, and several other Maternity Units that cater to very low income expecting mothers. These kits consist of 5 cloth diapers, 1 flannel blanket, 1 flannel cardigan, 3 tops (camisas de pagão) and 2 woolen booties. They are manufactured by volunteers who gather weekly at CELPI or at their own homes to sew and have a good chat. (Would you like to join them or to start your own sewing group? Let us know!)