I would like to create a volunteer-based program serving the young people of the neighborhood of Santa Luzia in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. This small community of shacks is tucked into the hillside behind the tall buildings in the commercial district. The shacks (barracas), are huts built out of wood and metal scraps with dirt floors and no toilets or plumbing. The people in the community share one water spigot for all of their bathing, cooking, and cleaning needs. The children go to school for a few hours a day when the teachers aren't striking. They spend the rest of their time on the streets. I would like to design a program to fill the needs of the children who live in the slum. In Santa Luzia there is a need that is more dire, even, than the need for food. The children in the slum are hungry for love and attention. My program would provide that service. My program would bring volunteers from the US to spend time and play with the kids. Volunteers could shower the kids with the attention and the affection that they are lacking. By just spending a day with a child, you could make a difference in his/her life.  I would like other people to be able to experience the same joy that I get out of working with the kids in Santa Luzia.