Developed by the JOCUM Comunidades initiative, the project provides tutoring, vocational courses, workshops and social services to approximately 197 people each week
Tijuca, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, is in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, is home to communities such as Borel, Formiga, Salgueiro and Turano, among others. For more than 30 years, JOCUM Borel, the local branch of Jovens Com Uma Missão (Youth With A Mission), or JOCUM, an international Christian organization that develops social, educational and training projects, has been active in Morro do Borel, a favela community located in Tijuca, in the areas of education, sports, health and music.
Building on this experience and the need to expand services to residents of different communities in the region, Casa do Bem (House of Good) was established and officially opened on July 24, 2024, at 307 Rua Uruguai. Affiliated with JOCUM Comunidades, the initiative brings together educational, vocational training, community-building and social support programs, with activities aimed at different age groups.
Márcia Almeida, one of the organization’s coordinators, spoke with Coluna da Neuza about its projects, the reach of its initiatives, inspiring stories, challenges and plans for the future. Read the interview below.
Coluna da Neuza: What projects and activities are currently offered?
Márcia Almeida: We have projects focused on education, vocational training and community building. Projeto Bem Saber, for example, provides tutoring for primary and lower-secondary school students, while Projeto Criarte offers painting, macramé, crochet, lettering, paper crafts and creative sewing workshops.
In partnership with Firjan, the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro, we offer vocational courses in drywall installation, electrical installation and logistics. Firjan provides the instructors and course materials, while we provide the facilities.
Our program also includes computer and English classes; beauty-related activities such as eyebrow design, hair care and haircuts, and professional hairdressing training; as well as legal, psychological and social assistance for families.
We also collect food to assemble food baskets, primarily for families in Morro do Borel, and receive clothing donations for bazaars and community projects.
Coluna da Neuza: How does volunteering at Casa do Bem work?
Márcia Almeida: In general, our teachers and instructors are full-time JOCUM missionaries or volunteers. Anyone interested in participating simply needs to complete a registration form on the website and then attend an interview.
We also try to understand how the project can contribute to each applicant’s life because we see this work as an exchange of experiences. Once approved, the person signs a volunteer agreement and can begin working with us.
All the missionaries are Christians, although they belong to different churches. They undergo training before dedicating themselves to the mission.
Coluna da Neuza: Who leads Casa do Bem?
Márcia Almeida: Casa do Bem is led by Andréia Rosa; Elaine Nolding, a social worker; Leandro Machado, who oversees legal affairs; and me, as one of the coordinators.
Coluna da Neuza: What led to the creation of Casa do Bem?
Márcia Almeida: Casa do Bem grew out of the projects developed by JOCUM in Borel. Initially, our goal was to support young people from communities across the greater Tijuca area, but we realized that we needed to expand our initiatives and extend these opportunities to other nearby communities.
Because there are several different communities in the region, Pastor Jovino Neto, who led the work and passed away on December 5, 2025, had the idea of creating a space in a neutral location where people from different areas could come together. This would allow us to increase the number of people served, primarily by preparing young people for the job market.
Coluna da Neuza: Are the services intended exclusively for young people?
Márcia Almeida: Today, we work with anyone interested in participating in our projects. We serve everyone from teenagers who receive tutoring to older adults who attend Projeto Criarte’s art therapy and handicraft workshops. Our participants have become very diverse, and the space is beginning to feel too small for the number of activities we offer.
Coluna da Neuza: How many people does Casa do Bem serve?
Márcia Almeida: The number may vary, but approximately 197 people come through the organization each week, on average. We also serve as a gateway to activities that are not offered here but take place in Borel. One example is Projeto das Alices, a group for girls aged 8 to 17 that meets twice a week.
Coluna da Neuza: Is there a story about any of the beneficiaries that illustrates the initiative’s impact?
Márcia Almeida: Yes. One of them is the story of an older man who once experienced homelessness. He took the drywall installation and electrical courses and now has a home, is retired and remains close to the project, helping with tasks such as preparing snacks for the classes. We recently celebrated his 71st birthday.
Participating in the activities helped transform his life story and, most importantly, strengthened his self-esteem. He now lives far away but remains connected to us.
We also had a student who was unemployed and enrolled in the electrical installation course in the hope of finding work in the field. Before he had even completed the program, during the final week of classes, he secured a position at Light, the electricity utility that serves Rio de Janeiro and several surrounding municipalities, and is now employed. We thank God for that.
Another memorable case involved a seventh-grade student who struggled greatly with English and consequently received low grades. After attending tutoring sessions throughout the year, however, he returned to Casa do Bem to show us his report card.
He was overjoyed and said, “Miss, I did it!” His grades had risen to 9s and 10s. Since then, he has stopped by to tell us whenever he achieves a good result and even said that he no longer needed tutoring.
We also had students from the Conectados 60+ course who did not know how to use a mobile phone. By the end of the classes, they had acquired computer and digital skills and were extremely grateful for everything they had learned.
Coluna da Neuza: How do residents, partners and supporters contribute to maintaining Casa do Bem?
Márcia Almeida: They contribute in different ways. We receive clothing for bazaars held in Morro do Borel and at Casa do Bem, which raise funds to help cover our operating costs. We also receive textbooks that are used in tutoring sessions. When we have surplus books, we donate them to a partner organization in Jardim Gramacho, a neighborhood in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area.
Volunteers contribute their time. Some live far away, in places such as Jacarepaguá, in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone. We would like to cover at least their transportation costs, but we are not yet able to do so. Partners and supporters also donate disposable supplies, coffee and other items needed for our activities.
Coluna da Neuza: What are your plans for the future?
Márcia Almeida: We want to expand the schedules of our vocational courses so they can also take place in the evenings and on Saturdays, as there is significant demand for these time slots. The idea is to open Casa do Bem in the morning and only close its doors at night.
Coluna da Neuza: What does Casa do Bem need at this time?
Márcia Almeida: We want to expand our activities, but that will also increase our costs, and we cannot sustain everything on our own. That is why we need support from the wider community to continue this mission.
This is our daily prayer: that God may give us the discernment to lead the project and bring more partners to Casa do Bem.
Appreciate this project?
Learn more by clicking here. You can also follow Casa do Bem on Instagram.
To donate or volunteer, contact the organization via WhatsApp at (21) 3549-0568 or click here.
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Coluna da Neuza is part of Lupa do Bem, the Corporate Social Responsibility project of communications agency Sherlock Communications.
