The Clar’Art Program in Goiania, Brazil, was born with the goal of welcoming, valorizing, and supporting women through activities that promote their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Along with several collaborators, we offer lessons in physical activities and handicrafts together with moments of prayer, sharing, and conversation circles on specific themes.
We welcome older women, many of whom are living in situations of social or emotional vulnerability. They are women who have dedicated their lives to family and work and with the Clar’Art Program they find a space for sharing, learning, listening, and valorization.
The principal objective of the program is to promote their quality of life, self-esteem, and the social integration, by offering activities to stimulate their creativity, care for their health, and reinforcement of their community and spiritual bonds.
During my experience with the program, I have been able to live healing in a concrete way, and I have learned that it goes beyond offering activities or support: it means being present, listening attentively, welcoming with respect, and sharing moments in life. In dedicating myself to them, I have understood that this care is reciprocated in the form of love, gratitude, and lessons. In this way I have come to understand in practice how care is a constant exchange that transforms everyone involved in it.
Clar’Art goes well beyond the activities it offers. It builds relationships, creates a sense of belonging, and reveals the force of reciprocal care, where everyone has something to offer and to receive. It is a space in which the bonds between people grow and are reinforced, in which the women feel like part of a family. Many participants arrive timid or introverted, but with time they begin to feel like they are part of a real community, where they are appreciated and seen. This process contributes directly to the improvement of their self-esteem, and quality of life.
Another important point is the impact of the activities on the women’s daily lives. Crafting, besides stimulating creativity, can also become a source of income or a form of meaningful occupation. The physical activities, on the other hand, foster health and well-being, encouraging greater energy and autonomy. Moments of prayer and conversation reinforce the emotional and spiritual side, creating an atmosphere of support and trust.
For me, Clar’Art is also an experience of constant personal growth. Through my encounter with these women every day, I learn resilience, simplicity, and the importance of small gestures. Every meeting is an opportunity for exchange, in which everyone learns and grows together.
Clar’Art demonstrates how, through simple actions, it is possible to generate big transformations in people’s lives and to build a network of support based on respect, love, and solidarity.
Júlia Rodrigues
