Yes!! Favela Project goes live on Dreamaid!! :)

When setting up an organisation like Dreamaid 'Vision' is critical. For me Dreamaid has the most compelling Vision and 'Purpose' of any business I have ever been involved with.

Our Vision is for a better world in which even the poor have access to the market and our Purpose is to help people.

We now have another project on board which demonstrates the Vision and Purpose in practice.

With the combined efforts of BP, Dreamaid and UNISUAM (a local University) these very poor people from a favela (shanty town) in Rio now have the chance to make a living for themselves http://www.dreamaid.com/store/Foco_No_Futuro

The people have been formed in to a Cooperative and 25% of the sales will go to support the Cooperative and the rest to the artist. BP have assisted in drawing up the framework agreements for the group and in getting the people formally registered with the relevant authorities.

For many this is the first time that they have had a Carteira de Trabalho (work registration document). Therefore they were not legally entitled to work in Brazil without this document. Now they can!

I visited this group with Cristina Figuerido (BP) and Altayr Montan Derossi (UNISUAM) recently and was humbled by their work. Congratulations to them on their fantastic support in the favela.

The people from the favela are lovely people who deserve a chance in life. Poverty may currently constrain their options but not their minds as their photographs ably demonstrate.

They are aptly named "Foco No Futuro" - Focus on the Future...

Let's hope that they are successful and that we can jointly create a better future for them :)

Best wishes to you all and thank you for your lovely hospitality when I was with you!!

Pete McAteer

Mexican Art at the British Museum

Apologies for lack of communication. I've been doing a bit of running around again :)

Last week I was in London on my way back from Brazil and was invited by BP to the opening of an exhibition of Mexican art at the British Museum. Several interesting conversations were had with heads of various companies regarding potential CSR support and I will follow those up in due course.

I returned to take a closer look a week later for a Breakfast meeting and to hear a speach from the Mexican Embassador and a young winner of a competition to describe the meaning of the "Day of Dead" - a Mexican celebration in which they remember their dead relatives and loved ones.

Key companies that showed further interest were Cemex, Mexicana (national airline) and BP. I was very grateful for the opportunity to discuss with various people our Dreamaid Charity projects and aspirations.

Thank you BP for your continued encouragement.

Best regards,

Peter McAteer