Feast Day of Saint Monica

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Monica. We present the works of ARCORES whose patron saint is the mother of Saint Augustine.

Home in Fortaleza

In Brazil we have three projects with this name. The Saint Monica Home aims to welcome girls and adolescents to whom the competent authorities (mainly the judiciary) have decided to remove from their usual environment of life for having suffered or being at serious risk of suffering some type of violence or serious violation of their rights: abuse, exploitation, abandonment, physical or emotional damage, lack of attention.

The Saint Monica Home, with a long experience of more than ten years, offers these victims comprehensive care for all their primary needs (housing, food, hygiene, education, health), in addition to therapeutic help, family support and preparation for follow-up reports for the civil authorities, so that they make the best decision about their return to the social and family environment from which they came.

Polyclinic in Río

The Saint Monica Polyclinic was born in 1982, from the desire of the parents of the students of the Santo Agostinho School to do social work in the Leblon neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro. The Augustinian Recollects donated a space in the basement of Saint Monica Parish to offer medical assistance to those in need. Currently, the polyclinic is made up of more than seventeen different specialties, among which are gynecology, pediatrics, cardiology, neuropsychiatry, etc.

The main objective is to help a large part of the population that does not have economic resources. Many of these people cannot afford a health plan, or even be able to afford private medical consultation. In Brazil, there is also the Saint Monica School in Breves.

Helping pregnant womens in Argentina

In Argentina, the Saint Monica Parish in Buenos Aires has the “Mónica Ajuar” project (“Ajuar” it’s a baby’s trousseau), which also has the accompaniment of the Monica Mothers. The objective is to help mothers and babies in vulnerable situations with food, who are also helped with medical advice on nutrition and health.

Saint Monica Radio in Cajamarca

In Perú, Saint Monica Radio is the station created by the Augustinian Recollects in 1993, with the aim of promoting culture, education, social development and Christian values in the Andean area of northern Peru.

Its impact on the development of the region, especially in the region of Cajamarca, after 25 years on the air, is very relevant due to the importance that radio has in a geographical context of high mountains, with towns far apart from each other, with a very dispersed population, especially in rural areas and with a poor communications network, which favors isolation. In this context, the radio is the main means of access to information and connection with the rest of the country and the world.

Multipurpose Room in Kenya

In Wote, Kenya, there is the Santa Monica multipurpose room, which has 220 square meters and was built in 2021. In this place different activities are carried out that try to improve, in many areas, the life of the people who live in the county.

First, 400 people a year receive medical attention. Different medical tests can be performed, and also diagnose diseases such as diabetes or hypertension.

Likewise, the teachers of the community receive training on issues of education for health, nutrition, sexually transmitted diseases and prevention of teenage pregnancies. Professional training sessions in cooking are also scheduled, aimed at people who need a job opportunity. Finally, in this room the Monica Mothers meet.