Banco da Providência is a not-for-profit social organization that has been contributing for 59 years with reducing social inequality and collaborating with defending the rights of young people, adults and families that live in extreme poverty in Rio de Janeiro through job training projects and income generating projects. The strategic action is concentrated in five neighborhoods that cover 60 communities with the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) of Rio de Janeiro.

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For the second year, Banco da Providência is one of the top 100 NGOs in Brazil!

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Our Story

Created in 1959 by Don Hélder Câmara the Institution was named "Bank" because at that time the population was in a vulnerable situation and did not have access to the banks of the financial system. Banco da Providência was born with the mission to contribute to an egalitarian society, in which even the less fortunate had "a bank" to call their own! For more than half a century, it has been a reference in meeting social demands.

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Faced with so much demand, there was a rising concern to raise enough resources to meet the needs of those served. From this need the first action took place in December 1959 that would result two years later in the traditional “Providência Fair”. This traditional event eagerly anticipated by Brazilian people remains to this day the main source of funds for Banco da Providência.

Download the 50th year comemoration publication.

Dom Helder Câmara

Founder of Banco da Providência

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Born in Fortaleza, Ceará (Northeast of Brazil), he was ordained priest at the age of 22. Transferred to Rio de Janeiro in 1936, he adopted the challenge of creating pastoral solutions for those living in poverty and indigence. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 7 times, Don Hélder had a great concern for overcoming poverty. He believed in the importance of the militancy of small groups, in the militancy of the laity and in their role of transforming the exclusionary and inequitable reality. When he created Banco da Providência in 1959, he thought of a "bank" whose capital is human capital and the greatest profit is solidarity.

"True peace can only be achieved when there is courage

to create real conditions for justice”

Organizational Structure

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

General Director:

Cônego Manoel de Oliveira Manangão

Social Director:

Ana Cecília Costa Carvalho Melo

Legal Officer:

Daltro de Campos Borges Filho

CFO:

Cândido Feliciano da Ponte Neto

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CURATOR COUNCIL

President:

Dom Orani João Tempesta

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FISCAL COUNCIL

Manuel Luiz da Silva Araújo
Lorena Asuncion Carvalho Fernandes  
Paulo de Moraes Penalva Santos

EMERITUS MEMBERS

Maria Christina Noronha de Sá

Roberto Castilho

 ADVISERS  

Ana Cecília Costa Carvalho Melo

Ana Cecília Nabuco Magalhães Lins

Ângela Maria Machado da Costa

Cecília de Paula Machado Sicupira

Eduardo Eugênio Gouveia Vieira

Eliane Furtado de Mendonça

Ferdinando Valle Magalhães

Gilberto Morand Paixão

Glória Severiano Ribeiro

Gustavo Miguez de Mello

Heitor Cordeiro Chagas de Oliveira

Isabel Gouveia Vieira

Jomar Pereira da Silva

José Thomaz Nabuco de Araújo Filho

Maria da Glória Archer

Raphael Carneiro da Rocha Filho

Sérgio Pereira da Silva

Suelly Medeiros Vasconcelos

Técio Lins e Silva

OPERACIONAL TEAM

Superintendent:

Clarice Linhares

Social Coordinator:

Terezinha Nascimento

Funding Coordinator:

Fernanda Oliveira

Projects Coordinator:

Ava Castellan

PROJECT COORDINATORS

Agências de Famílias:

Ana Paula Figueiredo, Gleide Mattos, Neige Motta, e Wilma Santiago

Agência de Capacitação:

Jocilene S. de Assis Julião

Agência de Empreendedorismo:

Simone Neves

Agência de Emprego:

Emanoel Gomes

Agência Jovem:

Vanúbia Barros

Awards

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• Peace Limited Edition "ILARIA ALPI Award” - XII Edizione.

• Leopoldo Kunsechak Prize: Awarded to the Ambulatory of Providence, by the Austrian Government, in recognition of entities and personalities that stood out in researching for the well-being of humanity.

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• São Sebastião Prize for Culture: granted to Ambulatório da Providência by the Cultural Association of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Social Work Category.

• Paulo Freire Award - Granted to the Center of Providence, by the Ministry of Labor and FIRJAN, in recognition of the comprehensiveness in the area of ​​worker training.

• Tribute to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and 25 years Master's Degree in Social Service.

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• Social Action Award - Granted by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro
   

• Bem Eficiente Award - Awarded to Banco da Providência by Kanitz & Associado, in recognition of the 50 Best Beneficial and Non-For-Profit Entities of the country.

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• CBCISS - Certificate of the National Seminar on Welfare - Terezinha Arnaut

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1982​​

1994

1997

2000

2001

2002

2004

2005

2006

2010

• Jacaré de Ouro Award - Awarded by Caio Award 2004 in the category of Social Responsibility Event.

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• Lions Club Roma Host - Ambassador of Peace Award given by the City Hall of Rome

• Merit Medal Pedro Ernesto - Câmara Municipal RJ - Alderman Marcio Pacheco - 46 years Banco da Providência Foundation

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• International Women's Day Women's Trophy 2006 - Women's Merit Medal - Delivered by Governor Rosinha Garotinho

• UNESCO - Citizenship Personalities for Marina Araújo, General Director

• Women for Peace Award (Renewal Program - Radio Catedral) Deputy Hugo Leal

•  Personalities Citizenship - Awarded by the Brazilian newspaper Folha Dirigida "The Bank of Providence in volunteering, confirms the rights of equal citizenship"
   

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• São Sebastião Award 100 years of Mister Helder Câmara
   

• MOTION OF APPLAUSE - Sustainable Practices at the Providência Fair - INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS - IEVA
   

• "Top  100 NGOs Award in Brazil" initiative of the Doar Institute and Época Magazine
   

• Transparency NGO Seal - Donate Institute
  

• DOAR Seal of Management and Transparency - Doar Institute

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2014

2017

2018