{"id":23857,"date":"2025-08-08T14:56:35","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T21:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/?p=23857"},"modified":"2025-08-08T17:38:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T00:38:15","slug":"vams-promotes-solidarity-network-and-transforms-the-lives-of-academics-and-indigenous-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/08\/08\/vams-promotes-solidarity-network-and-transforms-the-lives-of-academics-and-indigenous-people\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cVAMS\u201d Promotes Solidarity Network and Transforms the Lives of Academics and Indigenous People"},"content":{"rendered":"

(ANS \u2013 Ara\u00e7atuba)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The 7th edition of VAMS \u2013 Salesian Academic Missionary Volunteering \u2013 promoted by UniSALESIANO, took place in July 2025 and left a profound mark on the participating academics and the Bororo and Xavante indigenous communities in the state of Mato Grosso. More than a one-off mission, the project has established itself as a true encounter of worlds, values, and affections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before departure, the volunteers, together with students from the Dom Luiz Lasagna Salesian College and the Capela S\u00e3o Domingos S\u00e1vio Salesian community, both in Ara\u00e7atuba, mobilized themselves in various solidarity campaigns, collecting food, clothing, blankets, toys, milk, and medicines. One of the most emblematic actions was the \u201cFarm\u00e1cia na Aldeia\u201d (Pharmacy in the Village), coordinated by biomedicine student Louise Elias de Carvalho. The goal was to collect basic medicines to supply the Basic Health Unit (UBS) in the Xavante village of S\u00e3o Marcos. \u2018We feel that it is a small effort compared to everything they experience and need, but it is an important step towards improving the well-being of the communities,\u2019 said Louise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to collecting supplies, events such as hot dog sales also helped to fund the mission. The involvement of the students reflected the importance of the project, which goes beyond solidarity and becomes a space for comprehensive education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONTAGIOUS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For medical student Luiz Eduardo Castanhar Olsen, the experience was eye-opening. \u2018I thought it would bring new experiences, show how we are in Ara\u00e7atuba. And I realised that we are the ones who learn. They have so much more to teach us about unity, family, friendship, and happiness. The joy is contagious. VAMS is about learning from them, not the other way around,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tha\u00eds Maria Ruas dos Santos, a 2nd-year Physical Education student, also experienced her first VAMS and was moved by the children’s welcome. \u2018Before I came here, I imagined quiet volunteer work, but I didn’t think I would get so involved.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The affection the children have for us is worth all the tiredness. I am very happy and hope to come back more often,\u2018 said Tha\u00eds. Pharmacy student Igor Landin Rodrigues de Souza described VAMS as a unique experience. \u2018These are incredible moments, connections I didn\u2019t expect, affection I didn’t expect to give and receive. Only those who come to feel this understand what this energy is.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REAL KNOWLEDGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Salesian Brother Tarley da Guia Nunes da Mata, who works in the S\u00e3o Marcos indigenous land, the mission goes beyond material donations: \u2018It is important for students to have this personal contact with indigenous peoples. This encourages engagement, real knowledge of these cultures, and a positive social view of others. It is a path of reconstruction, without idealisation, but with mutual respect and coexistence,\u2019 he explained. He also highlighted the impact on various aspects of the volunteers\u2019 lives.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Personally, professionally and spiritually, the fruits are immense. They realise that the children remember them, that there is a real bond. This matures and touches them deeply, especially when they discover the spirituality present in indigenous culture, which has its own way of seeing God and the world.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accompanying the mission, together with his Pastoral team and some teachers, the Pro-Rector of Pastoral Care, Fr Paulo Eduardo J\u00e1como, SDB, stressed that this is a campaign with a clear purpose and a genuine commitment. \u2018The academics understand the meaning of solidarity and service. This mission transforms because it combines technical knowledge, human experience, and spiritual growth,\u2019 he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monique Bueno<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(ANS \u2013 Ara\u00e7atuba)\u00a0\u2013 The 7th edition of VAMS \u2013 Salesian Academic Missionary Volunteering \u2013 promoted by UniSALESIANO, took place in July 2025 and left a profound mark on the participating academics and the Bororo and Xavante indigenous communities in the state of Mato Grosso. More than a one-off mission, the project has established itself as a true encounter of worlds, values, and affections. Even before … Continuar leyendo \u201cVAMS\u201d Promotes Solidarity Network and Transforms the Lives of Academics and Indigenous People<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":10336596,"featured_media":23860,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[30135006,516714022],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-salesian-missions","category-salesian-world-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/vams-promotes-solidarity-network-academics-and-indigenous-people-aracatuba-feature.jpg?fit=1600%2C875&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p59ePG-6cN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10336596"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23857"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23863,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23857\/revisions\/23863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}