‘Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido’ Plans Family Fun Day in Leblon this Saturday

By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Saturday, June 23rd, Praça Grécia (Greek Square) in Leblon will be ‘adopted’ by NGO citizens association ‘Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido’ (Rio, I love it, I take care of it) in partnership with the city hall and the English language school, Cultura Inglesa for a fun-filled family day of yoga, live music, gardening and much more.

The day will start at 10AM, with a collaborative picnic for all the family. Then running concurrently will be a childrens’ entertainment show courtesy of ‘os Fabulosos;’ a literary workshop for children; games of badminton; and a yoga workshop for all ages.

Later on in the day will be a performance by ‘FulFil’ the feminist clowns and a ‘hands-on earth!’ gardening workshop where everyone will be able to contribute to a new gardening project in Praça Grécia (Greek Square) in Leblon’s ‘Jardim de Alah’ (Garden of Allah).

To add to the party spirit, the organizers are putting on a special treat for older participants andjazz fans:, Yuval Ben Lior & Thomas Verardi will be performing an hour of Brazilian jazz from 2-3PM. Following this will be the Nuclear Quintet who will also play an hour of jazz from 3-4PM.

Throughout the day, from 10AM-5PM, ‘Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido’ will be putting on an exhibition of photos on display from sister NGO, ‘Instituto Vida Real’ (Real Life Institute) accompanied by a market fair filled with local food and produce.

‘Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido’ is a citizens’ movement that aims to empower every Carioca big and small through simple day-day actions that are within the reach of all.

Through activities and campaigns, with three areas of focus – urban cleaning, promoting positive behavior and the conservation of public space – the movement is trying to make an impact on the behavior of people in relation to the city.

In an interview with local news to celebrate the fifth anniversary of ‘Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido’, Ana Lycia Gayoso, from the movement’s council, explained the work that they do, “We have had more than thirty actions around the city focusing on urban cleaning, traffic behavior and preservation of public space, as well as campaigns on these issues. If everyone does their part, we can impact the transformation of the city.”

She added, “We want to proliferate the message of the movement for the city. We are talking about a city with 6.5 million inhabitants. We are all agents of change.”

Cultura Ingelsa is one of the most well-known English schools in Brazil. Throughout the semester, students and teachers have been thinking of creative solutions and positive contributions to make to the city of Rio, exercising citizenship, empathy and collaboration.

This event will be one of the initiatives of the project, which reinforces the students’ connection with the city and encourages the formation of active citizens.

What: Occupation of Praça Grécia, hosted by ‘Rio Eu Amo Eu Cuido’ and Cultura Inglesa
When: Saturday, June 23rd; 10AM-5PM
Where: Jardim de Alah, Avenida Epitácio Pessoa, 22410-090 Rio de Janeiro
Entrance: Free!