The city of Picos is situated in the centre-south of Piauì, the poorest State of Brazil, 195 miles from the capital Teresina, and is the second road centre of the State. Its very poor income derives from trade, agriculture and cattle-breeding.

Its population accounts to nearly 50,000 mostly very poor families with scarce possibilities of employment, who use their wits to survive with small occasional jobs. Due to its poor economy, Picos presents a high grade of prostitution, even involving children, with a lot of brothels and many alcohol and drug addicts.

This situation destroys the families, already degraded by the suffering caused by their poor economical and social condition.

Considering the conditions of life of the children, that may easily lead them to prostitution, drug and crime, the Project Saint John the Baptist was started on August 29^th 1996, with the proposal to aid some high risk children, chosen among the poorest families.

Saint John the Baptist project aims to give alimentary and educational assistance by means of a psychological, vocational, religious and recreational guidance.

These deeds had been begun by Brother Roggero Caccia Dominioni, who was already working in this city, busy in the assistance of lepers, by means of a centre for the early diagnosis of Hansen’s disease, transporting the sick from and to their homes during the therapy. Either Saint John the Baptist Project or the assistance for lepers rose with the full agreement of the local authorities, the Bishop of Picos and the parishes of that zone.

Saint John the Baptist Project carries out his activity according to the following program:

For children from 2 to 6 years: a snack and a full meal for each turn ( from 7:30 until 11:30 a.m. or from 1:30 until 5:30 p.m.), with games, songs, lectures, etc. A meeting with children’s parents is foreseen once a month.

For boys from 7 to 14 years (from 1:30 until 5:30, as they have to attend the school in the morning): a snack and a full meal, recreation, supervision after school, civic and religious education, vocational school (embroidery, painting, crochet, building of wood, plastic, paper objects, etc.), music, song, games, gymnastics, capoeira (a local dance), educational documentaries and spectacles.

A visit by the paediatrician and dentist, and a meeting of children’s parents with the teachers are foreseen once a month.

These activities are performed by 20 persons, including teachers, tutors, co-ordinators and service staff.

Recently, the maximum age has been raised to 16 years. Moreover, a second turn was established, for other 100 children who attend to Project in the morning, since they attend the school in the afternoon.