Gotas de Flor com Amor:
Reaching Out to Children in Need
on the Streets of Brazil
by Denise Robles
I wanted to help the children who were exploited by their parents, forced to beg and sell on the streets of the city of São Paulo. I was outraged to see these children suffering, and I remembered what was taught in the Flower Essence Society course about the disconnection the Soul experiences when it comes to earth and cannot meet its mission. I realized these children had not chosen to be exploited as victims and to remain unloved.
— Denise Robles, São Paulo, Brazil
Gotas de Flor com Amor (Flower Drops with Love) is a social program serving the street children of Brazil and their families. A strong network of volunteers offers support in countless ways, providing educational, cultural and artistic opportunities, counseling, and healthcare. The astonishing success of Gotas de Flor com Amor has attracted many impressive benefactors and has made possible the establishment of a vital center for the work in the heart of São Paulo. Flower essence therapy was the beginning seed of this social program and remains at the vibrant core of all that is done for the children, their families, and all the co-workers.
Using Flower Essence Therapy as a Centerpoint of Our Work
With every story, our hearts suffered a great deal. We could not imagine the level of misery in which they lived, the pain of their souls. But we learned to accept the challenges of each day and to grow in our service to them.
I wanted to help the children who were exploited by their parents, forced to beg and sell on the streets of the city of São Paulo. I was outraged to see these children suffering, and I remembered what was taught in the Flower Essence Society course about the disconnection the Soul experiences when it comes to earth and cannot meet its mission. I realized these children had not chosen to be exploited as victims and to remain unloved. Only a strong program of social healing could help them remember who they were and why they had come to earth.
I knew these children needed more than food, and I proposed to the parents that flower essences could be offered on a voluntary basis to each family. God was guiding us and opening the way. I always knew that the work was not mine, but of the Father; I was just the instrument who heard His suggestion.
Flower Essences Provide a Foundation for Further Care and Service
We started preparing flower essences for entire families. We sat on the sidewalks filling out case forms and brought these back to our consultation office. Here we prepared the flower essences and offered them in the light of healing, hope, faith and love. Soon the work took a new path, and we organized a monthly event for all the families; we celebrated birthdays of the month, sponsored sales at token prices, gave seminars for the parents and provided cultural activities for the children.
A decade after starting a social program to distribute flower essences for families in need on the streets of São Paulo, Denise and the volunteers at Gotas de Flor com Amor were operating seven buildings and attending to 250 children and adolescents from ages 5 to 19 years-old.
Little by little, the work grew and we founded a non-profit volunteer organization. We still operated as a street entity—our work was in the streets and in a shed we rented once a month. In 1995, we established our first house, granted by the city Department of Roads and Highways—in the Brooklin region of São Paulo. At this point, our focus changed: rather than trying to remove children from the streets, we started to offer programs that were a real alternative to street life.
By the early 2000s, we had seven buildings, attending to 250 children and adolescents from the ages 5 to 19 years-old, offering them daily lunch and a snack, in addition to complementary activities such as singing, drawing, martial arts (capoeira and aikido), human values, information technology, English and French languages (including correspondence with children of schools in France). The parents participate in workshops, where their education is a target. We offer adult literacy classes, English and information technology and other night-time classes.
Flower Essence Therapists Support the Vision and Structure
We started with God's gift of the flower essences. They permeate all of our work in every location. With the flowers we are able to make not only physical changes, but create a new structure for the soul to find hope, dignity and a vision for a new way of living.
We started with God's gift of the flower essences. They permeate all of our work in every location. With the flowers we are able to make not only physical changes, but create a new structure for the soul to find hope, dignity and a vision for a new way of living. We maintain a group of floral therapists, with approximately 12 professionals, under the coordination of the Farmacia HN Cristiano drugstore. We receive the support of ABREFLOR, an association of professional flower essence therapists who meet every month to exchange ideas, case studies, healing methods and study of flower essences. The volunteer therapists attend to the 250 children individually and a flower essence formula is offered every two months to the parents for home use.
Gratitude to All
I would like FES to know that they are among the very special flowers in the GOTAS garden. It was their vision that helped us plant the seed at the very beginning of our work. From this vision we draw the strength and stimulus to continue.
— Denise Robles, São Paulo, Brazil
When you next come to Brazil, visit us, so that you may experience the progress of our work in person and see the shining eyes of each child.
With affection—
Denise Robles, Founder and former Vice President
Gotas de Flor Com Amor
São Paulo, Brazil
www.gotasdeflor.org.br
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