In November 2004, Schwab Foundation directors Paul Hodge and Zanele Mbeki, First Lady of South Africa, and Schwab social entrepreneurs from around the world had the opportunity to advise and contribute to the vital “ground breaking” work of Brazilian social entrepreneurs Rodrigo Baggio and Vera Cordeiro. The following is background information about Rodrigo’s and Vera’s social enterprises, CDI and Renascer. For additional pictures of the mission, click here.

As a computer science teacher who had worked with the poor and disadvantaged in Rio’s favelas (urban slums), Rodrigo Baggio had a dream to bridge the digital divide. To accomplish this vision, he created the first Information Technology and Citizenship School in 1995, in Santa Marta, a sprawling “favela” of Rio. By the end of the year the Committee for Democracy in Information Technology (CDI) was founded with the mission of utilizing IT as a tool to fight social exclusion. “One must believe in the power of communities to transform their social reality by mastering new information and communications technologies”, said Baggio. “It is critical to help them develop processes that will strengthen and expand their economic activities, organizational skills, self-esteem, educational level, ability to communicate with others about their own social projects.”

CDI’s mission is to promote the social inclusion of low-income communities using Information and Communication Technologies as tools for building and exercising citizen's rights. CDI works in low-income communities and with institutions assisting individuals with special needs, including the physically and mentally disabled, the visually impaired, homeless children, convicts, and indigenous populations, among others. Students from low income communities and excluded population groups learn how to use computers and software while developing local projects related to issues of particular interest to their community, values, culture, problems and dreams. The CDI model is based on the concept of helping people to help themselves. CDI trains the future teachers, who, in turn, will train others back in their communities.

CDI’s model creates Information Technology and Citizens Rights (ITCRs) schools in partnership with community-based associations. CDI provides free computer equipment, software and implements educational strategies to continuously build the capacity of local educators. Through periodic visits, CDI staff monitors ITCR performance. School coordinators work together with CDI representatives to find creative ways of addressing problems, formulating and sharing solutions. Each school is an autonomous unit, self-managed and self-sustainable through a symbolic contribution collected from its students. This contribution covers maintenance costs and pays its educators.

In eight years, CDI and Braggio have accomplished much. CDI franchises exist in 763 schools in Brazil and 100 abroad. More than 600,000 people from low-income communities have been certified by the CDI ITCRs. The CDI network has 1036 volunteers and generates income for about 1726 educators from communities where ITCRs are implemented. Time Magazine named Baggio as one of the 50 Latin American Leaders for the new Millennium. For more information about CDI, visit its website at http://www.cdi.org.br/ .

As a physician working in the pediatric department of one of Rio de Janeiro's largest hospitals, Vera Cordeiro was shocked by the number of children from favelas (urban slums) who repeatedly had to be admitted to the hospital. "I could not stand to go one more day seeing children locked in this cycle of hospitalization, re-hospitalization and death," Cordeiro said. Realizing that children's health problems were caused or exacerbated by social conditions, she founded Renascer to "connect the hospital to the home" and provide a "real treatment" that takes into account the full range of economic and social causes of illness.

Renascer supplements hospital care for children from low-income communities in order to reduce the effects of poverty which contribute to repeat illness. To do so, its network of volunteers provides post-hospitalization assistance to the families of poor children recently discharged from hospital. Renascer's model enables low-income mothers and families to prevent recurring illness in their children. Each Renascer unit is connected to a public hospital and staffed by volunteers, social workers and psychologists. The staff provides intensive one-on-one health monitoring and assistance to families, most of which are single-mother households with an income of less than US$80 per month. Renascer works with families for eight to twelve months, providing customized assistance such as nutrition advice, provision of medicines, psychological counseling, vocational training and housing improvements to ensure adequate living conditions.

At Hospital da Lagoa - a large public hospital in Rio de Janeiro where the flagship Renascer is based - pediatric re-admissions have dropped by 60 % as a result of Renascer's efforts. The Renascer model has proven to be easily transferable and ideal for locations in which disease is exacerbated by socioeconomic factors. It has spread to an additional 14 hospitals in Brazil and served 26,000 people to date. The Brazilian Ministry of Health is currently exploring the feasibility of replicating the Renascer program at hospitals nation-wide. Renascer has also attracted international interest and has been publicly recognized through several awards from numerous institutions. Most recently Renascer was selected from among 400 institutions worldwide as the first place winner of the prestigious "Global Development Network Award" for the "Most Innovative NGO 2002." For more information about Renascer, visit its website at: http://www.saude-crianca.org.br/english_site/who_we_are_intro.php.