About Us

Our people

Open Hands, established in 2009, is a charity based in Campo Largo, a small town approximately half an hour west of Curitiba. Open Hands exists to help families escape from extreme poverty to a more sustainable lifestyle. In addition to providing housing, the families benefit from long term support to help their social, emotional and financial development.

Our story

"Open Hands" was the vision of one man, Samuel Santos. In 2002, Samuel, a multi talented maintenance manager for an organisation in Curitiba, was asked to help with repairs to a shack of a slum in Curitiba. While working on these repairs, Samuel felt a call of God to reach out to people in the Curitiba Favelas and to provide them with a secure future. Samuel shared his vision with a number of people and sought support from a number of sources without success. Shortly afterwards, Samuel was invited to England where he worked for four years as maintenance manager for YWAM. Whilst in England, Samuel shared his vision with churches, individuals and organisations as a result he received offers of help for the project. Mission Direct, a UK charity that works with partners worldwide on building projects got to hear about his vision and was very interested. Samuel returned to Brazil in 2007 to set up Open Hands in Campo Largo with the support of Mission Direct and the local council who assisted in the provision of land for building.

The first project built 21 houses with the support of Mission Direct and were given to needy families. Open Hands continued to offer support and encouragement to the families.

In 2012, Open Hands started the second project, building three houses for "Lar Feliz" (Happy home), a charity providing residential care for children removed from their families by the authorities as a result of abuse.

In 2015 Open Hands started a new project consisting of eight three bedroom homes, a community centre and recreation space in a gated space. These will eventually be offered to needy families as intermediate rental properties, again with ongoing social support.

Vision

Share the love of God by helping families in extreme poverty

Mission

Rescue families from extreme poverty by providing secure housing and supporting them on a continuing basis so that they can have a better quality of life.

Values

Partnership - We believe that everyone can help.
Respect and cooperation - We respect and work with each family that we are helping.
Belief - We believe that everyone has the potential to grow.

Our Team

Samuel Santos

Founder and
work coordinator

André Chagas

President

Celso Tosato

Vice President

Emerson Cardoso

Secretary

Denes Santos

Treasurer

Our Advisors

Maurício Cunha

Executive Director
Founder of CADI Brasil (Centre for Assistance and Integrated Development), Advisor to the Brasilian Evangelical Alliance on "The church and public politics", member of the National Council for Social Assistance. Mauricio holds a Masters in Social Anthropology from the University of Paraná, he is a University professor specialising in management of health systems and services, has served in public management as municipal health secretary, social action and government in the municipalities of Fazenda Rio Grande and Campo Largo; he was National Director of programmes for World Vision in Brazil and a coach to Social entrepeneurs and co-author of the books: "The Kingdom amongst us- Transformation of Communities through the integrated Gospel" and "Christian Cosmovision and transformation"

Patrick Reason

Bristish citizen, now a Naturalised Brasilian, married to Iara with two teenage children. Patrick is an engineer and theologian, manager of the NGO, "Encontro com Deus" (Meeting with God) which looks after mothers and their babies in Curitiba, Paraná. He is an advisor on childrens rights to the local and state governments and a member of the advisory group "Movimento Nacional Pró-Convivencia Familiar e Communitario (National movement for encouragment of Family living in the community).

Sheila Wies

Lawyer, former auditor of the Federal University of Paraná for a number of years, President of the Litigation commission. Introduced electronic trading in the Clinical hospitals in 2004.

Location

Our Partners