His story moved all of Brazil. Miguel, 11, lives with his mother and five siblings in a poor neighborhood of Santa Luzia (State of Minas Gerais). Hungry and seeing his mother out of work, he called the police. “Mr. Officer, we have nothing to eat at home” : he told the policeman. The latter then thinks of a story of abuse, but when he arrives there, he discovers a family of six children – the youngest of whom is still a baby – who feed exclusively on corn flour mixed with water, for lack of better. Faced with inflation that is eating into the purchasing power of the poorest in the country, the mother, Célia, 46, can no longer meet their needs.
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The kitchen has taken on the appearance of a convenience store
The police officer and his colleagues went to the nearest supermarket to fill the family fridge with their own money, and thanks to the generosity of the manager. And it was without counting on the local press which took hold of this dramatic story. Quickly, donations started pouring in from all over the country, and Célia’s little kitchen took on the appearance of a convenience store. “We received a lot of food, lots of different things, even foods that I didn’t know”rejoices the young Miguel, opening a well-filled closet. “We suffered a lot. The hunger hurts so much, I will never forget those moments”, sighs the mother of the family. “After a while, you don’t even have the strength to get up. Miguel saw me in despair, in tears, and decided to act. Thank God, that changed everything.”
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For the first time since 2014, Brazil reappeared on the UN’s “World Hunger Map” this year, with 28.9% of the population living in a state of moderate “food insecurity”. or severe.
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