Ariovaldo Cesar Junior (photo) was born into a Spiritist family in the Brazilian city of Piracicaba. Since 1980 he has lived in Araraquara, also in the state of São Paulo. He has degrees in Economy, Business Administration and Law and is now retired. He is the founder and current president of the Eurípedes Barsanulfo Spiritist Centre. The organisation has important social projects in the outskirts of Araraquara, as he explains in this insterview.

Why did you decide to build a Spiritist Centre in the impoverished outskirts of the city?

Following the example of Jesus, who lived in the outskirts of the cities, we looked for the worst areas in the city to build our Spiritist Centre. We want to reach out those in need. We built our Spiritist Centre in the Águas do Paiol neighbourhood.

What projects and activities do you have there?

The building was opened on November 1^st, 1994, 25 years ago, with 400 square metres. We began by giving soup twice a week and milk to young children. We also had a barber here and Several Spiritist study groups. We soon realised that the young people from the area lacked everything and wouldn’t be able to find a job unless they got professional training. We signed a partnership with SENAI, which is linked to the industry federation, and in December 1999 opened a course to form electricians here.

Has that project been successful?

Yes. The demand was so high that we began training plumbers too. In 2005, we built another building, with 700 square metres, next to the original one. That is where Instituto Eurípides is. We now offer 14 training courses there. We have already trained more than 5,000 young men and women. During the day, we open our doors for after school clubs, on music, sports, theatre, arts and we also help pupils with their homework.

How is the project going now?

Even with all the professional training offered, young people from poorer backgrounds still struggle to find their first job. We have set up a project, The Young Apprentice, to help them enter the workplace. Our aim is to find jobs for more than 300 young people.

Where do the financial resources for that come from?

I must emphasize that all the activities and courses we offer are completely free of charge. We have never received any government money either. We pay for the costs through events, donations and automatic contributions people volunteer from their local taxes. To raise extra funds, we have now begun selling peanuts in four flavours in the shops and supermarkets of the city.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak about our projects and say that all donations are welcome.