Thirty-three impoverished families in the tiny coastal settlement of Maceió, Brazil, rely on algae harvesting, fishing and lace-making for financial sustenance. Maceió is a Christian Base Community — a group of families that, by living and working together in accordance with the Gospel, liberate themselves from exploitation and minimizing effects of poverty.

For the past fifty years, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have empowered the people of Maceió through Bible study, community organizing, educational programs, financial assistance and business savvy. Establishing cooperatives such as the Association of Cultivators of Algae of Maceió (otherwise known as “ACALMA”) is part of the Sisters’ strategy to help indigenous peoples prevent developers from seizing their rightful lands.

Learn more: http://bit.ly/1BTRXKn or view this Video: http://youtu.be/1MoVFuDoMFI?t=2s