There are social projects that exist in bursts of enthusiasm: they operate intensely for a few months, weaken when difficulties arise, and eventually disappear without leaving lasting traces in the lives they were meant to transform. And there are projects that exist through consistency: those that are present every morning and every afternoon, Monday through Friday, regardless of how the day began, how difficult the week has been, or how challenging the circumstances may be.
The Gentil Afonso Duraes Foundation belongs to the second category, and Eloizo Gomes Afonso Duraes is responsible for building and sustaining that consistency for more than twenty years.
Consistency as a Promise
For children living in vulnerable situations, the consistency of an institution is more than an operational convenience. It is a promise. The promise that someone will be there waiting when they arrive, that activities will happen as expected, and that the care they received yesterday was not an exception that will not be repeated tomorrow. In environments marked by unpredictability, this promise carries psychological and educational value that goes far beyond any specific content being taught.
Eloizio Gomes Afonso Duraes built the Foundation’s operations around that promise. Operating from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the morning and from 1:20 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, is not simply a service schedule. It is the daily fulfillment of a commitment to families who have learned to rely on the Foundation as a fundamental part of their routine.
What Two Daily Shifts Mean in Practice
The decision to operate in two daily shifts was not made for visibility or to maximize numbers in reports. It was made because it doubles the program’s reach without compromising the quality of care in either period. Children who attend school in the morning can participate in the Foundation’s activities in the afternoon, and vice versa. This ensures that participation in the programs does not compete with school attendance, but instead complements it.
Eloizo Gomes Afonso Duraes structured both shifts with the same quality standards and the same diversity of activities, ensuring that no child becomes second-class depending on the time they are served. This parity is, in itself, a statement that every child assisted deserves the same level of care.
Twenty Years of Open Doors
Maintaining a two-shift operation, five days a week, for more than two decades, across four Brazilian states, is a logistical and financial achievement that most social organizations never attain. It requires planning, consistent fundraising, the management of committed teams, and leadership that never loses sight of why those doors must continue opening every morning. Eloizio Gomes Afonso Duraes has provided that leadership unwaveringly throughout this entire period, and that is why the doors of the Gentil Afonso Duraes Foundation remain open today, just as necessary as they were in 2003.
Author: Diego Rodríguez Velázquez
