The I.C.B.I.E. Blog

One of the clearest indications of an excruciatingly boring flight is when you are so desperate that you read the in-flight magazine, where all the stories of exotic travel and adventures only make your trip to the Midwest seem more mundane. For that very reason, you can’t help envying the travelers whose fate landed them on an Alitalia plane, because that beleaguered carrier has brilliantly compensated for its chronic flight delays, lost luggage, and poor service by including a brilliant full-page article about the ICBIE in its on board magazine!

Written by Piero Faltoni, the story is entitled, “To Salvador de Bahia, Solidarity and a Vacation,” and it recounts the whole ICBIE story, from D’Artagnan’s paintings to the founding of the Institute, the academic program, the Da Vinci Library, and the collaborations in the neighborhood, including the Minha vò Flor orphanage. It closes with a paragraph dedicated to the dream of restoring the old hydroplane base at the tip of the Ribeira peninsula, where Italo Balbo completed his historic 1930 transatlantic flight, and transforming the site into a museum.

Alitalia, as a company, is in terrible shape (and how could it be otherwise, when its name is an acronym for “Always Late In Take-off, Always Late In Arrival”), but we have to thank them for a sweet article!

Hello World!

Coming back from the ICBIE in Salvador de Bahia I can confirm: this place really exists! What a truly amazing experience… Every night it was a never ending smile for what had happened and one couldn’t wait for the next day! Meeting Pietro, his wife Marlene and many of the other ICBIE co-workers was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. After this trip I looked at the world in a different way, not only because I explored new cultures and new lifestyles, but also because I really realized how lucky we are in going to such a school as AOSR, to have bread everyday, to have money for a metro trip and to have houses where there is running water. Visiting the orphanage which the ICBIE supports gives also another really shocking vision of the reality. Other than teaching, it was also a very fun experience! After having re-met the two artists that came to AOSR to draw the huge mural found right before the principal’s office, Julio and Bigode, everything became more practical. They took me and my family to visit the town center, the poor suburbs, the markets etc… We also had a small Italy vs. Brazil soccer match, were they squished us 10-4… Also the beaches were fantastic, after being used to the ones in Rome! For anyone interested in going, they can just contact Mr. Zimmerman, or for a more recent experience contact me. I strongly advise anybody with interest in helping out the needy and with an exotic feeling of exploring the Southern part of the world to go, because it is really an unforgettable experience.

Gabriele Fabozzi

Gabriele is a high school senior at the American Overseas School of Rome, and, as an International Baccalaureate student, is a leading participant in the Bridge to Bahia project, linking AOSR with the ICBIE. With his two younger sisters and his parents, he stayed at the ICBIE for the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

What a great kickoff for the new year! On January 3rd, the ICBIE team acquired a wonderful new player, and she immediately set off a fresh wave of enthusiasm that has everyone smiling. Celeste Chia (the radiant lady on the left in the photo above) comes to us through the new partnership with Rhythm of Hope and she is on their Board of Directors. Born in Singapore and a resident of Barcelona, she has recently resigned from an executive position in a multi-national corporate insurance company, to dedicate her life to assisting the impoverished people of the favelas. Although she is new to Salvador and needs to explore its secrets, her dynamic presence has already helped to fill the gaps: she is teaching English language classes two days a week, besides observing all the ICBIE activities and studying our whole operational organization. With such professional skill and experience, she will certainly provide us with precious advice, as we chart ICBIE’s future.

This is what she has to say about her experiences so far:

I must say that I feel really good here at ICBIE. Pietro, Marlene and his team have been wonderful. A friend and ex-colleague of mine joined me here for 4 days and she was absolutely touched by the people and her experience, so much that she will be returning at the end of the month for a few more days. Another ex-colleague heard about our experience and will also be joining. One of the ICBIE members took us to a favela in Massamanduba by bicycle and that was a good eye-opening experience for us. Of course, I have also managed to enjoy myself in the company of my new friends in the Pelorinho and on nice beaches.

I´m currently giving English classes twice a week at ICBIE and I must say, the group is just getting bigger! My students are really enthusiastic, which is so nice to see. I´ve spoken to Pietro about ICBIE´s objectives and their current concerns about running and maintaining the institute. I am now trying to see how I can assist in helping ICBIE strengthen its foundations and find ways to keep the Institute running for the next years. Tomorrow, we plan to meet to discuss operational strategies.

Celeste also participated in the latest stage of remodeling, decorating the activity room behind the institute. She writes,

The ICBIE design team - Bigode, Julio, Pietro, Marlene and 3 eager helpers (Jobson, Veronique and Celeste) begin with a brainstorming session to decide the images to be painted or graffitied onto one wall of the activity room. The team worked well together, each individual being flexible and open to new ideas. Our key objectives were to illustrate depth through 3-dimentional drawings; and to evoke a feeling of familiarity for the residents of Ribeira and neighbouring towns. The Activity Hall is a place that welcomes all, a home to anyone who wants to learn and to improve their lives.

Bigode and Julio, our graffiti maestros led the team, initially drafting their ideas onto large boards, which took less than 1/2 hour - highly impressive. They then transferred their ideas onto the walls, with Bigode using spray cans and Julio using paints. Jobson, Veronique and Celeste spent most of the time watching, in awe, although they were made to work a little as you can see in the photos.

The main bulk of the work was completed in two days, although a part of the wall is yet to be finished. The ICBIE design team did have a few laughs along the way with Pietro introducing very different ´alternative/theatre´ music (Pietro, do correct me if I´m wrong) to the crew. Julio, Bigode and Jobson, during their breaks managed to teach Veronique and Celeste the first moves in Capoeira and techniques on playing the Berimbau.

The Activity Hall is looking a lot better with dark blue floors. With some touch up here and there, it most likely will look its best by the time the students return from their holidays. Augusto had in fact already begun his summer classes in Hapkido on the 9th. Things are looking colourful and are moving forward!

Best,

Celeste

Between Christmas and New Year’s, Mestre Pedro again brought his whole crew to the ICBIE, to give a show for our new visitors.  Gabriele Fabozzi is one of the most active students in the Bridge to Bahia project at the American Overseas School of Rome. A high school senior, he has been interested in the problems of South American poverty for a several years, fervently working to assist an impoverished community in Ecuador. Now, after bringing his experience and enthusiasm to Bridge to Bahia, amazingly, he managed to convince his entire family to make a trip to Salvador, and to stay at the ICBIE, in order to understand the community and to witness our work. After spending a heroic Christmas day stranded in airports, Gabriele, his two younger sisters and his parents finally arrived, and they were immediately thrown into the flow of the ICBIE routine, including a visit to the Minha vó Flor orphanage. Hopefully, in the next few days, Gabriele will be posting some of his impressions here.

Impressed by such warm and inquisitive guests, Pietro decided to treat them to a genuine capoeira exhibition, so he arranged for Mestre Pedro’s crew to put on one of their breathtaking performances, and it was a great one, with the elderly master in great form, after more than a year of precarious health that had us all worried. As usual, his kids mingled with the visitors, and everyone danced the samba to the beat of the conga drum and the twang of the berimbau. A wonderful way to end the old year and start the new one.