Meninadança

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NGO working with at-risk young girls living along the BR-116, Brazil's 'exploitation highway'. Bringing hope and changing lives through the power of dance.

04/11/2026

ENG: “It just filled us with hope.”

We were delighted to welcome Dr Bhavna Shyamalan, Co-founder of the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, and Michelle Histand, its Executive Director, to three of our Pink Houses.

Through dance, theatre and conversations, they met the girls and the women who care for them - witnessing the trust, safety and dignity at the heart of Meninadança’s work.

What stayed with them most was hearing the girls describe how their lives have changed, and how differently they now see themselves and their futures.

Thank you, Bhavna and Michelle, for listening with such warmth and sharing these special days with us.

POR: “Nos encheu de esperança.” 💗

Tivemos a alegria de receber a Dra. Bhavna Shyamalan, cofundadora da Fundação M. Night Shyamalan, e Michelle Histand, diretora executiva da Fundação, em três das nossas Casas Rosas.

Entre danças, apresentações de teatro e conversas, elas conheceram as meninas e as mulheres que cuidam delas — acompanhando de perto os vínculos de confiança, a segurança e a dignidade que estão no coração do trabalho do Meninadança.

O que mais marcou a visita foi ouvir as próprias meninas contarem como suas vidas mudaram e como hoje enxergam a si mesmas e o futuro de uma nova forma.

Obrigada, Bhavna e Michelle, pela escuta tão carinhosa e por compartilharem esses dias especiais conosco.

19/10/2026

ENG: In our Pink Houses, every member of our team plays a part in reaching girls and changing lives.

At our Pink House in Medina, our cook Lândia has a very special role. With her warmth, kindness - and delicious food - she helps create a place where girls feel comfortable, cared for and safe to be themselves.

In her kitchen, girls find the confidence to open up and share things they might otherwise keep to themselves. It’s just one of the many ways our team makes a difference in the lives of the girls we support.

POR: Nas nossas Casas Rosa, cada integrante da equipe tem um papel importante na missão de alcançar meninas e transformar vidas.

Na Casa Rosa de Medina, nossa cozinheira Lândia tem um papel especial. Com seu carinho, sua gentileza - e sua comida deliciosa - ela ajuda a criar um ambiente onde as meninas se sentem à vontade, acolhidas e seguras para serem elas mesmas.

Na cozinha dela, meninas ganham confiança para se abrir e compartilhar coisas que, de outra forma, talvez guardassem só para si. Essa é apenas uma das muitas maneiras pelas quais nossa equipe faz a diferença na vida das meninas que apoiamos.

16/10/2026

Five Pink Houses. One team. You included.

Across different towns along the BR-116, our staff share one purpose: to support, protect and empower girls at greatest risk of violence and exploitation.

This photo brings together colleagues from all five Pink Houses and our Belo Horizonte office at our recent staff weekend away.

And to everyone who supports Meninadança: you’re part of this team too. Thank you for making this work possible.

Get involved! Adopt a km of the BR-116 for from £16 a month. Link in bio.

08/10/2026

Last weekend, for the first time, teams from all five of our Pink Houses came together for a special weekend of learning, creativity and friendship at a countryside retreat near Teófilo Otoni.

The gathering was part of our project with the Swiss Embassy in Brazil to reach and support the girls facing the greatest risks.

At the heart of the weekend was a challenge: how do we reach the girls who are hardest to reach? Those living in isolated communities, whose fear keeps them silent, or who have no one they feel safe turning to. Girls experiencing sexual violence and exploitation who may never walk through a Pink House door unless we find a way to reach them first.

Through training, workshops and shared experiences, our teams explored how to recognise these girls’ circumstances, understand the barriers keeping them from seeking help, and use dance and the arts to make connections and build trust. Each team returned with practical plans to put this learning into action in its community.

There was also time to dance, laugh, relax and strengthen the friendships that sustain our work.

All of it with one purpose: to bring the safety, care and opportunities of our Pink Houses within reach of girls who might otherwise remain unseen.

16/09/2026

A message from the girls at our Pink House in Medina, for all of us.

Every day in our Pink Houses, girls are encouraged to recognise their worth, believe in themselves and discover their own strength and potential.

A message all of us should Iive by.

31/07/2026

Yesterday on UN World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Meninadança was honoured to take part in "Protecting Girls, Preventing Violence", an event hosted by the British Embassy in Brasília.

The event brought together representatives from the Brazilian government, international organisations, civil society, academia and diplomatic missions to discuss the challenges of tackling human trafficking and violence against women and girls in Brazil.

It also welcomed Guest of Honour Ambassador Vanessa Dolce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' High Representative for Gender Issues.

Meninadança's work was at the centre of the event. Warlei Torezani, our Brazil coordinator, joined the panel "Survivor-Centred Prevention and Protection", sharing our experience of preventing violence and strengthening local protection networks for girls.

The event concluded with a performance of Disconnected by four girls from our Pink House in Medina - the same performance they toured the UK with last month. Through dance and theatre, they moved the audience and powerfully demonstrated how prevention, protection and opportunity can transform lives.

Our sincere thanks to the British Embassy for creating such an important space for dialogue, collaboration and a shared commitment to protecting girls and women.

10/06/2026

From 20th June to 5th July, four remarkable young women from Meninadança's Pink House in Medina, Brazil, will be touring the UK with DISCONNECTED - a powerful and thought-provoking dance musical created by the girls themselves.

Together, Janaína, Petra, Cida and Tayanne will be joined by Pink House dance teacher Nayara and theatre teacher Clara as they bring the energy, creativity and message of Meninadança to communities across England.

This carousel shares a glimpse of the story behind the performance.

We would love to see you there!

📍 Tour dates and full event details:
www.meninadanca.org/tour2026

10/06/2026

Brazil's courts dedicated to crimes against children and adolescents are intended to ensure these cases are handled more quickly and with greater specialist expertise.

Yet according to data from Brazil's National Justice Council (CNJ), 1,320 cases remain stalled, three out of every four fail to move forward, and only 475 have reached a verdict.

In 2014, the CNJ officially recognised that delays in the justice system cause additional harm to victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.

It therefore recommended that cases involving children and adolescents be given priority and brought to trial within 12 months.

If this is the reality within courts dedicated to protecting children, imagine the challenges faced by cases being heard in small towns across the country's interior, including along the BR-116 highway where Meninadança works.

For many girls, the wait for justice becomes another form of violence.

07/06/2026

One of the greatest challenges in tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adolescents is helping victims find the courage to break their silence.

However, after overcoming this obstacle, many victims begin to face another - often even greater - challenge, one that no longer depends on their courage: the slow pace of the justice system, with cases that stall, hearings that are postponed, and judgments that can take years to be delivered.

At Meninadança, we witness firsthand the impact of these delays. For girls who have already endured violence, every day without a resolution means more uncertainty, more suffering, and more injustice.

The Brazilian Constitution and the Statute of the Child and Adolescent guarantee absolute priority for children and adolescents. But priority cannot exist only in legislation. It must become a reality in the courts, police stations, protection services, and throughout the justice system.

We believe this is one of the most urgent challenges in the protection and defence of girls today. While justice is delayed, lives move on, evidence is lost, trauma deepens, and confidence in the system is put to the test.

For this reason, we will continue to speak about this issue, monitor cases, demand answers, and advocate for children and adolescents to be treated with the priority that the law already guarantees them.

Because childhood cannot wait.

And because delay is also a form of violence.

- We will be highlighting the issue of judicial delays, the consequences they have for victims, and the changes we believe are urgently needed. As this campaign gathers momentum, there will be more opportunities for people to get involved and help drive change.

01/06/2026

DON'T MISS THEM! FULL LIST OF EVENTS:
https://mailchi.mp/meninadanca/tour2026

Address

Baptist Centre
Bishops Stortford
CM233LJ

Website

http://www.meninadanca.org/

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