Associação Saúde Criança Renascer

The Associação Saúde Criança (ASC), founded in 1991 by Dr. Vera Cordeiro, is a non-profit, non-religious, and non governmental organization.

Grounded on the principle that illness is not caused by biological factors alone, ASC’s mission is to break the vicious cycle of poverty and suffering—illness, hospitalization, and subsequent readmission or death caused by external, poverty-related factors—by assisting not only the child but also his/her entire family.

ASC’s main goal is to create the basis for improving the child’s health and well being by facilitating economic self-sufficiency. ASC has developed and is constantly reevaluating a Family Action Plan (in 5 areas covering Health, Income Generation, Housing, Education and Citizenship Access) for the families of the children. Each family stays in the project for around two years, during this time, ASC offers assistance with food, medicine, housing; psychological, nutritional and legal assistance; workshops and work tools.

Dr Cordeiro was elected an Ashoka fellow in 1992, an Avina leader in 2000, and a Schwab Social Entrepreneur in 2001. In recognition of ASC’s proven excellence, the organization and its founder have won more than 20 national and international awards including the Skoll Foundation Award in February 2006, and the Global Development Network’s Award for the world’s ”Most Innovative Development Project” in January 2003.