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The Maria Cristina Community Rehabilitation & Healthy Workforce Hub will be a free rehabilitation center located in a low-income neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), serving children with disabilities or autism, older adults, and vulnerable families who currently have almost no access to physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.
Local needs assessments and daily work of our nonprofit ONG Recomeçando show a high burden of untreated musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, functional limitations that affect caregivers’ ability to work, and long waiting lists in the public health system. At the same time, community health workers, informal caregivers, and women leaders carry a heavy physical and emotional load with limited support for their own wellbeing.
The project will adapt and equip a small house (5 rooms and a garage) into a fully functional rehabilitation center, with distinct spaces for physiotherapy (adult and child), occupational therapy and speech therapy, plus a multipurpose room for health education, group sessions, and community economic development workshops. Funds will be used primarily for equipment (rehabilitation devices, evaluation tools, furniture, IT, safety and accessibility improvements), basic renovations, and structured training for the interdisciplinary team.
Club members will be involved by supporting project oversight, purchasing and installing equipment, organizing health education days, mentoring community micro-entrepreneurs connected to women caregivers, and helping connect the center with local health and social services. The timeline is: preparation and procurement in early 2027, center opening and initial service delivery by mid-2027, followed by monitoring of health outcomes and workforce wellbeing impacts until December 31, 2027.
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