Some of the treasures of the history of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of Augustinian Recollects and the environments and spaces where it has carried out its work throughout history and today.
At the beginning of the 1990s, one of the priority pastoral goals of the Prelature of Labrea in Brazilian Amazonia was the youth. To act with effective methodology and impact, the Augustinian Recollects established the Centro Esperanza, or Hope Centre, first in Labrea in 1994 and later in Pauini in 2001.
Their reasons were compelling: the precariousness of public education, easy access to the informal and/or criminal economy (drugs, commercial sexual exploitation), widespread violence, and a lack of job prospects. There were also no spaces for healthy leisure activities or organized events, and a significant percentage of children suffered from malnutrition. In the early years, semi-professional workshops such as metalworking, woodworking, cabinet-making, and embroidery were launched. However, these activities were costly to maintain and did not provide a comprehensive solution. Nonetheless, many people, thanks to these activities, began a decent working life that continues to this day.
Over the years, the Centres have gradually modernized: significant efforts have been made to improve their infrastructure; to design workshops and professions; and in the training and selection of monitors or mentors. The number of students has stabilized at around 800 each year across the three centres.
The comprehensive program includes everyone and comprises academic tutoring, nutritional support, and professional workshops more attuned to current needs—information technology, music, performing arts, handicrafts, culinary arts, and embroidery now occupy more space, along with sports and culture. The management team visits families and involves them in their concerns. The teaching and practice of social and cooperative values have been strengthened, as well as the reporting and identification of abuse or crime, and responsible healthcare.
In 1994, a non-governmental organization (NGO) was established in Spain alongside the first Hope Centre. It emerged in Lodosa (Navarra), a legacy of the seminary that closed the previous year, where several missionaries from Labrea had served. It took the same name: The Hope NGO.
Educational institutions in Spain have also worked annually with the Hope Centres. Likewise, parishes in Spain, Italy, Great Britain, and the United States have collaborated annually with the Hope Centres.
