Rosie and Stu Bayford, Brazil
Meeting people at the edges with the hope of getting alongside them on a journey of faith.
We want to see people in poverty be nourished – physically and spiritually. Having served in Brazil for a few years, we’ve listened to the community’s concerns and worked with a local church to develop a Community Market that redistributes surplus food from supermarkets to those who most need it. This project also cares for the planet by sending less food to landfill.
The church helps identify potential market members who pay a small amount to shop, so as to encourage saving and keep a sense of dignity. Market members are invited to be a part of the church and they know the church cares for them. We hope to start another Community Market soon in another struggling neighbourhood.
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Rosie and Stu’s story
We have felt a deep call to Recife, Brazil, since we first visited in 2015, when we were struck by the desperate situation that so many children find themselves in, living on the streets. We believe mission should bring about lasting local change. By working with those that know and understand the local community far better than us, we hope to support sustainable, life-changing work in this part of the country where poverty, unemployment and crime are big problems.
In January 2019, we returned to Recife to work with ReVive, a Christian organisation working with children and teenagers in Brazil who have suffered from abuse, trafficking and exploitation. We are involved with some of the day-to-day tasks at the ReVive safe house; doing the school run, helping with any tech needs and doing creative activities and exercise with the girls.
We also see part of our role as helping to maximise the capability of the many existing projects here and harnessing local knowledge and expertise.
Our story began in Leeds where we went to the same school. Rosie’s first experience of Latin America was Chile and Argentina, completing a discipleship training course in 2010. We later met again and began a relationship and found that we shared a vision of wanting to change lives. In 2015, we volunteered in Recife and as we were exposed to the reality of life for street children, we both felt a strong call to return. We got married in 2016 and have since been praying about working overseas with street children, and so are thrilled to be back in Brazil.
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