Members of Network-of-Light groups of the Southern Region of Brazil, from the cities of Joinville, Balneário Camboriú and São Bento do Sul, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, gathered on the first of September for the inauguration of the Opy in Pindoty village, located in the town of Araquari, about 25 kilometers from Joinville.
“Opy” is the denomination in the Guarani Indigenous language for “House of Prayer”.
The group has been keeping a regular activity with the Indigenous people of the region since last year, conducting bi-weekly visits to meet the needs that arise in the local villages. The Network-of-Light gave support to the villages during the building of the Opy, supplying food, clothes, footwear, labor and also with the participation in voluntary group services to help in the construction.
The inauguration had the presence of about 70 people who enjoyed the religious ceremony, the presentations of the choir of the village and the typical dances, the speech of the Indigenous Chief and the speech of the Tiramoys (those who have the knowledge of the ancestral Indigenous wisdom and of the healing means utilized by the Guaranis). The presentations were made in the Guarani language and translated to the Portuguese language by Chief Roberto.
After the greetings to Opy, House of Prayer, symbol of the recovery of the culture, religiousness and Indigenous values, ceremonials were made of reverence and gratitude to the Plant Kingdom for the foods offered in the fraternization and at the lunch with all those present.
To the coordinator of the Network-of-Light of Joinville, Luiz Alberto, the moment was of joy for the Indigenous people of the community: “something emanating from the sky gave a new spark of hope in their lives… and this inspired everyone at that moment”.
Teacher Roselane Trindade, of the KiriKue Nhemboea School in Pindoty Village thanked for the participation of the Network-of-Light and added: “Love is respect, but it is also charity. You respect us with your gesture of care, love, of hope for a better world or life”.
The next objective of the group for the Indigenous people is the building of a collective kitchen-storage.
