Our Story
Our objective is to bring hope and opportunity by sharing the gospel with children and young people living in poverty. Motivated by our faith in Christ, we look to Christ for hope and healing for the lost and hurting with whom we work.
We partner with individuals, businesses, churches, and are actively seeking to increase our sources of funding and support. We also facilitate short-term International experiences for groups of volunteers at our project in Fortaleza, Brazil.
OUR STORY
The Director of CBC University of Life is Marcondes (Marc) Marques. Marc was born in Fortaleza, Brazil and grew up with the reality of rich and poor right on his doorstep. Although he came from a middle class family, Marc’s best friends were from the favelas (slums).
As he grew up, Marc noticed the distinct differences in opportunity available to him compared with his friends. His frustration grew seeing the poverty and discrimination they faced. Not knowing what else to do, Marc used to sneak out of his house with groceries for his friends. At Christmas time his heart broke as he tried to understand why Father Christmas, gave presents to him but not to his friends.
To date, CBC University of Life has assisted thousands of children with their education, vocational training and determination for a better life. With his faith in Jesus Christ as his foundation, Marc has dedicated his life to finding effective and sustainable ways to bring opportunity to the poor, releasing their untapped potential through quality education and training. His focus has always been the children, fighting injustice and striving to prevent their suffering.
Hope for the Future
CBC University of Life believes all children deserve to do more than just survive. They deserve to dream, explore, flourish and reach their highest potential.
Through this vision, the staff seek to give their students the hope for and the means to build a better future, for themselves and the entire community. Our programs are designed to support families and build stronger communities. We want to prevent the circumstances that lead kids to the streets and help them before they become street children.
Today CBC University of Life is a thriving educational project offering a pathway out of poverty to children in Brazil. Graduates of the project have earned degrees and many own their own businesses. Some have returned to the project as teachers.
Learn more about how we are impacting the slum community in Fortaleza!