Since late 2024, Seventh-day Adventists in Vitória da Conquista, a city in the interior of Bahia, Brazil, have been leading an ongoing humanitarian effort to support Venezuelan refugees from the Warao ethnic group.

Approximately 120 refugees, organized into 24 family units, are currently housed in a former agricultural school in the district of Itapirema. The facility was provided by the city as a temporary emergency shelter.

The initiative is organized through a wide network involving members of local Adventist churches, Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs, volunteer educators, health professionals, lawyers, businesspeople, and civil society members. It offers support, promotes social inclusion, and improves living conditions for vulnerable families in alignment with city-led public policies.

“The initiative came from the administrators of the Adventist Church in southwest Bahia,” said Tiago Lêra, Pathfinder coordinator in Vitória da Conquista. “Today, the Pathfinders are also involved. There are 52 clubs under my coordination, and we are mobilizing our entire region to offer support with food, clothing, and other necessary items. It is a joint effort that has brought together many people, each contributing what they can,” he explained.

In addition to church-led efforts, the refugees receive legal support from the local branch of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and assistance from the city's Department of Social Development. Volunteers regularly deliver food, clothing, hygiene kits, and other basic supplies. However, the focus extends beyond emergency aid. Volunteers are committed to long-term community development.

Education and Church Integration
One key area of focus is education. Volunteers teach Portuguese using Bible-based materials, helping refugees integrate more easily into society and improving their long-term employment opportunities. Volunteer doctors, dentists, and psychologists provide health care with an emphasis on women and children.

During this year's Easter week, many Warao families attended programs hosted by the Itapirema Adventist Church. Since then, several have become regular attendees, deepening connections with the local church and community.

Food Security Through Farming and Gardening
Another cornerstone of the project is food security and income generation. With the help of volunteers and donated supplies, families have cultivated a community vegetable garden and launched a small chicken farm. The initiative was led by local businessman Jhonatan Moraes, who is working to support the autonomy of the Warao people.

“The initial idea was to guarantee subsistence right there, within the community, with what they already knew how to do,” Moraes said. “We started with vegetable gardens and then structured the raising of chickens for egg production. Now, in addition to feeding the families, the surplus is already being sold in the region.”

“They weeded using donated tools, each contributing what they had. This direct involvement strengthens the sense of belonging and opens doors to work outside the community, in a sector where labor is scarce, such as farming,” he added.

Culturally Respectful Discipleship
Heberson Licar, who oversees the Pathfinders and Adventurers in southwest Bahia, said the church seeks to offer discipleship that respects the Warao people’s heritage.

“We want them to continue being Warao, without losing their identity,” he said. “True discipleship teaches people within their history and culture, without disrespecting them.”

Licar noted that this project has stood out for its continuity and mutual engagement.

“Unlike many specific projects, here there was a very strong response from the indigenous community. They said: ‘Help us live.’ And that moves us. Those who go there come back transformed. Their feedback is what keeps us going.”

Inspired by a Personal Call to Mission
The project began following a personal moment of conviction experienced by Reginaldo Pereira, president of the Adventist Church in the Southwest Bahia Conference. At a mission meeting, he was moved by a message from Kleyton Feitosa, then leader of Special Projects at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, who was battling late-stage cancer.

Feitosa shared Leviticus 19:33–34, which calls God’s people to love and welcome foreigners.

“His message challenged me,” Pereira said. “He said that the number of foreigners among us would increase and that we could not ignore their needs—material, emotional, and spiritual. He also said that many invest in going to other countries to evangelize, but God is bringing these people to us. We have the privilege of evangelizing them here, in our reality, with fewer cultural barriers.”

Feitosa passed away a few weeks later, but his message served as the foundation for what would become the Itapirema refugee project. Pereira shared his conviction with church leaders, and Pathfinder teams began welcoming the Warao families soon after.

A Model for Expansion
The Itapirema project is part of a broader social outreach plan by the Adventist Church in Vitória da Conquista.

“This is just one of the social initiatives we are structuring,” said Licar. “We started with Venezuelan refugees, but we have already begun the process to also reach homeless people, the elderly, orphans, and other populations at risk.”

The collaboration between the church, local authorities, and civil society has yielded tangible results in health care, education, food security, and community development. Church leaders hope to expand the model to other communities in southwest Bahia in the months ahead.

The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.