Fire at Diaspora

Just a short note today with some sad news: I went to the Diaspora Arts Center this afternoon for my candomble class with Bira and orixa dance class with Nem, and found Nem sitting outside looking very still and thoughtful. "No class today" he told me, then said almost as an afterthought "We had a fire." A short-circuit that destroyed their office. Nem lost all his files, photos, everything, and his computer; and the whole place, both floors, is completely black with soot. Luckily nobody was hurt and the building did not catch fire, and the drums on the floor above are ok (though black); so they will be able to paint and rebuild. But it is a blow and I don´t know where Nem will find the funds even for the paint. He doesn´t know either...

I went upstairs and was appalled at the watery, sooty mess that used to be Diaspora´s friendly, welcoming little lobby. Nem´s mother was there, sitting in the smoke-blackened dance hall. She´d hired two guys to string up some temporary lighting, and was going through a little pile of the stuff they´d been able to salvage: some little statues; one computer monitor; a completely black dance poster on which you could almost read the word "Dance".

I gave Nem the money I´d been planning to spend on the candomble classes.

Diaspora is one of those great, shoestring, community-run nonprofits that really makes a difference in the community. Nem is dedicated to preserving Salvador´s cultural heritage and passing it to the next generation. He runs dozens of dance and drum classes for local favela kids, and was in the middle of putting together a Christmas pageant with them. He insists it will go on as planned, December 20th, somehow. "I have to keep going. I have to somehow keep going, and keep looking forward," he said.

Anyone who wants to make a donation... even just enough for a can of paint... can contact Nem at:
aacdiaspora@bol.com.br