The Mandingueiros do Amanhã Cultural Center operates in São Luís and in the Quilombos of Santa Joana and Santa Maria dos Pretos, located in the quilombola territory of Santa Maria dos Pretos, rural area of the municipality of Itapecuru-Mirim/MA, as well as in the Quilombos da Vila Fé em Deus and Santa Luzia, located in the municipality of Santa Rita-MA.
The Mandingueiros do Amanhã aims to guarantee access to Afro-Brazilian cultural activities for children, adolescents, and young people in situations of social vulnerability, as well as their families, in urban areas and in quilombola communities.
To achieve this, the institution conducts workshops on capoeira, percussion, art education, rights of people with disabilities, and of the LGBTIQIA+ population, orchestra performances, and digital inclusion activities for 130 children and young people, aged 4 to 24, drawing on the experiences learned from the knowledge of masters and mistresses of popular culture, such as Mestre Pastinha, Mestra Janja, and many others.
Through internet access in the cultural center of Santa Joana, young people can access preparatory courses for higher education, resulting in the approval of a young quilombola at the State University of Maranhão, being the first quilombola from Santa Joana to enter a public university.
