In the early 1990s, the Dutch-Brazilian couple Richard & Daisy van den Hout Barbosa was touched by the pitiful scenes they saw on the streets of Rio de Janeiro; young children who strolled the streets in old clods in search of food and elderly people with their cardboard ‘houses’ under their arms in search of a safe place. The oppressive sense of powerlessness took them hostage, and in the five years that followed, they left Rio behind. However, when the local Methodist Church asked for help in the late 1990s, they did not hesitate for a moment. This was the opportunity to step out of powerlessness and actively contribute. This eventually led to the creation of the Aprisco Foundation on 11 October 2001.

The foundation can boast of a steady growth in its work. After Aprisco was initially only committed to financing and realizing construction projects under the motto “building on Christian foundation”, the field of work has expanded considerably in recent years to build capacity and to guide, set up and realize substantive activities.

Aprisco operates primarily in two (complexes of) slums where more than 100,000 people live. In addition, Aprisco also supports other organizations in Rio de Janeiro or beyond, often by connecting.