In 1979, a group of lawyers met to initiate work in defense of the poor in the region, who at that time were battling to own the land on which they lived. This was the first big project for the center, permitting the creation of its financial and administrative infrastructure. From that point on, the center began to fight in diverse arenas, and thanks to the Freire benefactors, had total political and financial autonomy. By 1987, the center began to discuss the strategy that today has made it into one of northeastern Brazil's star non-governmental organizations. The center's work affirms a policy of literacy for all, he continues, and to that end, it is reaching out to both teachers and students.
Politicians now take into account the rights of children and adolescents to decent schooling.
The center's policies are discussed at the regional level. Olinda is famous for its sunshine, a butterscotch heat in which plants grow to maturity in days instead of seasons. The Luiz Freire Cultural Center, in keeping with its location, has brightened the prospects for people who participate in its programs. It is as if the windows of the house let in hope as well as light. A classroom door opens onto a circle of teachers.