Last week, we wrapped up a fantastic Brazil exchange trip, hosting 12 participants from the U.S.! Together, we connected with locals, made new friends, and enjoyed the beautiful beaches and open markets. We shared delicious meals, celebrated Children’s Day with a lively community block party, and some of us even trained in jiu jitsu.
At DreamRoot, our programs are designed to create experiences that help people discover themselves and others — building environments that encourage exploration, healing, and growth. Our goal is to bridge cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and industries, fostering intentional community that collaborates for collective impact and human flourishing, both locally and globally. This trip truly achieved that.
Children's Day Community Block Party
A highlight of the trip for the participants was training jiu jitsu with the kids at the Arte Suave DreamRoot Training Center and hosting over 75 children and their families for a Children’s Day block party celebration. Between the bouncy house, piñata, snacks, games, and party favors, the kids enjoyed a carefree afternoon filled with fun.
One participant shared that what touched him most was how the center’s programs and events like this were “giving the kids a childhood.”
Memorable Moment: Gi Donation to 13-Year-Old
Colin, another trip participant shared in this video a memorable moment that came during a jiu jitsu training day when we invited a 13-year-old girl from a local orphanage connected to the work of other DreamRoot leaders in different part of the city.
She received one of the 63 donated gis that camp participants had brought from our gi drive, allowing her to join in the training. On the mat that day were several other women and girls, who served as inspiring role models for her. With incredible courage and enthusiasm, she stepped onto the mats. Anyone who practices jiu jitsu knows how intimidating it can be to enter a new academy with unfamiliar training partners, but she embraced the experience with a smile, showing the strength and resilience of a true overcomer. Afterward, we all shared lunch, where she got to try cartola, a popular local dessert, for the first time.
Lifelong memories were made that day, shaping each of us in ways that will stay with us forever.
Aha Moments
Throughout the trip, participants reflected on their “aha moments.” A major theme that emerged was how they were most impacted by the relationships formed, both old and new, through shared experiences.
Many were moved by the hospitality and kindness they experienced, learning from locals who went out of their way to serve others, and they are eager to bring that same spirit of service back home.
Additionally, several U.S. participants had the chance to teach and lead during jiu jitsu training sessions, where they put their BJJ leadership skills (and Portuguese!) to the test, offering their talents and contributing to the group.
By actively engaging participants in new experiences and perspectives, and creating space for deeper reflection and connection, healing, personal growth and collective transformation takes place. When people come together in a supportive community, powerful things emerge—shared wisdom, creativity, inclusive solutions, and sustainable results.
These exchange trips have created countless impact stories, with a ripple effect beyond what we could ever imagine. Here are several more testimonials from lives transformed through these journeys:
We have more exchange trips planned for 2025. Stay tuned for details!
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