Casa Jimmy & Jimmy Page

Since 1992, Task Brasil Trust has been raising awareness of the plight of street children. It was clear that what was needed was a permanent base in Brazil where street children could receive access to health care and education and above all find a loving home.

Help came in the form of rock legend Jimmy Page. Whilst he was in Brazil in 1994, promoting the album 'No Quarter', a minor civil war broke loose in the biggest and most infamous favela (shanty town) in Rio de Janeiro. From his hotel room, Jimmy could see army tanks moving up the hill into the favela. It shocked him to see this happening while he was there.

Feeling he needed to do something to relieve the plight of the street children, Jimmy became involved with Task Brasil. With his very generous donation in 1996/97, Task Brasil were able to purchase a house with a large paved yard in the hilltop district of Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro. The house was adapted and equipped to house fifteen young children and five teenage girls, with ample space outside for them to exercise and play. There was also room for an office to manage the projects.

Fundraising events such as the Scream concert in 1999 have provided further funding, as have sales of limited edition silk screen prints of Jimmy Page and a guitar belonging to Iron Maiden.

Casa Jimmy started functioning in October 1998 and took its first intake of abandoned street children. Local care workers, youth workers and social workers were employed to provide the best possible care for the children. Since then, over 450 children and teenagers have benefited from the home.

Casa Jimmy's capacity has recently been doubled and can now accommodate 30 children, providing a much needed home for some of Rio's most vulnerable and impoverished children.