Renascer was created in 1991 by Dr. Vera Cordeiro, a physician with twenty years of experience at Rio de Janeiro’s public hospitals. She had a particular insight into the problem of the health system while working: the medical services being provided were inefficient and ineffective in improving the child’s health if that child did not have the basic needs (housing, education, income, food, access to social services) for a healthy lifestyle.

Grounded on the principle that illness is not caused by biological factors alone, Renascer’s mission is to break the vicious cycle of poverty and suffering - illness - hospital admission and subsequent readmission and / or death, by assisting not only the child but his/her entire family.  Renascer’s main goal is to create the basis for improving their health and well being with economic self-sufficiency. For this, Renascer makes an action plan for the families focusing in 5 areas: Health, Housing, Income Generation, Citizenship and Education.

Each child and family is followed for more or less two years, with a case load of 230 to 250 families per month. They are assessed monthly and receive food, and medication until they achieve a set of very well- defined criteria for “discharge” from the program created by Renascer and refined with the expertise of McKinsey & Co as part of 5.000 pro bono hours of consultancy provided over 5 years.