Quixadá is a municipality in the state of Ceará, located in the Northeast Region of Brazil.
National data show that this region has less than a third of the national population (27.3%), but contributes almost half (47.9%) of all estimated poverty in the country (FECOP, 2020).
The region also suffers from severe droughts, which have contributed to local poverty.
Quixadá is the largest city in the Sertão Central, with an estimated population of 87,728 in 2019.
According to the last census done in 2010, approximately 84% of the population of Quixadá self-identify as Roman Catholic and only 11% self-identify as Evangelical Christians. (IBGE, 2010)
A Bridge to the Middle East
We have observed a parallel between the Northeast region of Brazil and Muslim-majority regions such as North Africa and the Middle East.
All these places face drought, religiosity, poverty, lack of access to Christian education and have similar cultural behaviors.
Our theory is that if we bring practical solutions to these challenges, we can finally see Christianity take root and thrive in those regions we so desperately want to reach.
The city of Quixadá, in Brazil, is the location chosen for our pilot project, because it presents the challenges mentioned above. And, in addition, we have an advantage, which is fluency in Portuguese.
What is Sertão?
In Brazil, it refers to one of the four sub-regions of the Northeast Region of Brazil. It is characterized by its long periods of drought.
