How it Started
“There must be something that we can do,” begins the story of BRAYCE. Richard Calder had a connection with Brazil since the early 1960s. He and Margot lived in Brazil before settling in Chester, Connecticut in 1977. They remained active in Rio de Janeiro even after making their home in the US.
Richard and Margot met Dr. Nanko van Buuren in the early 1990s. Dr. van Buuren was working with his Rio de Janeiro organization, IBISS (Brazilian Institute for Innovation in Public Health) and with ‘Soldados Nunca Mais’ (Soldiers Never More.) Van Buuren offered opportunities and hope to at-risk teens who had little future ahead except gangs, drug trafficking, and crime.
Richard and Margot toured the favelas with Dr. van Buuren and were impressed with his work. Richard, a director of Camp Hazen YMCA, recognized the synergy between IBISS and Camp Hazen’s youth leadership program. Van Buuren and the Calders decided to introduce a cultural exchange between the respective organizations. Richard and Margot’s vision began to take shape and BRAYCE was conceived in 2005!
A Period of Transition
In 2015, we lost both Richard Calder and Nanko van Buuren. Margot Calder assumed the position of President at BRAYCE. Without Dr. van Buuren, the Brazilian Institute for Innovation in Public Health ceased to exist.
Fortunately, in 2016, Margot met Diana Nijboer, founder of EduMais, an after-school program in the Pavão (peacock,) Pavãozinho (little peacock,) and Cantagalo (singing rooster) communities of Brazil. EduMais programs teach underprivileged young people in favelas the essential skills needed in the modern world. The connection between Edumais and BRAYCE helps identify young people with similar ideals and goals and a way to continue the intercultural exchange work.
Under Margot’s leadership, BRAYCE continued to thrive, bringing Brazilian young leaders to Connecticut for life and leadership skills training. All while navigating a series of challenges, from a program pause during COVID to escalating violence in Brazil and the uncertainty of international travel.
New Beginnings
In late March 2025, family, friends, and communities, both local and around the world, mourned the death of Margot, our beloved President. Margot leaves behind a legacy rooted in compassion, a commitment to equality, and a deep conviction in the potential of every young person—steadfast in her belief that it’s not “if” but “when” once given the opportunity to thrive. Margot was not only a co-founder, but the heart and driving force behind BRAYCE’s work for over two decades. Her loss continues to be deeply felt by all who knew and were lucky enough to partner alongside her.
Continuing the Calder family’s culture of service, Caitlin Calder was nominated unanimously by the Board to take on the role of Executive Director. Caitlin brings years of dedication to this new position and a deep commitment to continuing BRAYCE’s mission of empowering gifted yet marginalized young people from the favellas of BRAZIL through culture exchange and leadership opportunity. Her appointment marks the continuation of BRAYCE’s vision established by her parents.
Having grown up with BRAYCE at the heart of family life, she understands its mission on both a personal and practical level. As BRAYCE’s original President in 2005 and, in turn, as an active member of the Board of Directors since 2010, she has been involved in nearly every aspect of our work — from strategic planning to fundraising, from hands-on promotion and program delivery to the establishment of the homestay program. Under Caitlin and the Board’s leadership, planning for the 2026 youth exchange program is well underway with new initiatives also planned.
The Calder family and the BRAYCE community remain profoundly grateful for the continued support during this time of transition and look forward to renewed purpose in honoring Richard and Margot Calder’s mission and the important work still to come.
