In Brazil, only 8% of the population participates in volunteer working. It is less than 17 million people in a country where there are about 207 million people. The numbers are worse when they are related to age range: 8 out of 10 young people have never been involved in volunteering, according to a research made by Datafolha for Fundação Itaú Social.
Nowadays, being involved with social projects is a differential for growth in professional life, for example. However, the purpose of it is much nobler than an extra in your CV. Gabriela Leite, Julia Roque, Camila Simões e Nathália Freindorfner are students of Cásper Líbero and give us a lesson of citizenship and solidarity when it comes to their volunteer works.
1) Gabriela Leite – Hamburgada do Bem
(Gabriela’s first day in Hamburgada do Bem, Augusto is on her left.)
Hamburgada do Bem is a project that promotes distribution of hamburgers, fun and information to poor communities. It was found by two brothers in Pimentas, a district of Guarulhos. Nowadays, each event happens in a diferent community with the support of public schools’ administration team. Besides the Hamburguers, the volunteers interact with the children, they have some fun together while playing games. All material used in those actions are from donations.
Gabriela told us that she met a a very special boy on her first day at Hamburgada do Bem. His name was Augusto and he enchanted her, althoug he was very shy. His father, who was deceased, was a police officer. Now Augusto lives only with his mother. The most touching thing was that Augustus had never eaten a burger. “Many never ate burger, never had a milkshake. They take them home saying they will give to their parents and brothers.” the student points out.
2) Camila Simões – TETO
(Camila doing repairs on constructions in a community of Campinas)
Camila is a volunteer of TETO, an international organization that works to develop poor communities. Previously, the institution’s flagship was the construction of emergency housing. Families living in very precarious shacks earned a wooden house that was valid for five years. Today, TETO focuses much more on community development; it helps on choosing a leader, organizing the neighbors for some service in the region – paving a street, for example.
There are other projects of the organization as “Construção Corporativa” or “Horta Comunitária”. There is a huge variety of them because they are thought for each region and its needs. Volunteering in the organization is arranged in mass events too. Many volunteers go to communities to take specific actions, such as construction projects or ECO – Escutando Comunidades (interviewing residents to understand the socioeconomic structure of the community in order to begin organizing future actions).
Camila’s boyfriend, Victor, told us a thouchable story that happened in Malvinas, a Guarulhos’ community. It is about a family that lives there. Their 9-square metre shack was made of siding, cardboard and canvas. There was a double bed, a cot and a stove. An old man, his wife, his daughter, his grandson and a cat lived in the shack. One of the pieces of action is to ask if the occupant has an interest in TETO’s help in the construction of a new home. When asked about this, he replied: “I do not want to, son. Leave it to who really needs it. I’m already building my cement shack”. Victor said “It hit me a lot. I wanted to shake him up and say, ‘Man, you really need it.’ That man’s sense of altruism was impressive”.
3) Julia Roque – Instituto Ser +
(Julia working on Escola Genésio de Almeida Moura’s reform)
Julia Roque is a volunteer at Ser +, an institute that aims to develop low-income youth through access to information and professional training. The organization divides its work into two main projects: the Jovem em Destaque and the Conectar Juvenil – Programa de Aprendizagem. The first one, with duration of four months, promotes the cognitive development of the individual in the age group of 15 to 17. The grade includes subjects such as Citizenship and Youth Protagonism, Attendance Techniques, Basic Computer Science, Notions of English, Mathematics, Portuguese, Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Photography. The second brings four types of courses aimed at professional qualification: Administrative Assistant, Industrial Production and Logistics Assistant, Pharmacy Assistant and Commercial and Retail Assistant.
People from 15 to 22 years old can participate. The learning process has a duration of 11 or 15 months, with 30% of the workload being theoretical taught at the Ser + Institute and 70% of the practical hours worked within the company.
Julia said that one of her most remarkable experiences was the reform of the Escola Doutor Genésio de Almeida Moura, located in Brasilândia, where training classes were being taught – Ser + teachers go to the communities to teach. The action counted on the work of countless volunteers, a team of architects, a graffiti artist, as well as tables, chairs and various other materials from donations.
“Students did not know that this reform would happen. They got euphoric when they arrived and saw several painted walls, the school’s main wall with a graffiti art, the schoolyard with a carpet and the new furniture. Their reaction made all the work worth it.”
4) Nathalia Freindorfner – Aliança com a Vida
Nathalia works for Aliança com a Vida. It is a NGO that was idealized and created by a family which rescue and sought home for abandoned dogs. With the growth of the organization, more space for animals has become a necessity. Then a country house in Itapecerica da Serra was bought to shelter over 200 dogs. Today, in addition to taking care of the dogs who live in the shelter temporarily, they hold an adoption fair each month and also have a digital platform that promotes ease in adopting a friend. The fairs are the best opportunities to really take care of them.
“There you get in touch with the dogs. You caresses them, gives snacks to them, cleans their poop. At the same time, there is a lot of tension at the fairs. The dogs get really stressed because many strange people come to see them. That makes them fight with each other”, said Nathalia. When asked about some particular experience as in Aliança volunteer, Nathalia sadly said “I do not have any very memorable story, because I do not get in much contact with the dogs outside the fair, but the NGO receives so many dogs that which have stories of abuse and neglect. That breaks my heart.”
All the work done by these women shows how powerful each of us can be. It is impossible to embrace the world alone, but we can embrace stories and change the world of some people or animals, as in the case of Nathalia. It’s in our hands!