Having more than one language in your CV opens many doors for who is searching for a job opportunity. But paying for english or spanish classes is a privilege that not everyone has access to, mainly those who live in poor neighborhoods. Thinking about this problem, Amanda Areias, a graphic designer from São Paulo, created the project Voice – Inglês para elas (english for women), which offers free classes for women on Jardim Colombo neighborhood, next to Paraisópolis community, on the south region of São Paulo.
Amanda started learning english when she was 9 and, after her last voluntary work, in 2016, when she gave portuguese classes for refugees, she decided to create her own Project, with the purpose to teach the language so the women can grow on their jobs and personal life. “The english language was something that opened many doors for me, professional and personally, that’s why I’ve chosen to pass this learning on”, told Amanda to Her Campus.
With classes on sundays, that tries to develop abilities on children and teenagers, Voice counts with 36 voluntary teachers. Amanda takes care of the administration, while the teachers can change and each one give classes once a month. On the last semester, the Project had 70 students, divided in four classes and three levels. Amanda tells that the mainly reason why the students search for the classes is to grow professionally, inside their own Jobs or at new Jobs. Many women also dream to live abroad.
Image Source: Personal File
About giving classes just for women, Amanda says that the Project was an attempt to decrease the gender inequality on the market of job, besides it’s a way of empowering for them to feel more confident of learning alone, without the presence of the husband or someone from the family. This also makes the students feel more comfortable to talk and ask questions.
“Today the market is predominantly composed by men, and there are many studies that say most of the best jobs are also occupied by men. Training women in different aspects is a way of making then grow more and more and, consequently, this difference will decrease.” affirms.
Image Source: Personal File
Camila Cassimiro, 31 years old, is one of the firsts students from Voice and goes to the classes until today. She works on the administration of a real state and goes to a pre vestibular course at night. She tells that now she can understand the english when it’s spoken and what calls her attention is the dedication of the teachers, who teaches in a simple way. “I think it’s great that the Project gives classes only for women, because we’re as competent as men. And only for the fact of us being women they get the best opportunities.” affirms the student.
In the future, Amanda wants to grow more. Open new unities of Voice on other places and offer different services for the women, like helping groups, psychological help for single moms or those suffers with some type of abuse, feminist lawyers that works for women causes and classes about many themes, as politics and economy. “All the stories of the girls mark me. See that they’re feeling confident when realizes that are getting better on english, listening to them talking about their plans for the future, seeing the friendship that grows inside the Project. All of this makes me very happy to make their dreams come true, and they are not only theirs, they are mine too.”
Image Source: Personal File