PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC RECONSTRUCTION
This is the column Who Makes Redes, a compilation of the stories of people who build our organization and who work hard every day to do what we do best: actions and projects for residents of Maré. Learn about these stories, trajectories, experiences and the history of Redes da Maré itself - and how this work and the challenges faced since the pandemic have transformed them.
Maykon Sardinha (31) was born in the region we call "the border", between Nova Holanda and Baixa do Sapateiro. He spent his early childhood living in Parque Maré, and then, after a process of violence experienced in that area and his mother's need to work, they moved to Baixa do Sapateiro, where he spent most of his life. Nowadays, Maycon lives in Vila do João, graduated in Geography at PUC-Rio and is a researcher of the project ‘Eyes on Maré’, from the axis Right to Public Security and Access to Justice.
After graduating, Maykon started a master's degree at the same university, but he didn’t feel comfortable due to a "very large gap between theory and practice" he found. It was in 2018 that he joined the mobilization team of the Right to Public Security and Access to Justice axis. "Right away, it was the experience that made the most sense to me. We grow up in Maré with the weight of an institutional violence that makes us believe that a fundamental right, such as the right to public security, can be suppressed inside the favela." According to Maykon, the process of raising awareness of the issue within the territory was important for a reconstruction, both personal and academic. "This experience made me want to go back to university and I am currently a master's student in the Public Health program at ENSP (National School of Public Health Sérgio Arouca/Fiocruz)."
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, Maykon worked in the distribution of food baskets and hygiene kits through the ‘Maré says NO to Coronavirus’ campaign, with the residents' associations of Maré. "It was a time when no one really understood the full extent of the pandemic." The researcher also supported the development and organization of the database of families living in social vulnerability, who were supported by the campaign mobilized by Redes da Maré, and in the distribution center. "Many things were remarkable in this process, one of them was to realize that, even after the flexibilization and the gradual return of economic activities, many families would still depend on this support. The pandemic intensified social inequalities and put a greater number of families in situations of vulnerability."
For Maykon, the campaign was a challenging process, but the result was beautiful. "Redes, as a community-based organization, showed the importance of collective action in the territory, bringing together neighborhood associations, collectives, groups, volunteers etc. and creating a strategy to confront the impacts of the pandemic”. According to Maykon, the campaign also implied a greater visibility of Redes da Maré within the territory.
The pandemic is not over yet and the effects of it will be felt for a long time, reminds the young resident and staff of Redes da Maré. "At the present moment, it is important that Redes continues to support the most urgent needs, and, in the future, build strategies for actions that involve overcoming the social crisis that will be left as a legacy of the pandemic," he concludes.
