WEAVING POSSIBILITIES
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.
Maria Helena (33) is from the Northeast, as 25.8% of the residents of Maré: she came from Paraíba to Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She arrived at Parque União to live with her uncles, looking for new job opportunities and better living conditions. She got to know Redes da Maré in 2015 from an invitation to make a soup for regulars on the crack scene, at Rua Flavia Farnese. That same year, she had the opportunity to start working at the organization collaborating with the support team.
In 2016, after taking the Drywall Course at Redes da Maré, which aims to offer young people a technical qualification in the field of civil construction, she was invited to join the maintenance team and became the first woman to work in this role at the organization. With this experience, which initially was not in Helena's plans, she saw the possibility of working with maintenance autonomously, strengthening other people and guaranteeing extra income.
Helena says that the campaign ‘Maré says NO to Coronavirus’ was an opportunity to get to know more about Maré, because her routine was restricted to work and home: “I learned many things and saw the needs of the people who live here up close”. She worked on the distribution of food baskets and cleaning kits and on the discharge of donations that arrived at Centro de Artes da Maré. "There were not one or two scenes that marked me, they were diverse in different places: the hope of many people was that we would bring guidance, help." It reinforces that people's need was often not only financial, but also emotional.
Maria Helena tells about people who are part of the organization and that she ended up considering as part of her family over the years, and hopes to continue this fight with them. “In my view, Redes cannot stop. It is a fundamental work.” What she wants for the future? That the organization grow and expand to help many more people. "Talking about the future is sometimes complicated in the midst of the things we are experiencing, but I hope that I can contribute in some way to this work". We also hope that you will be with us!
