FAMILY THAT ENCOURAGES
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.
Paulinho, as he is known, turned 53 recently. He was born in Nova Holanda, at Rua 4. With the loss of his father at a very young age, he spent some time living elsewhere, but returned in 1994. At Redes da Maré, he started in 2007, when the headquarters was still being organized for the start of activities: “I arrived on February 10, during Carnival, the rooms were still dusty, a lot of chairs”. Paulinho's family grew up with the friends he made during these 13 years of work at Redes da Maré. In this conversation, he mentioned several colleagues who have been and are part of his life, at different times.
Some teachers and collaborators were the biggest incentives for him to seek to fulfill a personal dream: graduation. However, although he was doing well, he abandoned the Pre-College Course due to personal issues. His desire was to study Geography or Administration: "working at Redes, you see other possibilities". Paulo highlighted the importance of the NGO's work with the Pre-College Course, which helped many people to enter college and ensure better living conditions for themselves and many families: “today, there are houses here that have 3 or 4 attending college due to Redes’ work”. This year, he signed up for ENEM and does not intend to give up on his dream. Paulinho is currently an important staff of the Municipal Cultural Canvas Herbert Vianna, managed by Redes da Maré.
During the campaign, he served as a fixed support at Lona, which also functioned as a base for the distribution of food baskets. “There were hundreds of families, but we served them all with great care and affection, as we have always done in the organization. It was wonderful! It was a moment when we began to reflect and get closer to others, because it seems that people did not care about what their neighbors were going through”, he reinforced.
Despite the moment of uncertainty, not only with the pandemic but also due to serious environmental and intolerance issues, for the future, Paulo's expectation is that people continue to take care of themselves and others, that things get better and that the work of organizations like Redes da Maré be strengthened: "If there is no one to resist, the tendency would be to get worse.”
