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José Gerson

GRATITUDE THAT INSPIRES

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.

José Gerson da Silva (39), from Recife, has been living in Maré since he was 5 years old, in Vila do Pinheiro. Two years ago, he lost a member of his family and ended up avoiding his own territory. But the approach to the campaign ‘Maré says NO to Coronavirus’ made him rethink his presence and relation with Maré.

Gerson worked as a delivery driver and now accompanies the team on visits to families with patients from Covid-19 through the ‘Conexão Saúde – de olho na Covid’. He does not see himself returning to the activity of bricklayer, which he had before the pandemic. He says that working on the campaign made him “open and occupy his mind”, transformed him and made him see how many people needed help in Maré.

The gratitude that people showed when receiving support has made him want to continue with this work. For Gerson, it is difficult to explain how much the work has changed the way he sees Maré and its residents. It had been a long time since fear and lack of desire prevented him from traveling through Maré - and today this what he does the most. In addition to circulating, seeing and meeting more people, he told how much he has learned every day from work.
Although Gerson already knew Redes da Maré, through his wife who works in the Right to Public Security and Access to Justice Axis, it was the possibility of collaborating in the campaign, starting with the pandemic, that brought him closer to our work and also the struggle for guaranteing rights. But we all know his story well. He is the husband of Bruna Silva and father of the boy Marcus Vinícius, who was killed during a police operation in Maré, in 2018. Gerson, counting on your work has strengthened not only you, but all of us. We shall walk together to guarantee rights in Maré!

Rio de Janeiro, october 06, 2020.