VOA-Micaelly
Micaelly Pereira dos Santos, 14 years old
"Education can change my life"
Being born and living in the midst of poverty, with lots of difficulties and little money, it is often like walking through narrow corridors of a labyrinth. No matter how hard you walk, it's not always possible to find your way out by yourself. Sometimes you need someone to give you a hand.
Micaelly Pereira dos Santos, age 14, started her path out of this labyrinth about two years ago by participating in workshops at the Rede Cultural Beija-Flor. Now, with the Valiant Girls project, developed by the institution in partnership with and sponsored by the Grieg Foundation, she finds another helping hand for her to find her path to success.
The teenager is one of the eight girls who received a scholarship that will finance the costs during the three years of High School in a prestigious private school. But it still takes dedication and effort. "I wake up at 5 am or 5:30 am," says Micaelly about her daily routine.
She lives in a neighborhood about two hours by bus from school, where the lack of infrastructure and the violence caused by drug trafficking are threats to young people like her and her younger sisters.
About the classes, the adolescent notices the difference in relation to her old school, both in terms of content and the demands, and knows that she needs to work hard to take advantage of this opportunity. "It's hard there, but it will help me a lot to pass a college entrance exam".
When she talks about the future, Micaelly doesn't think only about herself, but also about her sisters and mother, who takes care of the family alone. "My dream is to give a better condition for my family, a better house. What I would really like is to have an eternal family," she comments with emotion.
To take part in a project like the Valiant Girls is much more than simply having access to a good education. It means seeing new possibilities to change a reality that, until then, was difficult. Micaelly knows this. "I felt very happy. Education can change my life", she concludes.
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