VOA - Sthefany’s Story
Who: Children at Risk Foundation and Rede Cultural Beija-Flor
What: The VOA Project: Cultural activities and vocational training for children growing up in the Brazilian favela. Empowering and supporting women.
"I was nervous and anxious. Then I got really excited and happy." This rollercoaster of feelings invaded the heart of Sthefany Melo da Silva, 16, between applying and being approved to take part in Valiant Girls. This is a program that offers scholarships for socially vulnerable girls to attend three years of high school at a private school with a high standard of teaching.
Sthefany is one of thousands of teenagers who live in situations of social vulnerability on the outskirts of Brazil's big cities. That's why she knows that a quality education is what can open the door to fulfilling her dreams and building a better future. It is an education that will facilitate access to a good job, breaking the circle of poverty that condemns many girls and their families to a life of hardship – and often hunger.
The house the girl lives in is simple, with three small rooms, little furniture, and hardly any comfort. She lives with her father, mother, and three younger siblings. The neighborhood, in the city of Diadema, state of São Paulo, is a region of urban occupation that suffers from a lack of infrastructure.
Until a few years ago, the area was a huge open-air dump, where waste of all kinds was thrown away without any treatment, causing the proliferation of rats, insects, and a strong smell in the air. Parts of the area are still considered unsuitable for living in, but poverty pushes families to these irregular plots of land and they build their houses there.
Angelo, Sthefany's father, only studied until the 6th year of elementary school. Her mother, Keila, studied until the 1st year of high school. Both are unemployed. Their low level of education is the main difficulty in getting a job.
Sthefany, who starts her second year of high school in 2024, knows that she needs a good foundation in order to follow her dreams and go to college. "Studying at this school is preparing me for the future. I want to study veterinary science or biology. I like studying life," she says. Her parents also understand the importance of being part of Valiant Girls. "It's a source of pride," says Angelo. "It's an opportunity we could never have afforded," comments his mother.
"If it hadn't been for the Valiant Girls project, I wouldn't have been able to get into a school like this. I thank the Grieg Foundation and the [RCBF] for the opportunity to change my story. It was essential," says an emotional Sthefany.
The Valiant Girls program is sponsored by the Grieg Foundation. It is a program representing hope for these young girls and their families – planting seeds of opportunity that can change the lives not only of Sthefany and the other participants, but also of their families and the community in which they live.
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