There are no dumb students!

When I started working with children from poor communities, I always heard: “Oh, that one will never learn. Forgets”. To prove that wasn’t true, I got some volunteers together and we started to give tutoring classes to children in the communities of Paraisópolis, Vila Morse and Monte Kemel, in São Paulo. The project started in 2007. In a short time, those children “who would never learn” were already reading and writing. They returned to follow classes at school and regained their self-esteem.

The idea worked

The project’s secret is to put prejudices aside and believe that every child can learn. Afterwards, just talk to the student to understand where he lost his footing and resume learning from there. In a class of 40 students, the teacher does not have the time and, sometimes, not even the necessary training to pay attention to each one. Then they feel bad saying they didn’t understand and don’t ask for help. With that, a simple question goes unanswered and becomes a snowball. What we do is show the child that there is nothing wrong with asking. We show that doubts are part of learning and, little by little, we restore self-esteem to students. Each teacher works with a maximum of five children at a time.

teachers with drive

The first year of the project was chaos. We had a meeting almost every week, but the problems did not end. There was a lack of teachers, people who compromised and disappeared. Mothers complaining, students planted, waiting for class. But we didn’t give up. Over time, things picked up. The teachers who stayed were the ones who really wanted to collaborate. It was a smaller group, but with much more grit.

Mission Accomplished!

Today, I am sure that our work makes a difference. We did it, the reinforcement worked! Every beginning of the semester, when enrollment for classes opens, there is a queue of mothers wanting a place. The project became a reference in the community. Despite the difficulties, the result is rewarding. It’s amazing to overcome social prejudices, laziness and financial interests. I learned that we have more strength and love within us than we often realize.