Projects

I arrived at that PPP as the mascot, the youngest among everyone. To this day, I can’t understand why my mother allowed me to go to Cais do Porto (Rio), where our first rehearsals were held alongside many other young people—some of whom were serving juvenile sentences. That port area was extremely dangerous before they renamed it the “Olympic Boulevard.” I was between 11 and 12 years old at the time. I would never allow my own child to cross the city and spend time with young people who, in society’s eyes, were considered ‘criminals’ or ‘delinquents.’ Deep down, I think my mother knew that I was more at risk inside the favela than outside of it. Plus, the stipend we received from the program helped at the end of the month, and so did the food hampers we carried home on our shoulders. See, the impact wasn’t just on us, the students—it extended to our families too. I didn’t even know how to pronounce the name of the NGO (People's Palace Projects) back then. It’s funny to think that today, I’m an English teacher. Throughout the years, we always had strong female figures in leadership, which I think made perfect sense. Most of us were orphans or had mothers who worked all day. The first woman who cared for us was Márcia—she was murdered during that time. Then came Alexandra, who stayed with us for almost all the years. We had Rose, Fernanda… names I will never forget. Tom… Silvana from SESC. And on a more personal level, I became friends with Patrícia. All of them were fundamental role models in my growth. And then there were others—people we saw less often but who gave us the feeling that “we could become someone like them.” I remember Regina, who worked at the office on Rua Bambina—I sometimes pass by there when I go to teach at Santo Inácio. And of course, you, Magno… I felt at home with you. "Changing the Scene" changed the scene of my life. I remember that one of the exercises was to interrupt our skits and rewrite the ending. A change! And that’s exactly what I did when I finished the program. That program shaped me as a person, Magno. I remember reading pieces of Shakespeare, among others. We had exposure to English. That never would have reached us otherwise. We had nutritious meals when workshops moved to SESC Tijuca. For us, coming from the favela, we didn’t even know what a nutritionist was. At SESC, we had one. When "Changing the Scene" moved to SESC, Fernanda recommended me for a full scholarship at a British language school. Once again, I had to cross the city—this time as a 19-year-old man, fully formed by PPP and SESC. I became fluent in English. Then, I followed what two of your people had told me: •“I want to see you in university,” Alexandra had written in my notebook. •“You will pass the entrance exam and learn English,” said Patrícia. It seemed like they believed in me more than I did myself. I did all of it. I was inspired by them. Today, they are my friends. I keep in touch with them on Instagram. Last year, Patrícia referred me for a job at the school her daughter goes to. Imagine that—I am now teaching her daughter! Hahaha. And Alexandra invited me to perform at a poetry event. I am a product of the favela and a product of social programs. I believe in this work. My entire education has been shaped by it. Today, I teach in elite schools, where my students come from wealthy and even millionaire families. But I just passed a public-school teaching exam—because what I truly love is teaching young people from the favelas. I want to give them the same opportunity to dream that was once given to me. I give back what was given to me. Writing this message takes me back in time. And I love it.