Change Lives of 100 High Risk Teen Mums in Brazil

“I think I’m going to be able to say something…………The project has helped me a lot. I want to be someone in life so that later my son has someone to look up to, today I know that I can be that person!”. M. 

We are also pleased to let you know about M, a teen beneficiary of the project since 2011 and mother of a 1 year old. Due to her relationship with her boyfriend, M was involved with drug trafficking in the region where she lived in São Paulo. M’s relationship with her mother was already very troubled because of this situation and the deep concern of the project staff was that she would be arrested or thrown out of her mother’s home with her son. Despite all efforts of the project staff to talk with her and accompany her situation, it appeared that her case was ever more complicated. Then, when the project staff least expected it, M decided to leave her boyfriend and return to school. In the same week her ex – boyfriend was arrested and M told the project staff that if she had still been with him, she would certainly have been arrested too and by then, far from her son. When the staff asked her what had made her decide to change, she said that after all she has learned at the project, she couldn’t continue her life in that way, she had to be a good example to her child.

We'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge thanks to you for your generous support of our work.

From the project team,

Muito obrigada!

Dear Supporter,

We'd like to update you on our most recent workshop activities!

Over the last few months the project educator and psychologist have been working together closely in leading the activities with the Pregnant Teen and Teen Mother and Newborn Groups. The main theme of the workshops given has been Professional Orientation and Life Plans. Within this theme the subjects discussed have included self-knowledge, information about professional training courses, profiles for different professions/occupations, personal skills and the job market.

During the workshops, it has been possible to observe the interests of the project attendees in different professions and whether or not they believe in their capacity to achieve their desires with regard to these interests. The staff have constantly sought to develop activities that encourage the attendees to believe in themselves more. For example, they introduced a board game that focuses on the choice of a profession and gives the opportunity for guided discussions on the responsibilities of different jobs, work environments and the return that each individual expects from their work. As each attendee began to think about the possibility of planning a career, they became more and more motivated and self-confident.

In the last workshop on the theme of Professional Orientation and Life Plans each attendee wrote their own CV. This theme, however, will permeate all actions of the project staff throughout the year and they will return to it periodically in the ongoing workshops with the Pregnant Teen and Teen Mother and Newborn Groups, as well as sending project attendee CVs to vacant positions and searching for entry registration to different training courses.

Through working on this theme, several project attendees have realized that they must first return to school level studies since most professional training courses require that each participant has graduated from High School.

We, the project team, would like to extend our deepest thanks for your interest in and support of our work and the project beneficiaries would also like to express their deep gratitude to you for helping to make positive change a reality in their lives.