We can always be something more

Important achievements made over the last few decades are known to have opened the way for the long-awaited gender equality. Despite the efforts, however, the situation of women in many parts of the world is still a major issue. They have to deal with violence, social inequality, insecurity, and a lack of freedom on a daily basis. That is why organizations like the Legion of Good Will fight for universal rights and emphasize how valuable women are in all areas of society and how they can make a difference in various ways.   

Arquivo Pessoal

Having finished high school in 2013 at the José de Paiva Netto Educational Institute (IEJPN), I was able to see for myself how this work is done. During the 17 years I was there (I entered nursery school when I was just 4 months old), I noticed the difference between it and other schools, not only in terms of the teaching method, but also in the way the teachers treated us. They always encouraged us to pursue our dreams, even those that were apparently way beyond our reach. I noticed that this special care is also given to people in the LGW’s social and educational units, particularly when I read the reports of those assisted by the Organization in Brazil and in other countries.

One of the reasons why I was able to enter the University of São Paulo (USP)—ranked as the most important university in Latin America and one of the best in the world—without the need to attend any other preparatory courses was because of the encouragement I received from my former teachers and guidance counselors at the IEJPN.

Among the many memories I affectionately recall I would highlight one from the last year of high school, when we were asked what we wanted to do after finishing school. One of my classmates said she wanted to be a chief of police department, which was an unusual choice. The teachers supported her decision and told her that she needed to study and work really hard to achieve her goal. I have never seen them discourage anyone. I have never heard them use expressions like “Don’t get involved with that,” or “Let your male colleague do that.” This attitude helped us to carry on exploring our creativity and entrepreneurship, and many of us went into fields once dominated by men.

They also reminded us that the future of our planet Earth depends mainly on my generation. For this reason, we receive from a very early age an education that leads us to develop “a view beyond the intellect” and that encourages us to have a solidary and fraternal spirit. As a student, I was also introduced to issues like caring for and preserving the environment, with a focus on awakening within us attitudes that are oriented towards conscious consumption. They were simple but very effective practices, such as carrying out activities outdoors so we could come into contact with Nature. We learned how to plant tree saplings and make our own vegetable gardens at home, and this helped us understand the cycle of life as we watched the plants grow and bear fruit. Another interesting activity was separating the different types of garbage so we could recycle it and/or build toys and utensils out of what was disposable—and we took this information back to our families and neighbors.

The encouragement provided to us and the special care that the teachers of the Legion of Good Will have help women and girls be what they want to be, without being limited by anyone, whoever they might be. As the President of the LGW, José de Paiva Netto, writes in his article “The Millennium of Women”: “There is no stopping—as some even to this day would covertly desire—the distinguished and fruitful participation of women in the various sectors of society for progress to be completely successful in a magnificent crusade for the rescue of citizenship . . . .”
Lessons such as these, which I received during my school years, inspire and motivate me to work more and more in favor of a better world.