Today we celebrate International Women Day paying tribute to “Granny” Etelvina, an ALG woman of strength.
Her 71 years do not let her fade, on the contrary, she is lively and full of strength. She realized the key to break the cycle of poverty was in investing in children’s education, especially of those in need, and started the Escolinha Flor da Infancia Preschool (Flower of Youth, in Portuguese), under a tree by her home.
For our “Granny”, no matter how ineffective the overall education system may be for the poorest, “we will always do everything in our hands so our children can read and write well”.
The ALG Preschools – tenderly named “Little Schools” – offer 160 unprivileged children aged 3-5 years old with access to preschool education and food, in a safe learning environment.
The Little Schools provide vulnerable children that would not otherwise be able to attend nursery, with daily classes, an occupation, developing their competencies, study routines and avoiding them taking to the streets before they even get a chance in life. These are the kids at risk to become “street kids”, but in the Little Schools they receive care, love and attention, as well as the guaranty of a daily meal, both in Flor da Infancia Preschool led by Vovo Etelvina, and in Santa Catarina Preschool, led by Sister Aparecida, another ALG Woman of Strength.