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Carlos Vinícius Cardoso Cruz 16 years old 2 years in the project Petrobras - Where did you hear about the Spirit's Dream Project? Vinícius - My mother told me about it. I already knew I had drawing skills, and my uncles and my mother motivated me to draw. She got me a place in the project to build my drawing abilities. I spent four months in the course, three of which taking theoretical classes alone. P - What changed in your life after you entered the Spirit's Dream Project? V - I became conscious of the color of my skin. I now accept and admire it. I am no longer upset when someone calls me a "little black kid." I do get mad, though, when they call me brown, because that is not my skin's color. P - What is the best part of the Spirit's Dream? V - The best part were the trips. I got to know other places and to show a little of São Luís culture to people who didn't know it. The worst part was when the course was put on hold for three months because of a lack of funds. P - What can you say about the Spirit's Dream Project? V - I wanted people not only to read about it, but to go there and see the facilities and the project with their own eyes. P - What have you learned about the black culture? V - With the project, I got to know the Afrobanjá dance group, the Tambor de Crioula (Black Woman's Drum), the "bumba meu boi" ox fest, the coconut dance, and many other things. P - And what about your future? V - I have been thinking about studying Law, but I'm not sure yet. P - How important is Petrobras for the project? V - The project needs stability. top |
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Carlos Diego Viegas Gomes 20 years old 6 years in the project Petrobras - How was it to be accepted to participate in the Spirit's Dream Project? Diego - The Maranhão Center for Black Culture and the Spirit's Dream project entered my life in a revolutionary manner. P - Why? D - Although I'm not a great musician, the project brought me closer to music. I actually had a scholarship at the Maranhão School of Music, but I didn't care. Today, I've already participated in the recording of two CDs, I am a composer for the Afro Akomabu Street Band and I have become an Afro percussion instrument manufacturing professional. P - Did the project help you find a job? D - After studying there, I was hired as a project instructor and was able to materialize a dream every Brazilian person has, which is having legal working papers and a job. I owe it all to the CCN and to Petrobras. P - How important is Petrobras for the project? D - Because it is a world renowned company, Petrobras makes the project very respected. When people hear Petrobras sponsors it, they want to know how it was we accomplished it all and are surprised. They respect the Spirit's Dream even more after that. P - What was your best experience in the project? D - The fact that at 20 years of age I'm already a professional and that I am a reference to others, becoming an opinion-maker among people aged 16 to 23. It is a true dream I never want to wake up out of. P - And how do you benefit from this? D - I only have to be thankful. Thank you CCN. Thank you Spirit's Dream. Thank you Petrobras. top |
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Rudevaldo Marques da Silva 20 years old 4 years in the project Petrobras - What do you do in the Spirit's Dream Project? Rudevaldo - I am an instrument manufacturing workshop assistant. But I was admitted to the project as a student. P - How has it changed you? R - The project started changing my life by giving me a profession, and it improved my self-esteem, working on my ethnicity and reducing my shyness. P - What's the best part of the project in your opinion? R - That I am with all of these people who participate in it. We are friends, as if we were a big family. P - In your opinion, how important is Petrobras for this project? R - Petrobras is very important for our project. With its support, the project can attend a larger number of needy young people. The project is very important in these kid's lives since they spend less time on the streets because of it. top |
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Isaías Fabiano Costa Abreu 19 years old 2 years in the project Petrobras - How has the Spirit's Dream affected your life? Isaías - The project is important to me because it helped me a lot. Besides giving e a profession, it opened my mind to the world. It helped me understand things like public policies, something I had no clue about before. P - What did you learn there? I - I participated in seminars, congresses, and other types of events. The qualification workshops helped me a lot because they introduced me to several issues I didn't know. P - What do you talk about? I - The topics were very interesting, such as STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases), AIDS, teenager pregnancies, child exploitation, and others. P - What do you have to say to Petrobras, who supports the project? I - Thank you, Petrobras, for believing in us. top |
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Lígia Santos 21 years old Petrobras - Tell me a little about your life before the Spirit's Dream? Lígia - My mother used to work in the street market, selling food and soft drinks. I was only 10, but I went to work with her. The street markets were held three times a week. I used to get there at noon, after school, and only went home at 11 P.M. Our income was very low. That was my life for seven years. P - What were you like back then? L - When I started working at the street market, I was very shy. I had limited vocabulary, I didn't have a critical set of mind, I had no perspectives in my personal and professional lives and had low self-esteem. P - How did you enter the project? L - In 1997, I was working when a boy called Emerson approached me. Between one conversation and another, he told me he taught graffiti classes at an association and invited me to get to know it. I was interested in the art, but in the beginning I didn't think I had it in me. Then, with a lot of effort and Emerson's encouragement, I went on and was able to show my talent. P - How important is Petrobras for the project? L - In 2002, when Petrobras started sponsoring the project, it took a great step forward. Even the number of young people it serves went up to 90. P - Do you work in the project? L - I am a former student, and now I'm on the project's technical staff. But before becoming a professional, I had to show a lot of effort, resistance, and competence. top |
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