In 2020, SEDA College Online decided to join forces in the transformation of lives and joined one of the projects that have been changing the lives of more than 300 young people from the ghettos of Porto Alegre – RS, the Gaditas Project.
In a recent visit to the project’s headquarters, our CEO Vanessa Melo, inaugurated, in partnership with SEDA College, an English classroom so that children, through the practice of jiu-jitsu, have also had the opportunity to learn a second language. But that would only be the beginning, and she decided she could go further and sponsor an athlete.
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EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
Vanessa Melo, after visiting the project talked with the co-founder of the SEDA group, Tiago Mascarenhas – who was already aware of the work Eduardo (responsible for the Gaditas project) has been doing. “I met Eduardo’s project in 2018 through a friend, as I also practice the sport. And I soon realized that many of these children could have a different future uniting the sport and education, as happened with Harold,” says Tiago Mascarenhas.
Harold Monteiro, was the first student of the Gaditas project to land in Dublin, Ireland, in May 2019 to study English and be able to participate in international competitions to become a champion. Harold arrived in Ireland without understanding a word of English and is now at the intermediate level.
And as the partnership between SEDA College Online and the Gaditas project has grown, the CEO’s Tiago Mascarenhas and Vanessa Melo decided to surprise the boys of the project by announcing in an exciting way who would embark for Dublin, to make an exchange that will be 100% sponsored by SEDA Group. See the end of this story watching the video below and getting to know a little bit about Jozyel Araújo, who embarks for his exchange in May.
STORY OF A CHAMPION
Jozyel Araújo is 16 years old and has been living at Project Gaditas since he was 12. His story is very similar to that of all the children and adolescents who were born in the ghetto: a lot of difficulties, hunger, and danger living next door – drugs and crime.
“He was getting involved with alcohol, so I decided to invite him to spend some time here. Then he came and never left. I remember that in the beginning I told Jozyel that he had talent, that he could be a jiu-jitsu champion, and he told me that he didn’t want anything, he just wanted to have something to eat every day,” says Eduardo, a teacher and founder of Project Gaditas.
And his story has changed a lot thanks to the sport. Since he started competing, he won the Metropolitan, State, and South American championships, and before going to Europe, he will participate for the 3rd time in the Brazilian championship, of which he has been champion twice.
“This is a very important step for us. Our main mission is to bring language learning to as many people as possible, especially these young people who think they would never have the opportunity to learn a new language,” said Vanessa Melo, CEO of SEDA College Online.
Seda College Online believes that education combined with a sports activity can turn dreams into reality, and build a new future full of opportunities for these young people.
If you want more information about Seda College Online, send us an email at [email protected] .
