The value of education. Perceptions and realization.

It has been two weeks into our project with  ITEVA (the Advanced Technological and Vocational Institute) in Aquiraz, Ceará, Brazil. As my IBM Corporate Service Corp partner Berna Tucel from Turkey and I are getting into the field work by interviewing many stakeholders and youths, we are exposed to both the good and bad side of Brazil, education system, challenges of the youths and the efforts from both state and NGOs (non-government organizations).

As we learn about the challenges, we start to appreciate more about the good work that ITEVA is doing in Aquiraz. ITEVA has a great family culture where Fabio Beneduce is like a kind father to the team.  Everyone is treated with respect, love and care.  The camaraderie among the team members is like brothers and sisters.

The philosophy of ITEVA and Projecto Mediacom can be summed up in 6 words - unity, co-operation, discipline, dedication, transparency, conscienciousness. These principals guide the steps of those who enter the Midiacom Academy as students, and in turn teach the new students, and eventually to graduate and work at the ITEVA social enterprise.  These are important values that are missing and much needed in the youths.

ITEVA’s Midiacom celebrates her 10^th anniversary this year, and has many success stories to date. During my stint here, I have seen many other state and social organizations come personally to consult with Fabio on his winning formula. However, it is not without its growing pains.

ITEVA and many other social education organizations are filling a gap in Brazil, as not everyone understands the value of education or technology, nor support it whole heartedly.

Politicians are split in terms of the need for education.  There are those who have a passion that quality education is needed to help the citizens to get out of poverty, motivate them for progress and drive growth for the economy.   

There are also those that view a literate population as less easy to manipulate for votes and they would challenge the status quo of the statesmen and exercise choice that is not influenced entirely by government grants.

At the state level, funds are given to parents for keeping their children in school, so that they are not asked to leave school to work to supplement the family income.  The amount is small and may help a little to keep the students in school, but not as much as a mindset change is needed.   For the lower income, they may decide to have four children, send them to school and collect the grants to retire.

The state also fund the city and municipal to run the public schools.  These funds are subject to potential corruption and funds are low resulting in low salaries for teachers which does not motivate them to seek new skills or create new programs in school.

At the school level, it is entirely dependent on the vision of each school principal on how to shape the school curriculum and how much funding they get.  While there are some 100 new model schools that has sprung up across Ceara, such as the EEEP Alda Facanha in Aquiraz that I blogged about, most schools do not have visionary principals, technologically or vocationally trained teachers, or sufficient funds to invest in improving the school infrastructure.  Many schools are still relying on black boards and teachers do not know how to use computers.

Public schools provide a half day curriculum and it is mandatory to provide food for the children.  Many children stay in school as they need the food.  However, the students do not have any school activities for the other half day.  There are many occasions where the students may end up in bad company as working parents do not have time for them.

At the family level, not all parents understand the value of education.  Families who are in business or are wealthier, are more supportive of their children in furthering their studies and would pay for private school fees through to college and universities.  Most families are accustomed to their fate and expect the children to follow in their foot steps.  For many who do consider education as important, they may not understand the role of technology in the new economy of jobs.

At the student level, many children live in the parents’ homes until they get married, and some stay in the home until they are 50 years old.  As such, there is no urgency to be financially independent.  School students have been known to drop out for reasons such as lack of interest in the subjects, distance to the school is too far.  There is little discipline or dedication for many youths to study or excel in their study.  Many attend school but do not learn.

The work that ITEVA does is admirable in many ways. ITEVA operates Midiacom Academy in the education of  technology which in powerpoint presentations, animation, editorial, and websites.  They also run a social enterprise that provide jobs for the students when the graduate.

In order to keep the academy running, ITEVA has to do an annual submission and justification to secure the approval of relevant funding from the state for social work and ensure the funds is received in a timely manner.  ITEVA also has to reach out the school principals, teachers, parents and students to help them understand the importance of technology as a game changer in the youth’s lives. 

To address the challenges that the community faces, ITEVA first works with the school principals to help them understand the role of technology and the impact it has as a game changer. 

ITEVA then reaches the teachers to provide education so that the teachers can learn simple computer technology and presentations.  This helps to motivate the teachers to learn a new skill, increase their confidence to embrace technology, reduce their fear of change to make lessons more interesting for the students, and reduce student drop out rate.

Collaborating with the school, ITEVA conducts recruitment drives for the students to sign up for the Midiacom Academy.  The students get to learn about technology and when they complete certain modules, they in turn teach the new students.  So, the students get to apply what they learn and it is a cost effective way to run an education organization.  

 Most importantly, ITEVA helps to change the mindset of the community from principals, teachers to students.  The values they learn stay with them through their lives, to motivate them towards a better future.

Find out more about ITEVA at http://www.iteva.org.br

and IBM Corporate Service Corp #ibmcsc and #ibmcsc brazil at https://www.ibm.com/social/aggregator/corporate_service_corps

Proming Youths of Brazil. A peep into public school EEEP Alda Facanha in Aquiraz

The highlight of the IBM CSC Brazil 17 team’s second week is an awesome heart felt community day at a local public school called EEEP Alda Facanha in the city of Aquiraz.

 

Co-ordinated by IBM’s CSC partner Pyxeria & organized by ITEVA (yeah! Berna and my client!), the IBM consultants were invited to share about our countries and our life experiences with the youths. It was also an opportunity for the students to share about their city and culture.

Brazil's State of Ceara is bordered by the sea and other Brazil states and there are no direct overseas flights or ships.  As such, Ceara and especially the city of Aquiraz does not often have as much overseas visitors as Sao Paolo and Rio De Janeiro.  So the kids would not have much opportunity to meet foreigners or experience other cultures outside of Latin America.

Education in Brazil has traditionally been focused on universities. With more graduates, came lots of managers but not enough skilled work force to do the work. So there was a huge gap between management and technical or skilled workforce.

Public schools are funded by the city  municipality, so the education quality is dependent on how well it is funded or run. There are corruption cases where there is insufficient funding going into the schools.   Teachers are not well paid, so there are few teachers who would go an extra mile to pick up new teaching techniques or be motivated to reach out to the students. 

The public schools are required by the state to provide meals for the students. Many students depend on these meals to survive.  However, many students also drop out due to the lack of interest or that the distance of the school is too far, or they are required to work to supplement the family income.  The parents are given grants if their children stay jn school. This is so that the family does not pull them out of school to work.  However, the amount is small and does not always guarantee the students stay in school.

 EEEP Alda Facanha was set up for 3 years and is a model public school in the city of Aquiraz and one of a hundred such model schools in the state of Ceara. In these schools, there is a more structured curriculum focused on building values & life skills. The students are given techincal or key skills that allows them to take up jobs when they graduate.  Besides the standard school subjects of history, science and mathematics, EEEP Alda Facanha has a computer lab where the students can learn basic I.T. and courses such as hospitality and tourism which are practical and relevant for securing jobs.

 Upon arrival, the hospitality students rolled out the red carpet for us with students lined up in waiting as ushers. We met the principals and teachers who had vision and passion.  Although we did not have a chance to converse with the teachers, we could sense in the introductory meeting, their enthusiasm, positive vibes and love for the youths.

We were brought on a tour of the school which consisted of two storeys of class rooms, a large canteen, sheltered sports hall, outdoor area and an IT lab equipped with computers.  The students gathered at the auditorium and performed a song for us, as we introduced ourselves to them.  My introduction was met with roaring cheers and claps as I greeted them in Portugese.  This was followed by a tea reception with all the local food in Ceara.

Each of the consultants had a chance to meet two classes.  In my first class, the students were quietly waiting in anticipation for my arrival.  I was treated to a local story told in the form of a dance in front of two lovely boards hand painted with Aquiraz scenes.  The class had also prepared the table with the local handicrafts of croquet table cloth, butterflies and sea shells.  

This class asked very deep questions, such as,

• how to be a good sales and marketing professional,
• what are the initiatives that Singapore has taken to make Singapore one of the cleanest and well conserved countries in the world,
• how does Singapore preserve the nature and be the largest green area in Asia amidst city development,
• what is the importance of preserving culture for Singapore to reflect its colonial past and cultural diversity of its population with British/Indian/Chinese/Malay influences, and
• how does Singapore become the third most visited tourist destination in Southeast Asia, what brings the interests of the tourists and what are the local government investments in tourism

The one hour was not sufficient as the students were very participative. One of the students was so sweet to thank me for not just sharing my country and culture, the principles and values of life, practical learning and career tips, and that I had truly inspired them to want to strive to be better.

The second class was an active class, and I could hear their excitement from outside the class.  They had formed a U-shape in the class and three sides were competing for me to sit with them, as we watched a video on Aquiraz.

 
 This was followed by food tasting as they had prepared many local food – cakes, tapioca, desserts etc.  They were all very delicious.  When I tasted, I offered to the rest of the class, and they joined in heartily.

I was amazed at the teacher of this class, as he was sitting with the students and appears to one with them.  I only realized he was a teacher when he asked a technical question about IBM’s strategic directions towards value portfolio.  This class had very interactive discussion session and was interested in our culture, sports, food and also what I liked about Brazil on culture, food and experiences.  One strange question was about whether we ate insects in Singapore, as they had seen a documentary on Asians eating insects.

On behalf of Singapore and IBM ASEAN, I prepared a world map with Brazil and Singapore circled out, comparing the geographical area and population density.  I also shared about Singapore’s history, different races living in harmony, freedom of religion, food that is unique to Singapore and our main trade and industries.  I also prepared a short introduction of the sales and marketing professions.

Part of the visit was to expand the students’ perspective beyond Brazil.  So I encouraged the youths to consider that they are rich as they live in a landed property, which is very scarce and expensive in Singapore.  Brazil has vast natural resources with lots of potential that they can harness. More importantly, the Brazilians’ passion and camaraderie are great attributes and the people are the best resources.  All they need is a mindset to better themselves and desire to make a difference in their community.

Many of the students have requested to add us as friends to their facebook and some often message me just to share their lives.  They told me that they have tests on many subjects. I wish them the best results and a new phrase I learnt from the students – “Stay with God”.

I have a lot of confidence in the teachers and students of EEEP Alda Facanha.  The teachers are energetic, visionary and show care for the students.  The students showed a passion in life, positive attitude, great teamwork and are hungry to learn more. I wish them a bright future, to follow their hearts and dreams!

IBM Corporate Service Corp #ibmcsc and #ibmcsc brazil at https://www.ibm.com/social/aggregator/corporate_service_corps

Find out more about EEEP Alda Facanha at their work in progress website: http://eeepaldafacanha.com.br/

Gratitude brings happiness to the heart.

"It’s not happiness that brings gratitude, but gratitude that brings happiness."

I have not continued the blog on my Lent challenge of keeping a gratitude jar.   So, here is the list of the entries in my gratitude jar over the past few weeks.

Wed 12 Mar: Light shines best in the dark. I went for a night snorkel in Krabi, Thailand.  Plankton shines like glittery light in the sea when there is movement.  As the moon was up, the glow was not as strong. Lesson learnt – thank you for the times when we experience waves in our lives to create a chance for us to shine in the darkest times.

Thu 13 Mar: Everything is in God’s hands. I arrived safely in Singapore with sufficient time for a quick shower at home before the next flight to Brazil for the IBM Corporate Service Corp.  The Krabi trip had been planned last year before I was notified of the selection for CSC Brazil 17 team. The timing of the required arrival to Brazil was just in time so that I did not have to move the Krabi trip which we would have had to incur additional expenses.  It worked out well that I could spend quality time before being away for a month.

Fri 14 Mar: Safe travel and smooth transfer. I was happy to have a safe transit into Dubai after 7.5 hours on Emirates Airlines and the 2 hour 20 min transfer time was sufficient to get onto the next flight to Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.  After 14 hours 20 min flight from Dubai Airport, I arrived safely in Rio De Janeiro GIG airport with sufficient transfer time of 3 hour 30min to buffer for the obligatory luggage checks for food items in all my luggage.  Managed to print my boarding pass at the self serve terminal and luggage weight went uncharged.  Met a fellow passenger on transfer from Rio who told me that Fortaleza is paradise. Glad to arrive safely in paradise after an hour flight delay and another 3 hour 20 min flight on TAM Brazilian Airlines. Survived 25 hours to Brazil paradise!

Sat 15 Mar: Airplanes make everything possible.  Due to crossing of time zone when travelling across the globe, while I landed on Friday night Brazil time, it was Saturday morning in Singapore. We finally met the IBM CSC team face to face at breakfast after 12 weeks of telecon! Especially my project mates Julius Kiss, Shi Yi & Berna.

Sun 16 Mar: Safe neighbourhood in Fortaleza. IBM had placed the CSC team at Biera Mar of Fortaleza where the tourist stretch in front of the sea is relatively safe. Fabiana of Pyxera took us for a walk around the neighbourhood for where to get our necessities like pharmacies, supermarkets, laundrymat etc. I managed to walk to church alone to attend mass.  A stranger held my hands as we lifted our hands in prayer. I felt safe and accepted.

Mon 17 Mar: Successful kick off of IBM CSC with clients. We heard each group present their organization and introduced the IBM consultants. We met our client ITEVA Sara, Andersen, Gabriel, Fabio and the team for the first time. It was like meeting old friends.

Tue 18 Mar: Heart-warming Brazilian hospitality. First full day meeting at ITEVA was filled with warm hospitality – transport to/fro, lunch, 2 tea breaks, smiles, hugs and genuine welcome.  It’s a promise of more good things to come.

Wed 19 Mar: Team bonding time. This was a public holiday for San Jose.  The IBM CSC team went to a beach for team bonding.  We made friends as a relaxing start to an intense CSC assignment.

Thu 20 Mar: Joining in a meaningful cause.  We learnt about the challenges faced by Brazil communities for education, and saw how ITEVA was helping the lives of youths to get educated and be able to find jobs.  I know my efforts will truly help a worthy cause.

Fri 21 Mar:  Promising youths of Aquiraz at EEEP Alda Facanha. Awesome sharing experience. IBM CSC Brazil 17 team had an awesome community day with the students of EEEP Alda Façanha in Aquiraz. The IBM consultants shared about our home countries & our life experiences. The youths gave us a warm welcome, clapped & cheered their appreciation. We are overwhelmed with the promise that the youths have - positive attitude, team work & passion.

Sat 22 Mar: New experience with team mates at Canoa Quebrada. We took a weekend trip to Canoa Quebrada, the pearl of the east coast of Ceara in the municipality of Aracati.  We saw the beautiful red cliffs, took buggy adventure rides over the sand dunes, zip lined into the oasis and para-glided over the beautiful coastline.

Sun 23 Mar: Built deeper team friendships across cultures. Shared room with Shi Yi and got to know her better. Spent Sunday shopping with Andrea and Shi Yi.  Each of us have different cultures, personalities but we blended so well together.  Girly activities like walking, chatting, shopping and having dessert together was very relaxing.

  

  

Mon 24 Mar: Sisterly love.  Today Berna my team mate shared with me something personal.  We shed tears together like sisters.  .  She also appreciated that I was sensitive over last week that she was going through a difficult time and was patient with her.  I appreciated that she was open with me, and I fully emphatized with her.  The CSC is not an assignment, but made up of people to care for.

Tue 25 Mar: Rare experience of Maracatu parade. This was the 2^nd public holiday during our CSC assignment. While we spent the day working from the hotel, four of us went to the Maracatu parade, which was a black faced procession of African queens.  This was not a publicized tourist attraction and we were the only tourists there. Thankful that Eoin could read the local papers and grateful that we were safe despite the same newspaper citing Fortaleza as having the 3^rd highest murder rate in Brazil with 37 murders over the past weekend. But we are safe.

Wed 26 Mar: Singapore meals made with love. As a special cultural experience, I prepared a Singapore meal to be cooked on Thu for my new ITEVA family. The dishes included our national favourite chicken rice,  our Peranakan specialties Laksa (pimento noodles) & shrimp paste chicken. I hope they enjoy the meal that I will cook with love.

Thu 27 Mar: Heart and action for the youths.  We met Nunes Conceição (Secretária Executiva do Conselho Estadual dos Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente) from the STDS (Secretariat of workforce and social development for teenagers) in Fortaleza. She shared with us about the drug problems that the youth face and the efforts made to provide activities for the youths so that they get out of the social problems. Real actions from the heart.

Fri 28 Mar: Friend in need is a friend indeed. In the preparation for the Brazil trip, I was not aware that visa was required for more than 30 days stay in Brazil.  Fabiana from Pyxera called on a friend to help secure a workable appointment date with the Federal Police for my extension, which would have otherwise not been possible with the on-line appointment booking. My passport on records had a 90-day visa free approved stay.  Thankful for the help rendered & care showered on us for a worry-free stay.

Sat 29 Mar: Blessings of rain to Guaramiranga city with drought. Trip to Guaramiranga, the smallest town in Ceara with an altitude of 865m 110km equivalent to 3 hours drive from Fortaleza.  The waterfall was dry due to drought.  We had 2 days of rain, a blessing for beautiful days.  We were rewarded with cool weather and a view of the gushing waterfall.

Sun 30 Mar: Being still and quiet.  Rain brought us to a chance to pause and enjoy just being, instead of the helter skelter of daily chores.  We enjoyed a night of Slovakian home made apricot Schnapps, caipiranha and beer, with a slow dinner with CSC friends from Europe Eoin (Ireland), Rene (Switzerland), Julius (Slovakia), Martina and Christine (Germany). And had a lovely morning of fishing and admiring the rain fall.

Looking forward to gratitude jar experiences next week with the CSC Brazil 17 team!

Above photos were taken by Anne Phey at Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, Thailand in March 2014