Votorantim Cimentos (VC) is launching Construindo Citizenship (Building Citizenship) with adolescents from the municipality of Paulista on February 1st through Instituto Votorantim. The project is being developed with resources of R$ 307 thousand, set aside by the company for the Fund for Children and Adolescents (FIA), of the Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA) of the city. The rollout of the project is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Escola Comunitária Maranguape (community school), with the presence of Yves Ribeiro, mayor of Paulista, representatives of CMDCA and youths from the city. The proposal for this first stage is to satisfy the requirements of 150 adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age, from low income families and in a situation of social vulnerability. The consulting firm Prattein, which will support the Municipal Council for Defense of Children and Adolescents of Paulista, was contracted to develop the Construindo Cidadania Project. The adolescents will be assisted by five Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from Pernambuco. To take part in the program, the youths had to fulfill two prerequisites: they could not be part of any extended workday government project and had to study at public schools. The participants will have four daily hours of workshops (arts, sports, professionalization, citizenship and computer science) in addition to other activities. The company hopes that this initiative will serve to reduce school truancy, spark interest in collective issues, educate information multiplying agents and increase the level of quality of parent-children communication and of the families’ knowledge of their rights. Furthermore, it intends to strengthen the Municipal Council for Rights of Children and Adolescents of Paulista, which manages the resources of the local FIA.

Service: Rollout of Construindo Cidadania Project Date: February 1, at 3 p.m.

Place: Escola Comunitária Maranguape Av. Nelson Ferreira, 100, Maranguape 1, Paulista (PE)