Jornalista e contador por formação e professor por missão . É assim que podemos definir Arlindo Corrêa da Silva, um homem que sonhava em transformar o mundo por meio da educação .

No mês em que se comemora o Dia do Professor, a vice-presidente do Ramacrisna, Solange Bottaro, homenageia o responsável por mais de seis décadas de trabalho no Instituto .

 “Educação é oportunidade”

Born in 1910, in Campina Grande (Paraíba), journalist Arlindo arrived in Minas Gerais in the 1940s. At that time, he already had the dream of changing the reality of thousands of children.

In 1950, the master began building what would become the Ramacrisna Institute.

As a man ahead of his time, he believed in the power of education in children’s lives. This when the role of education was not even widely debated.

“He always said that giving food was essential, but it only helped at that moment. On the other hand, giving education is giving the opportunity”, says Solange.

Professor Arlindo believed that, by bringing education to children in situations of social vulnerability, it was possible to form character and give them a new perspective on life. And finally, change the lives of children, families and the entire community.

Today, this vision guides the Institute’s work in 13 cities in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte.

Born speaker and brilliant teacher

Initially, the Ramacrisna Institute was a boarding school, which received boys from various cities in the interior.

Until, over the years, the community began to grow and, with it, the number of people in social vulnerability. Soon, children in the region started to be taken in as well.

In 1992, the boarding school came to an end. At that time, the Ramacrisna Institute was dedicated to training boys and girls. And, from 1995 onwards, the work of professionalizing young people began.

As a man who loved words, the teacher read several books at the same time – always sharing the stories with the students. But that alone was not enough.

That’s when the Library, which today bears his name, appeared. “He said that it was essential that these children have access to books. That reading would be a seed that they would carry with them for a lifetime“, highlights Solange.

Today, the Library has a collection of over 9,000 books, available for loan. Recently, the space underwent works to better serve the community.

But he didn’t just like to read stories. He knew better than anyone else to use words. And when he spoke, he caught the attention of adults, the elderly and children.

“When Professor Arlindo was going to give lectures, he took a small piece of paper in his pocket with few words and spoke for hours. And nobody left the place. In the same way, he would sit with the children, listen and hold their attention in an unparalleled way”, remembers Solange.

Dedication to the end of life

Until the day of his departure, Professor Arlindo was dedicated to working with the Institute. Solange says that, on the eve of her death, she had gone with her teacher to the hospital for exams.

Once there, he stopped in front of a room with a computer – a big news at the time. And then he said, “Is this what you want to provide for Ramacrisna? I will provide”.

A few days after his death, the machines were delivered to the Institute.

He was also concerned about continuing his work. Therefore, it invited 25 people to join the Institute’s Council. This group is responsible for deciding actions and monitoring the work of Ramacrisna.

Legacy

The result of this effort is the large number of awards, invitations for partnerships and the sparkle in the eyes of each member of the team. The investment in management and quality of work, which began with Professor Arlindo, continues to this day.

Before the pandemic, more than 1000 children and young people passed by the Ramacrisna Institute every week and we hope that next year we can return to normality. And the work is done by a group of people with the same purpose as the teacher: to democratize education.

And it doesn’t stop there: new projects are being developed, such as the Fab Lab and Meninas em Rede, supported by Criança Esperança.

“I believe he could have dreamed that Ramacrisna would change a lot of people’s lives, but not on that level. I think he would be proud and say that we have achieved what he dreamed of and much more”, concludes Solange.

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