Women’s Day is more than a commemorative date: it is a moment that symbolizes women’s fight for equality. March 8 brings discussions about machismo, violence, gender stereotypes and also about the triple journey of women in modern society
Task overload is a common subject in the female universe. Working hours, housework and child care are part of the routine of thousands of women around the world.
For those who carry out so many tasks at the same time, motherhood can be even more challenging, especially when we think of single mothers and women in situations of social vulnerability.
At Instituto Ramacrisna we know the importance of a support network for raising children. Therefore, our projects are focused on activities that take place in a complementary period to classes taught in public schools.
Continue reading our article and learn about the stories of women who had their trajectories transformed through the support of the Instituto Ramacrisna.
Women’s Day is a fundamental moment to discuss the health, safety, well-being and inclusion of women in different environments.
When we talk about the necessary actions to guarantee equity, we have to think about the social role that was imposed on women and also about motherhood. This is because according to the survey “Gender statistics: social indicators of women in Brazil”, carried out by IBGE, women dedicate twice as much time as men to household chores and child care.
Still according to the same study, Brazil has more than 11 million women who are solely responsible for raising children. Of these families headed by them, 63% are below the poverty line.
Therefore, when we develop projects at Ramacrisna that aim at education and the transformation of lives, we do not only help children and young people who participate in the programs, families and the community are also contemplated.
Through the Ramacrisna Educational Support Center (CAER), the Institute offers children to participate in various workshops that complement the school period. These activities broaden their horizons, opening the doors to a more egalitarian and just world.
Children receive lunch and snacks daily, including school holidays, in addition to school supplies and clothing, as an incentive for the family to keep them attending school regularly.
All these projects offer mothers more security and stability. They know that their children are receiving a quality education and are having access to culture and art..
One of Ramacrisna’s achievements is being able to transform lives. The mothers who work at the Institute realize the immeasurable value that the projects have for their children.
This is the story of Cleide, coordinator of the Ramacrisna library since 2009. She is one of the mothers who had her routine transformed by the Institute: her 3 children participated in activities promoted at CAER.
Renato, her eldest son, started at Ramacrisna when he was a pre-teen. Now 22 years old, he is proud to say that he was part of the Jovem Aprendiz program, in addition to having participated in the Youth Orchestra.
He no longer attends Ramacrisna, but continues to study English, a subject he had initial contact with while attending the Institute.
Ana, Cleide’s middle daughter, joined the Institute at age 10 and today, at 19, she works as an intern at FabLab and is studying Digital Game Application Development at college.
Yasmin, the youngest daughter, is still in high school, but full of plans for the future. She was a CAER student and recently passed the Young Apprentice process
According to Cleide, the feeling is one of pride and gratitude when she thinks about Ramacrisna. Through the workshops offered by the Institute, she was able to combine work and motherhood.
In her words “all the training that my children and I got was through Ramacrisna. Not only for the professional, but also for the security I have in being able to count on help and support. The Institute brought me incredible opportunities, such as being a totally independent woman. This confidence gives me the strength to guide my children.”
For Cleide, the biggest challenge of being a woman is dealing with overload. “We work outside, we have to take care of everything, in addition to providing support for each child individually. This constant role switching is very difficult: one moment you are focused on work and suddenly you have to play the role of mother or friend or counselor”, she adds..
Another success story is that of Marta and her daughter, Ana. As a Ramacrisna nutritionist, Marta feels very respected and empowered as a professional and woman.
She sees the Institute as an organization that gives space and values women and, for this reason, she perceived the environment as ideal for the insertion of her daughter.
Ana has been participating in Orquestra Jovem since 2017. The project was essential to awaken the girl’s passion for music and more specifically for the violin.
Both Ana and Marta see the program as a fundamental element for discovering talent. From there, the young woman realized which path she would like to follow and managed to enter UFMG to study Music,.
According to Marta, “the biggest achievement came this year, Ana passed UFMG in first place. I feel very proud of the woman she has become, always chasing after her dreams.”.
Enabling mothers to have a place to leave their children makes Ramacrisna in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality. The official wording of SDG 5 says that this goal wants to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”.
The existence of projects such as CAER allows mothers to be independent and offer better conditions for their families. In this way, they get a reliable support network that helps in raising their children..
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