(I and Stefania and 3 young in our community intervention, during the Simenti Intervention)
For the continuity of the Peace initiative came another project that we call
SIMENTI (seeds). The project was launched by the second elected president of Cape Verde for 10 years:
Dr. António Mascarenhas Monteiro through his
Foundation called Esperança.
I was one of the 5 social technicians chosen for the Project whose main objective was the
early prevention of Child and Youth Violence.
The project chose my neighborhood for the intervention that lasted about 2 years because our last experience. This initiative was supported by the French Embassy and helped many disadvantaged young people and children.
It was one of the first initiatives with a medium and long term vision for our community marginalized by the political system.
During this process Estefânia and Natalie Monteiro, Milena and Zú together with a team of young people managed to carry out various activities for children, young people, adults and mothers.
The most concrete results were the formation of the
circus group Animar, Peace Soldier Hip Hop Group, Cineghuetto with Nana, Ghetto Parliament; and various other training and referral of young people to vocational and university training.
With this project, the community came to be seen as an example of good practices alongside other communities.
The project won the National Human Rights Award and placed several recommendations on socio-community intervention on the governmental political agenda.
The process of community work of articulation and recognition of community social work began.
We can say that through Centro Simenti, the community had a very pragmatic and effective laboratory of practices of social, economic, political and cultural development, considering all the difficulties of an individualistic, capitalist and predatory system.
This initiative motivated hundreds of others spread across the nation.
https://www.facebook.com/projecto.simenti
