Indigenous and quilombola girls fight for education funding at the National Congress of Brazil — Assembly

(Courtesy of Yasmin Velloso / Malala Fund)

Our photographer followed these young activists as they told Brazilian officials about the issues facing their schools.

When 16-year-old Pataxó Hã Hã Hãe student Clarisse Alves Rezende graduates from high school next year, she won’t be thinking about how much she learned, but about how hard she had to fight to get there. In a speech to members of the National Congress of Brazil in November, she described the challenges she faces as an Indigenous student.

“[My degree] will represent all the days that the school bus broke down and I couldn't make it to school. Or every time we went months without teachers because in my state, in Bahia, the selection of Indigenous teachers is far from ideal. I will remember the times we had no classrooms to study, when there were no school meals or even water for us to drink,” Clarisse shared.

There are over one million girls out of school in Brazil today. Indigenous or quilombola (descendants of escaped slaves) girls are the most likely to experience barriers to their education. Yet, the National Congress of Brazil has not renewed The Fund for Maintenance and Development of Basic Education and Valuing Education Professionals (FUNDEB), which is how the government makes sure marginalised schools get the resources they need to support their students. Unless Congress takes action, FUNDEB will end in December 2020.

Malala Fund Champions in Brazil, including Rogério Barata, Denise Carreira and Ana Paula Ferreira de Lima, organised a public hearing so that girls like Clarisse could urge Brazilian leaders to support their right to learn. At the hearing, Denise also presented a new report written by Malala Fund Champions, which explains why FUNDEB needs to be strengthened, not discontinued. It details the structural racism that prevents students in Brazil from learning and recommends how leaders can address these inequalities with changes and increases in education funding. The report also includes testimonials from girls like Clarisse about the challenges facing their schools, including poor bathrooms, unreliable transportation, underpaid teachers and insufficient access to technology.

Our photographer joined these young activists and Malala Fund Champions on their trip to the National Congress of Brazil. Follow along their fight below.

With support from Malala Fund, the National Association of Indigenous Action (ANAÍ) and Centro de Cultura Luiz Freire (CCLF) train Indigenous and quilombola girls as education advocates. The trip to the National Congress of Brazil in Brasilia provided girls from these different communities with the opportunity to meet and learn from each other.

“When I arrived in Brasilia, I met with quilombola girls and saw in them the same stories we experience in our village and the strength they have to defend the rights of their people,” shares 17-year-old Tupinamba student Simeia Silva de Souza. “It was an exchange of knowledge. It was a learning experience for all the girls.”

Ahead of their meetings and speeches at the National Congress, the girls shared their stories with each other and learned more about FUNDEB and financing for education in Brazil.

“Each of us, Indigenous and quilombolas, talked about what happens at school, having many difficulties and barriers that hinder quality education,” explains Simeia, who hopes to continue her education and become a veterinarian to “take care of our animals because they are sacred.”

Malala Fund’s Champion Network provides local leaders with the training and resources they need to break down barriers to girls’ education in their communities. With Indigenous and quilombola students in need of more support from the government, the Malala Fund Champions in Brazil joined forces to advocate for these communities at Congress.

In Malala Fund Champions’ report on FUNDEB, Clarisse (above) describes the difficult journey she has to make to get to school every day: “The roads are all destroyed, full of holes. Because of that, the buses end up breaking in the middle of the road and people end up having to walk many kilometres. The school is pretty far from our home…the streets are dangerous at night to be walking, especially with kids.” She also details how in the cafeteria, students have to take turns using utensils and plates because there aren’t enough for everyone, and sometimes there isn’t even enough food.

While in Brasilia, 22-year-old Tuxá student Joana Darc Sena de Souza (left) and 18-year-old quilombola student Bianca Maria da Silva (right) spoke on the Programa ECO podcast, a programme focused on the environment and social issues, like Indigenous rights. The duo discussed the importance of increasing funding for FUNDEB to support Indigenous and quilombola students’ education and how the government continues to deny marginalised communities in Brazil their right to learn.

“[Painting is] a way of strengthening myself, thanking my ancestors for passing on their struggle and asking that the Tupã father bless us all,” shares Simeia (above). “I feel confident when I’m in the presence of my people and when I put on my traditional outfit.”

Clarisse, Bianca and Simeia share a laugh as they prepare to speak at the National Congress of Brazil.

At the end of their prep day, the young activists did a toré, a sacred ritual among northeastern Indigenous peoples used to ask spirits for strength and protection.

Malala Fund believes that girls should speak for themselves and tell leaders what they need to learn and achieve their potential. The organisation works to bring girls into decision-making spaces so that their opinions and experiences can inform decisions that impact our world.

Simeia and her friend Shayres snap a selfie before the hearing begins. While in Brasilia, the group of young activists worked to dispel the belief that Indigenous communities don’t use technology. If the government increased education funding in their communities, their schools could provide more computers and technology classes.

During her remarks to Congressional leaders, Clarisse discussed how important it is for Indigenous students to have access to schools in their villages. She explained that when Indigenous students attend non-Indigenous schools, “we often suffer prejudice for being who we are, where I have to think twice before painting my face or putting on my headdress, something absolutely sacred to me and my people.”

Clarisse concluded her remarks with a call to action for her peers: “Malala always says we only realise the importance of our own voice when we are silenced. And we won't be!”

15-year-old Pataxó student Shayres Monteiro Ferreira (above) read a letter from Malala to Rodrigo Maia, president of the National Legislative Chamber. In her letter, Malala called for the continuation of FUNDEB and stated, “An investment in girls’ education now is an investment in the future peace and prosperity of your country.” The National Legislative Chamber will decide in February 2020 whether or not they will renew funding for FUNDEB.

Simeia, Shayres and Bianca walk through the halls of Congress, a place that too often ignores Indigenous and quilombola voices. “We were reclaiming our rights,” Simeia says of the experience.