Imagine you’re the first person in your Brazilian family to complete high school and apply to college. You’ve watched as many of your peers have had to drop out to work and support their families, worrying that one day you might have to do the same. Your years of hard work pay off when you find out you’ve been accepted to one of the country's top, free universities — part of the only 36% of students from public high schools to do so. You’re celebrating this incredible accomplishment when a look at the costs makes you realize your university dreams won’t become a reality; you can’t afford the living costs of studying in another city.

That is the reality for a large part of Brazilian youth. According to Brazil’s Education Ministry, only 21% of adults under the age of 34 have completed higher education. Poverty and social inequality prevent students from making the transition to higher education — and the situation is only getting worse. Poverty is on the rise in Brazil, partly caused by the pandemic and subsequent economic downswing. According to the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, extreme poverty has increased in 18 of 27 major Brazilian cities since 2019. In 2021, 46% of 14–17-year-olds and 31% of 18–24-year-olds are looking for jobs.

“According to Brazil’s Education Ministry, only 21% of adults under the age of 34 have completed higher education.”

— Raphaele Godinho

Students who are unable to complete their university education feel the effects their entire lives. People with university degrees in Brazil have on average 140% higher salaries than people who have only basic education, demonstrating how education can help lift young people out of poverty.

To understand how education and the opportunities that come with it can change someone’s social reality, it’s important to understand the poverty cycle. Parents of low-income families often did not have access to education, which means that they don’t have access to high-paying jobs. In turn, their children often abandon their studies earlier to work and support the family, which then limits their access to high-paying jobs, trapping families in this cycle for generations.

In 2010, a group of students from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) got together and realized the only way to address this issue is to ensure more low-income students are able to graduate from university. They started the Semear Institute to help young people complete their degrees, find their dream job and become leaders in their communities. Since then they have supported more than 5,000 Brazilian students through scholarships, mentorships, job opportunities, courses and trainings.

As a low-income young woman from a working family, education has always been very important to me. I was able to reach new levels in my professional and personal life thanks to education and I believe it is my duty to help other young people in the same situation. That’s why I’ve been advocating for girls’ education since I was 16 years old.

In 2021, I joined Semear to help to increase social equality in my country. As part of the institute's Leaders Program, I work with other graduates and recent graduates to financially and psychologically support low-income students. This year, I helped Semear provide 101 students with scholarships, mentoring and coaching.

Since 2018, 90% of the Semear team leaders consists of university students or recent graduates. Many of these leaders are low-income youth and have similar backgrounds to the students in our scholarship and mentoring program. Because we have firsthand knowledge of the problems that our students face, we are able to create even more effective projects to support them.

Since 2018, Semear has maintained a 0% dropout rate and more than 50% of the young people served manage to get into jobs with good remuneration. Our work has received awards like the Public Impact Award as well as investments from companies like Google. 50% of students supported by the institute are women, more than 60% are Black, Indigenous, and people of colour.

At the Semear Institute, I focus on our institutional relationship work. I am the person responsible for engaging mentors, donors and partner companies in our activities. I also help the organization with projects focused on creating opportunities for young people in our network, such as Pontapé Empreendedor, which teaches student project development, entrepreneurship and innovation.

Brazil is facing many crises right now, but working at the Semear Institute gives me hope for the future. Young people are driving change in their communities and creating a more equal society by making sure every student can complete their education. The Semear Institute shows that youth can generate change and end poverty in Brazil.

Raphaele Godinho

(she/her/hers) is a 22-year-old international relations student from Brazil. Since 2016, she has been advocating for women’s rights with her initiative, Rescuing & Valuing Women. You can follow her on Instagram.