Three generations of women in Brazil fight to complete their education
(Courtesy of Gabrielle Arruda)
20-year-old student Gabrielle Arruda writes about the barriers she, her mother and her grandmother overcame to learn.
In January 2017, I became the first woman in my family to attend university. This accomplishment is a testament not only to my strength and perseverance, but also to the strength and perseverance of the women who taught me to fight for my right to learn: my grandmother and my mother.
My grandmother grew up in the northeast of Brazil. As the oldest daughter of 16 children, she was responsible for taking care of her brothers. Her family needed her at home and so her parents tried to stop her from going to school. But my grandmother had a simple dream: to be able to write her name, Antonia. In front of their mud house, she would use a twig and try to draw her name in the sand. After much convincing, my grandmother’s parents agreed to let her go to school as long as she paid for her own supplies. At 10 years old, she started to work in a flour factory to fund her education. However, when she broke her arm in an accident, she had to stop working. Unable to afford her school supplies, my grandmother had to put her dreams on hold.
My grandmother was patient and brave. When she was older, a drought hit her community and opportunities for work dried up so she traveled to São Paulo and started working as a maid. Even though she had three young children, even though my grandfather had left her and she had to pay the bills on her own, she found a way to reenroll in school. Thirty years after she stopped studying, my grandmother finally learned to read and write.
“I am here because of the sacrifices of the women who came before me. And I am determined to improve the conditions for women in Brazil so that the next generation of girls can go even further. ”
Like my grandmother, my mother, Joelma, had a dream for herself: to go to college. And like my grandmother, she started working in a factory at an early age. My mother's salary was barely enough to pay the rent, let alone enough to pay for college. And soon after she graduated from high school, she got pregnant with me. Although she called me a blessing, I became yet another factor that made it difficult for my mother to achieve her ambitions. My mother sacrificed her own dreams to give me a chance to realise mine.
My mother and grandmother worked to make sure that I received the opportunities they didn’t. I remember my mother teaching me syllables from the “Happy birthday” sign left over from my childhood birthday party. I remember my grandmother sitting in the kitchen and helping me read her Bible verses.
Growing up on the outskirts of São Paulo, it was difficult to access the basic needs of life, like health care, education and clean water. The public school in my community didn’t provide students with a quality education, a problem in public schools across the country. Only 30 in 100 high school graduates in Brazil can read and write, and only four of those 30 students can do basic calculations.
(Courtesy of Gabrielle Arruda)
My mother and I knew that if I wanted to go to college, I had to attend a different high school so I enrolled in a school that was 40 kilometres away from me. My journey to and from school was five hours long. It involved trains and buses, but it was worth it. While I saw my neighborhood friends face violence, drugs and early pregnancy, I had a chance to learn about the history of humanity and the organization of the universe. While at home I faced domestic violence and spent nights shaking with fear of my father, I found refuge in school debates, books, research and social projects.
My hard work paid off. At age 17, I entered one of the top ten universities in the country. And later, I was able to see my mom enter college, 17 years after she graduated from high school. She began her studies in pedagogy at a government-funded online college. Seeing my mother fighting for her place made me a stronger person. After watching her, I knew that despite the difficulties, I could complete my education.
My fight is not over yet. I currently spend more than six hours a day on public transportation, traveling between home, work and college. It is hard to manage the crowded and insecure transportation, the violence of São Paulo nights and the lack of time to study and sleep. But I draw strength from thinking about the women who worked so hard so I could be here.
Because of my education, I am the first woman in my family to be able to choose my future. So I am determined to experience this life to the fullest. It took my grandma 30 years to learn to read. It took my mother 17 years to enter college. And no matter how long it takes, I won't give up on achieving my dream to make schools in Brazil accessible to all social classes.
In 2017, with the organization Semeando Educação, I began teaching my São Paulo community how education can help lift them out of poverty. Through lectures, we have mentored more than 5,000 young people and encouraged them to continue their education. And we’re only just getting started.
I am here because of the sacrifices of the women who came before me. And I am determined to improve the conditions for women in Brazil so that the next generation of girls can go even further.
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