Skills Training For a Brighter Future

I have to say that to grow in life its important to seize every opportunity that comes your way and  to know what you like and want to do and what you don’t like and don’t want to do.  Amanda Beatriz, 17 years old, thinks likewise. This young girl, even though she knew very little about tech, decided to enrol on an introduction to IT programme and a Digital Marketing Assistant programme, both of which were offered by Project Tamandaré in partnership with Happy Child International.  

The young girl says that: “I wanted to take the opportunity that came up.  The tech industry is always growing and I was already thinking about a profession and a career, despite having very little knowledge in this field”.

Amanda Beatriz’s nuclear family profiles many families in Brazil. She lives with her mum and youngest brother  who brought them both up as a single mum. There are currently 11 million mothers in Brazil who bring their children up alone. With such pride she says “I want to give back to my mum everything that she has invested in me. She has always fought for me and my brother despite her circumstances”

Amanda Beatriz’s dream really motivated her to overcome all the difficulties she faced whilst participating in the training. Living in the rural zone of Tamandaré, it was a struggle to get into the town on a Saturday morning. Reflecting she said “At weekends there is no public transport into the town. I had to be creative, take a motorbike uber, get lifts off neighbours leaving early for work, stay at an aunts house who lived near the project.  Sometimes I arrived late but I got there”. 

Amanda completed her second training course in June this year.  Even though she doesn’t think tech is for her, she learned some very important lessons. “I learned about team work and to have patience, to plan professionally. I would really like to go into either education, nutrition or medicine”  She said that “The training has helped me a lot to be able to prepare for university entrance”.

She says “The secret of life is this.  To make the most of every opportunity, recognise the importance of these opportunities for the path you are going to take and to think and live beyond your expectations”. Amanda has a brilliant future ahead of her with all the strength, knowledge and perseverance that she has shown at such a young age.  

• Written by Eduarda Teixeira