Women Empowerment Goals

Continuing our interview series, Marceli from Abrigo Rainha Silvia talked a little bit about her past, her present, and her dreams and expectations for her and her daughter’s future. Check it out:

 I got pregnant very young, mostly because of lack of information, and the first thing I thought when I found out was that my life was over. My dad didn’t speak to me for a while and everyone was constantly telling me that from that moment on I had to live only for my daughter. A psychologist at my school told me I had to choose between my education and my daughter and so I dropped out of school.

 A while later my dad started to talk to me again. He knew Abrigo Rainha Silvia, one of DLW’s partners NGO, and that there was a way to get some courses through the institution, so we went to figure out what we had to do. That’s when I met DLW, which changed my life forever.

 I used to think I couldn’t study or work and that my life was all about staying home with my daughter. I had no dreams. Today, as a DLW student, I have a completely different perspective. I was offered an amazing opportunity and I’m taking a Maritime Agent course that opened my eyes to a whole new world that I dream to work with. Now I know that I can get me a better future and with that also give Alice a better future. I want her to have all the opportunities, the information and the education I didn’t.

 It was with DLW that I learned a woman can be whatever she wants. I had no references of independent women in my family, since my mom never worked and my grandma died a victim of domestic violence. However, at DLW I saw women who didn’t just stayed at home with their kids, which was a huge motivation to study.

 If five years from now I see myself financially stable, working at the area that I love, living in a better place and being able to offer my kid all the opportunities she deserves it’s all thanks to DLW. For my part I’m going to give all of me to get there.

Marceli (19), Itaboraí – RJ