Brazil
Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, both by population and by area. Home to most of the Amazon rainforest and Amazon River basin, it has the greatest variety of animals of any country in the world.
Hear from girls in Brazil
Evellen grew up in the state of Piauí, in the northeast region of Brazil. Marked by poverty, the region has no internet or telephone access and public transport is limited.
Before joining Plan’s International’s Leaders of Change project in 2018, Evellen was shy and quiet. But, after taking part in various training workshops, Evellen found her voice. Today, she is an enthusiastic youth activist. And together with other girls in the project, she organizes workshops on menstrual hygiene and gender-based violence prevention for adolescents and young women.
“I try to help women who are experiencing violence, and I’ve learned about new laws that protect women,” Evellen says.
Evellen is also sharing what she’s learned with people in her community: standing up for girls’ rights.
“When I see prejudice, I have the courage to speak up,” she says. “I call out boys, because we girls have the same rights as they do.”
Read about how COVID-19 is affecting girls in Latin America like Evellen
“I try to help women who are experiencing violence, and I’ve learned about new laws that protect women,” Evellen says.
Evellen is also sharing what she’s learned with people in her community: standing up for girls’ rights.
“When I see prejudice, I have the courage to speak up,” she says. “I call out boys, because we girls have the same rights as they do.”
Cássia lives in a rural village in Brazil’s Maranhão state. Growing up, she and her sisters were responsible for all household chores, while her brothers played and enjoyed their childhood. It never seemed strange to her — until she started learning about gender equality through Plan.
After reading Brazil’s Child and Adolescent Statute, which enshrines children’s rights in law, Cássia decided that there would be a change in the way chores were divided in her home.
“I studied the Statute, which says that young people and adolescents are all the same and our rights must be respected,” Cássia explains. “Girls have rights too. I learned a lot and brought it into my house.”
Later on, Cássia also became a sponsored child through Plan — something that changed her life. Without the help of her sponsor, she believes she might not have graduated from secondary school.
“It is through resources raised from child sponsorship that Plan is able to carry out educational projects and activities for children,” Cássia says. “The help of our sponsors is very important for the development of children and adolescents.”
Now, she has big plans for her future.
“I want to change history,” Cássia says. “I believe that when we have responsible leaders, and young people and children see these leaders as an example, we will also have a better community and a better Brazil.”
Learn more about child sponsorship
“I studied the Statute, which says that young people and adolescents are all the same and our rights must be respected,” Cássia explains. “Girls have rights too. I learned a lot and brought it into my house.”
Later on, Cássia also became a sponsored child through Plan — something that changed her life. Without the help of her sponsor, she believes she might not have graduated from secondary school.
“It is through resources raised from child sponsorship that Plan is able to carry out educational projects and activities for children,” Cássia says. “The help of our sponsors is very important for the development of children and adolescents.”
Now, she has big plans for her future.
“I want to change history,” Cássia says. “I believe that when we have responsible leaders, and young people and children see these leaders as an example, we will also have a better community and a better Brazil.”
“For as long as I can remember, I was told that soccer was only meant for boys,” Gilcielen says.
Thanks to this gender stereotype, she thought that there must be other things she could not do because she was a girl.
“My community is small, but preconceptions are huge,” Gilcielen adds. “I thought that boys didn’t feel any pain and that we, women, were fragile.”
Then she joined La League, a Plan project that uses soccer to teach girls and their communities about gender equality. The project brings together girls and boys aged 12 to 18 years old from nine communities in the rural area of Brazil where Gilcielen lives.
Joining La League was a turning point for Gilcielen. In addition to generating discussion about social and political issues, the project helps girls develop their self-confidence, leadership and teamwork skills, while also promoting economic empowerment and employability skills. In addition, participating boys learn about their rights and how gender stereotypes can harm them, too.
Now, Gilcielen knows that being a girl shouldn’t limit her opportunities. In fact, girls can do anything they set out to do.
Learn about our other Champions of Change projects
“My community is small, but preconceptions are huge,” Gilcielen adds. “I thought that boys didn’t feel any pain and that we, women, were fragile.”
Then she joined La League, a Plan project that uses soccer to teach girls and their communities about gender equality. The project brings together girls and boys aged 12 to 18 years old from nine communities in the rural area of Brazil where Gilcielen lives.
Joining La League was a turning point for Gilcielen. In addition to generating discussion about social and political issues, the project helps girls develop their self-confidence, leadership and teamwork skills, while also promoting economic empowerment and employability skills. In addition, participating boys learn about their rights and how gender stereotypes can harm them, too.
Now, Gilcielen knows that being a girl shouldn’t limit her opportunities. In fact, girls can do anything they set out to do.
Plan International has been working to improve children’s lives in Brazil since 1997.
Hello! My name is Swaymmy and I’m 10 years old.<br /> :09 I’ve been a sponsored child through Plan International for 6 years.<br /> :14 This is my mother, my grandmother, everything to me.<br /> :16 She is the one who raised me since I was a child.<br /> :18 By the time I was born, my mother couldn’t afford to raise me.<br /> :22 I won’t ever leave my Grandmother’s side.<br /> :27 I like going to school.<br /> :29 My favorite subject is Mathematics.<br /> :30 I’m in the 6th year.<br /> :32 This is my class!<br /> :33 Hello!<br /> :36 I have liked school since I was little.<br /> :39 I like to work hard and put effort into my learning,<br /> :41 because when I grow up I wish to be a doctor, so I like to focus on my studies.<br /> :46 Because, for example, my cousin was 15 when she had her baby,<br /> :50 and now that her daughter is big, she can’t study, and she can’t go to college.<br /> :57 That’s the reason I want to focus on my studies.<br /> 1:15 In Mariana’s school, a group of students always leave a colleague aside.<br /> 1:24 They never let her play, and they’re always mocking her.<br /> 1:29 So, if we have a friend like that, we have to approach her, become friends with that person,<br /> 1:34 encourage her to be more present in the activities, and always bring her to be part of the group.<br /> 1:41 Isn’t that so?<br /> 1:43 After I started to participate in Plan International projects, I’ve learned how to talk about my own rights.<br /> 1:49 I know I have the right to study and the right to go to school.<br /> 1:52 So I can fulfill my dreams.<br /> 1:55 This is the bus that I take home, and these are my friends.<br /> 1:59 This is the Community Centre that was built by Plan International here in<br /> my community.<br /> 2:03 At the Community Centre, we have a project called Happy Childhood.<br /> 2:08 The Happy Childhood project works with children from zero to six years old and their parents.<br /> 2:14 The project teaches parents to take good care of their own children.<br /> 2:20 The teacher gives them lessons, tells them stories, and sing songs with them.<br /> 2:26 After that, they play in the park right next to the Community Centre<br /> 2:31 that was built by Plan International.<br /> 2:32 And now they have a safe place to play.<br /> 2:38 I like writing letters to my sponsor, because he can know a little more about what happens<br /> 2:44 here in my community and in my life.<br /> 2:48 Dear friend,<br /> 2:49 I’m writing this letter with all my heart.<br /> 2:54 I would like to tell you some things about my country.<br /> 2:57 Many children die from treatable diseases. <br /> 3:00 Many girls get married before the age of 18.<br /> 3:04 Thanks to your help, we are able to change this reality.<br /> 3:07 I’m sending this message with love.<br /> 3:10 Swaymmy.<br /> 3:12 Thank you for being a sponsor with Plan International.
Plan stats in Brazil
Office & operations
Plan Brazil’s country office is located in Sao Luis, with programs in Codo, Recife, Salvador, Sao Luis, Sao Paulo and Teresina.
Technical areas
Education, health and protection
Number of sponsored children
As of June 30, 2020, people like you sponsor 14,831 children in Brazil through Plan International.
When you sponsor a child through through Plan, you form an incredible friendship.
But that’s just the beginning. With Plan, you also have the unique opportunity to:
Send her birthday gifts and cards.
Give her special holiday presents called Little Treasures.
Subscribe her to Plan’s educational kids’ magazine, Sunny Days.
— Visit her (when travel restrictions are lifted), with individual travel assistance from us.
Each gift offering is safely hand-delivered by us, and given to your child with personalized cards from you. It’s likely that the child you sponsor will have never seen anything like these gifts, and they’re available year-round to make the bond between you and your sponsored child even stronger.
Meet a child to sponsor