Andrea, in Brazil to Study Solidarity

He's been away from home for six months, in another city, on another continent and within another culture, in contact with a situation that is thousands of miles away from what he's used to. Andrea Carucci, a Bocconi student in the Master of Science in International Management and HR, is completing his Double Degree in São Paulo Brazil at Fundação Getulio Vargas, experiencing all this and more. "It's a very important experience, getting in contact with students from all over the world and with different teaching and study methods," says Andrea. "But I'm also in touch with difficult local situations, like in the favelas."

It's an all-around experience that Andrea decided to enrich by collaborating with the local non-profit Arca do Saber, a French and Brazilian association that operates in the education and culture sector in the favela in Vila Prudente, with a program that involves 120 children between the ages of 6 and 14. "The children are offered a variety of services," says Andrea, who was accompanied by another Bocconi student, Eva Stolz, "like classes in English, French, cinema and capoeira. Eva and I, in particular, teach English classes. The main objective is to prevent marginalization and give them the opportunity to gain access to a better cultural education." The situation in the favela is complex, with very little government aid, and the risk that kids choose mistaken paths is very high: "It's a parallel micro world with its own rules and laws," he says. "And these are enforced by the crime boss of the moment. The kids follow these distorted rules and in this environment it's very difficult for them to understand the importance of values like studying and commitment."The non-profit's activities, which was officially recognized by the French Consulate and which represents an important professional outlet for residents of the favela, including cooks, maids and even teachers, has various projects, but one in particular is dear to Andrea: "In September, a very important initiative was launched. Two private French schools in São Paulo have decided to accept 20 deserving students from the favela. These are exclusive schools, with fees ranging from 400 to 800 euros per month, and it was all made possible thanks to the involvement of French institutions, but also due to the non-profit's activities, which are increasingly professional and effective, in part thanks to our contribution."