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In 2001, Hydro, in cooperation with the municipal administration of Barcarena, in the State of Pará, launched the educational program "Educação pra Gente". The initiative includes the participation of the team Alunorte Rain Forest (ARF) in the Norwegian Cup in Oslo.

Geraldo Brittes, senior advisor and former industrial director at Hydro Alunorte, says the program's ingredients are typically Brazilian. & nbsp; "In Brazil, football is a very important sport. Education needs to be improved in & nbsp; country and we have shown, with the program, that football is an important tool to achieve this improvement."

Hydro is the largest employer in the municipality of Barcarena and Brazil is the country where the company has the largest number of employees. In Brazil, Hydro mines bauxite, refines alumina and produces aluminum.

Norwegian Cup as a motivating factor

For the first time in 2001, Hydro sponsored the participation of a Barcarena team in the Norwegian Cup, one of the biggest tournaments in the world of children's football. Since then, a new team has been formed annually. & Nbsp;

Skills with the ball are obviously important, but players & nbsp; only join the team & nbsp; if they can also demonstrate good grades, well school behavior and achievement.

Éberson da Silva, 16, says he had to try three times before he was admitted to the team.

“My grades at school were not good and I used to skip classes to stay on the street. Today, I go to bed early, play sports, study and am a more responsible person. In addition to acquiring skills with the ball, we also learned that education is the basis of everything ”.

Marília Godinho, Éberson's teacher, comments on the effects of the program: “Undoubtedly, his participation and that of other students in the school increased. The results are admirable, as we have achieved changes in social behavior, not only on the part of the students, but also on the part of the families who observe and follow the children more closely ”, says Godinho.

The school principal, Deborah Ribeiro, who coordinated the participation of the Laurival Magno Cunha school in the program over the past three years, witnesses the changes among the students. & nbsp; “There has been significant progress in school achievement, improved relations between parents, students and the school and greater awareness among young people of their role as citizens of the world.”

Initiative & nbsp; promotes a culture of peace

The Education for People program encourages and recognizes the commitment to good social practices for the implementation of a culture of peace in schools. Sport enters as a stimulus for the participation of students in educational activities to combat violence, because only those who participate in the educational part and are good at the ball can compete for a spot in the soccer team Alunorte Rain Forest (ARF) and participate in the Norwegian Cup, one of the largest children's football tournaments in the world. & Nbsp;

This text is machine translated. To view the original Portuguese text, click on PT on the top right of this window

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