The Volunteer Committee and the Hydro Alunorte Women's Network joined together in the “Action of Volunteer Godparents” to support a request by the Pastoral do Menor de Barcarena, aimed at children and adolescents in the municipality. Through active listening and facing a situation that affects girls living in poverty and vulnerable situations in urban and rural contexts, on August 6, girls accompanied by the entity received personal hygiene kits, collected by maids and employees from Hydro's alumina refinery and its contractors, in addition to receiving information in a lecture about their first menstruation and caring for the body and mind.

This year, Pastoral do Menor is accompanying girls aged between 10 and 17, in various school, craft, digital activities focused on reading and writing, artistic, digital inclusion and professional skills. In the solidarity action, each pair of maids and employees sponsored a young woman to receive the minimum hygiene items. The collection of kits took place from the 19th to the 30th of July, with a Solidarity Tree installed in the company's leisure area. It contained the names of the benefited girls and the godparents were able to write an inspiring message, which accompanied the donation. The kit consisted of the following items: shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, absorbent pack and soap.

The young Lauane da Luz Menezes, 18, has been assisted by the Pastoral do Menor since she was 12 years old. She participated in the initiative held on August 6th, together with the young women who are still monitored by the entity. “The action was important for our personal and professional growth. At this time, we remove the doubts to be more prepared for this stage of life, knowing our body and knowing that we can ask for help during menstruation, especially about the symptoms we suffer”, she said. “Today, I have more maturity because I had the support of other women, my mother and my grandmother, mainly. And the girls here will also encourage others to love and care for themselves. With the donation of the kit, we feel more motivation for the day to day”, she added.

Sister Cipriana Lima, coordinator of the Pastoral do Menor, highlighted the joy of having the support of the employees of Hydro Alunorte in the activities developed by the entity. “This year, Pastoral do Menor completed 16 years and we are very happy with the collaboration of the company, together with its employees, who embraced this cause. And we thank everyone for the contribution they made to our girls. They are girls from humble families, whose fathers and mothers are sometimes unemployed. I believe they left here with a radiant heart”, she commented.

Tarciana Neves, Occupational Nursing Technician at Hydro Alunorte, was one of the speakers at the event for the donation of personal hygiene kits. She has been working for almost two years as a volunteer, since she joined the company. “I am gratified to collaborate in this differentiated action at Pastoral do Menor, which has raised a lot of awareness among the employees of Hydro Alunorte and contractors. We are happy to guide and guarantee a minimum of support for teenagers, who are in difficulties in a situation of social vulnerability. We moved this theme in the refinery, managing to involve the Women's Network, to integrate the Pastoral do Menor in this action”, she said.

Collaboration – The solidarity action at Pastoral do Menor is also part of the “Volunteers in Action: It's time to collaborate” campaign by Hydro and Albras, which has already collected more than three tons of non-perishable food and two thousand items of basic feminine hygiene and milk for children. Donations are intended for organizations served by the companies' volunteer program or that work with populations in social vulnerability. The campaign continues until December this year and involves Hydro's operations in Belém, Rio de Janeiro, Barcarena, Tomé-açu and Paragominas.

In parallel with the emergency actions, the Volunteers in Action Program has a talent bank in which participants dedicate time, skills and resources to develop initiatives aligned with the social responsibility strategy of Hydro and Albras, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs ) of the UN (numbers 4, 8 and 16), as well as the needs of the municipalities where both operate. All program actions are carried out with the support of volunteer committees with roles of articulators, disseminators and mobilizers.