Registration is open for the literacy course for young people, adults and the elderly (AJAI, in portuguese) in Paragominas, one of the actions of the Território do Saber Program, promoted by Hydro Paragominas in partnership with Semec (Municipal Secretary of Education), and executed by Evoluir. The course and teaching material are completely free and last for eight months, starting in August 2023 and ending in March 2024.

Enrollments can be made until August 4th, from Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm, at the Sônia Terzella, Reginaldo de Souza Lima and Hilda Oliveira Sá schools, in the urban center; and at the rural school Expedito Bragança, at CAIP, with the presentation of a personal document with a photo being mandatory. Classes take place from Monday to Thursday, at night, and students use a school kit containing didactic material, such as a bag, notebooks, supplies and a t-shirt.

“The program is developed with the aim of contributing to improving the quality of public education in the municipal network of Paragominas, where Hydro plays an important role. Contributing to change the reality of illiteracy in the region is a source of great satisfaction for our company”, evaluates Milene Maués, Hydro's partnership manager.

After the literacy course, all students receive completion certificates and are encouraged to continue their studies by enrolling in the 1st stage of EJA, in the municipal education network. For this, the program's team works in partnership with SEMEC and municipal schools, through pedagogical monitoring of all students.

One of the beneficiaries of the literacy program is Rosilene Aleixo, 50 years old, a student of the 2022 literacy class at the Uraim Community School. Rosilene did not have the opportunity to study when she was younger, as she had to work very early and take care of her siblings, so she did not attend school. “Living in the countryside is very difficult, from an early age you have to go to the countryside and make a choice: study or help your family. I learned to read and write through the program, it was a dream that came true and now I can write my own recipes and I intend to open my own restaurant in the future, as I really enjoy cooking. Since I work selling produce at the fair, this training helped me a lot, as I can now write down prices, make calculations, give change, without needing the help of other people”, reports Rosilene.

She studied at night, from Monday to Thursday. He wakes up at 4 am to go to the market, in the afternoon he picks the fruits and vegetables he grows on the farm for sale and personal consumption, and he continues his studies in the public school system.

About the Program

The Território do Saber Program started in 2019 to contribute to initiatives that promote the quality of education in Paragominas: teacher training, pedagogical monitoring of schools, support for the management of the Municipal Education Secretariat (SEMEC) and literacy training for young people, adults and the elderly.

In 2022, 110 people completed the adult, young and elderly literacy course. 256 professionals from the municipal education network were also certified, 100 in the improvement courses, 110 in specialization courses and 46 in the free course on leadership training and change management. The works carried out by the participants of Território do Saber were organized and published in six e-books.