Internacional

His eyes shine whenever company’s administrator, marketing expert Gustavo Sana (35), talks about his greatest legacies so far. Sana has the impetuosity and energy of her 35 years, but the expertise and seriousness of an old skilled man when it comes to his social projects. We went to his hometown Porto Alegre to talk to the entrepreneur. "I felt challenged," Gustavo reported, telling us about his first visit to one of the shelters that he attended with the Social Project "Feed Your Soul" in 2008. Since then, the initiative has already served more than 2,500 children under social vulnerability.

The Project lasts already for eighth years, and currently there is a team of about 10 people involved in each action. "More than 200 people have passed through the project that usually happens on the last Wednesday of each month," says Sana. "Celebrating the birthday of the children who were born in the respective month, with inflatable toys and candy tables. Other volunteer visits are held on commemorative dates such as: Back to School, Easter, June Party, Children's Day and Christmas, "he adds. For the restlessness people like Sana, the greatest and most relevant purpose is the birthday. This afternoon he spends with our team giving an inspiring interview that will undoubtedly raise a lot of valid questions.

NOI: With such an intensive agenda of business ahead, how did you come up with the idea of being a volunteer doing social action?

Gustavo Sana: I did not have a specific motivation or a start date. It was simply an intuition to do something more. That was just a fundraising action in 2008, and over time it was becoming something bigger besides material donation. Nowadays I try to pass the idea that volunteering has to be a daily practice, the same as we do work-outs or any leisure activity. The idea is to demystify this culture of assistance and promote that volunteering as something that is a part of people's daily lives.

The Social Project "Feed your Soul" has existed since 2011. How many shelters do you currently help for?

It was started with a first action on Christmas 2008, but it actually had a greater sequence of activities from Christmas 2011 to the present day. Currently four shelters are being attended with approximately 100 children up to 17 years old.

How often visits are being made?

Visits are being made on a monthly basis, always on the last Wednesday or Thursday of each month (according to the weather forecast). On that date we organized the birthday party of children who has a birthday this month, where I place the inflatable toys, as well as we set the table with cakes, candies and presents. The idea is to bring up the importance of everyone! In addition, I do some seasonal actions of Easter, Children's Day, Back to School and Christmas, dressed as Santa Claus.

Are the children in the shelters available for adoption?

Each case is different. This depends very much on the situation of the child and the family. Last year we had a lot of adoptions being prolongated because of the bureaucratization of the process, which is still very time consuming. It requires attention so that the choice to be positive for both the new parents and for the adopted child.

What is the greatest shortage of shelters?

As the children's rotation is very large (in those eight years more  than 2,000 children were passed through it), the need for support is always constant, whether with clothes, food and personal hygiene goods. And that's all the shelters are facing alone. What I'm trying to communicate is that before you donate something, you have to donate yourself. You have to be willing to donate your time, your care and your love, so that you can see how best you could contribute. A lot of people want to help and don't know how. I often say that I help rich and unneedy children, because they are rich in resilience, love and smiles. What they lack is only opportunities and comfort to evolve in life.

Do you find it very difficult to find support?

I acknowledge it's a daily challenge. I've seen several cases of people who participated once and never showed up again, but over time I've been gaining great support and trust in the "Feed"! I try to say that I do not lead an NGO, but rather an association of friends who contribute with the heart.

Why do you choose to help children and not elder people or other group of people in vulnerable states?

Because the children are not there by free choice. They were left by someone there! I have worked with adults, homeless people, and realized that many are there by their choice. I also like to help elderly people and I also do various seasonal support actions, but in a personal and anonymous way. As for work, I had to choose the children, just to have a greater focus on developing it for them!

Who can be a volunteer? Are there any prerequisites? How can I become one?

As I said earlier, the secret of “Feed Your Soul” is being different from others. That's why we haven't established rules or procedures. The prerequisite is to have the heart open and take a part in the visits to really understand how everything works. The only thing that I demand from the people is that they do not promise what they cannot do and they have to participate quite often in the visits, because that is the only way they can develop a sixth sense to realize that the real help is not a donation itself, but rather of exchange! There we teach, but we learn a lot!

How private companies can participate in the project?

The companies are very welcome the same as individuals. There's no differentiation! Obviously, from financial reasons, I think, for companies it's easier to contribute. The depreciation and the needs of the shelters are daily. That is why it is important that we keep the structure of the shelter in good condition, always renewing the furniture, electronics, among other items. My future project is to build a living space within one of the shelters, precisely to provide comfort and opportunity to live together in a larger place. All companies interested in this project always are very welcome!

What are the long-term goals of the project?

My life project is still to build a center where children can spend the day with leisure activities (for the little ones) and professionalization (for teenagers). While this is still not possible, the goal is always to create the opportunities for everyone, whether to facilitate the adoption, as well as generating workshops for sport, leisure, culture and work. Many need only one opportunity. My job is to offer it for them.

Do you believe that sport has a regenerative function in young people's lives? If yes, why do you think so?

The sport is a key part in this function, particularly because of working discipline and personal motivation. It is a hope for many potential young people, and I am sure it is a great motivator in their lives.

Which story has affected you most in these years of volunteering?

I could write a book so many stories I have! Receiving information or meeting up with children who have been adopted or who is working and building their lives is my biggest reward. There are so many stories that I could not limit myself to just one. Today I am aware that I will not save the world, but I am very happy to know that some good lives have been changed for better thanks to the Feed! Gratitude is the word!

What do people need to know about volunteering?

My mission is to break this barrier that exists, created by society, to characterize volunteering as assisting. I want to show that we can do the crazy things in our lives and, in the same way, help the people around us. There's no point in donating and not saying “Good morning” to your neighbors. There's no point to wish a good and not to hug your parents. The hands that make are worth more than the hands that pray! The secret of volunteering is not giving, but rather the exchange and the sharing. It is about to open yourself and allow yourself to help people in a simple way, without rules or questioning, just be good, do good! As that Chinese proverb says, " There is always a scent in the hands that offer roses.”

What are your personal plans for the future?

To live a full life, a light life, surrounded by people who value this legacy of the “Feed Your Soul” project and continue to question the world! Obviously, I always would like to stay focused on having a life full of accomplishments, with eyes high on the horizon and with feet down on the ground, practicing the best feeling we can have: a gratitude! As I always say, еру heritage is something we leave to others. The legacy is something we leave in others.

YOUGTH AND LITERATURE

Besides the social project he leads, Gustavo is also dedicated to the literature. In 2015 he published "Scars of the Mind" (“Cicatrizes da Mente”) a compiled of chronicles, which personally describe the author's view of moments and doubts crucial to human beings.

What was your motivation to write the book "Scars of the Mind"?

I always enjoyed questioning the world, began writing as an escape from a difficult period in my personal life. It was a kind of self-therapy, of putting my ideas out in a simple way. As a result, I set up a blog where I posted the texts weekly. After about three years, I decided to compile all the texts in a book to share this feeling and ideal with whom I identify myself.

Do you intend to write another book?

Yes, a new edition with five new texts about the current project, this year. In the addition to another one which still without date. Everything in its time!

In a time of overvaluation of the social media, what is the relevance of writing a book?

In the same way that the social media bring us closer to people and interests, it also ended up taking away the patience and the expectation of dreaming about the world. In a world where access to information is easy, we also end up not realizing the value of the depth of information. The truth is that people don't like to question themselves and for the acceptance in social media. By reading a workpiece of the literature, we get an insight into the search for understanding and questioning our lives. The fact is that we can not go against the social media, but rather know how to use it in a better way! That is also why I decided to start releasing some texts in video format, just to "modernize" literature in a new way.

What is the relevance of the literature itself?

I believe that the current method of teaching is far outdated. There's no use in forcing a person to read stories or fables from the past that he has no interest in. The reading has to be stimulated according to the profile of each person. I even started to read it only after I wrote my book. What I learned was with the experience, but today I value the reading a lot because it acquires knowledge and has different perceptions of a certain subject. The key is to be open-minded about literature.

Read this content in portuguese:

https://www.revistanoi.com.br/editorias/especial/as-maos-que-fazem_1.html