BRAZIL PARTICIPANTS

September-November 2012

MARCELLE DE MEDEIROS LOPES DOMINGUES
A professional events producer, Marcelle volunteers as president of the NGO Pink Ribbon Foundation.  Her interests for the foundation include marketing, event planning, Pink October, social media, fundraising, and management.  Marcelle takes part in many trainings for nonprofit workers, and she runs an online wig bank.  She writes: “I lost my young sister [to] breast cancer in 2010.  She was 35 years old.  Instead of dying with her I decided to fight her fight the best I could.” 


MARIA MARGARETH MENEZES NEIVA EULÁLIO
Maria volunteers at Maria Carvalho Santos Foundation, an NGO which focuses on patient care and breast cancer awareness.  She also holds a position on her city’s Board of Public Health.  A breast cancer survivor, Maria’s main interests on the exchange are health education, patient care, and cancer support groups.

 

VERA CRISTINA GOLIK
Vera is a journalist and writer, as well as project coordinator of her NGO, called Open Hearted.  The main aim of the organization is to publish, advertise, and disseminate a book and photo exposition of near-nude breast cancer patients, along with their written stories, with the goal of promoting breast cancer awareness and patients’ self-esteem.  The book has been published and Vera’s exposition was shown at a meeting of the World Health Organization at the UN.  The photos are now posted in São Paulo’s subway system.   Vera writes: “Last year, in 2011, I was selected by the American Cancer Society as a Global Ambassador for Cancer in Brazil as a result of my leadership role in civil society for the humanization of medicine, especially cancer control and treatment in my home country, to attend a unique workshop focused on building a strong global civil society “cancer voice”. Along with other select Global Cancer Ambassadors, I was trained on meeting with UN mission representatives and decision makers, and on advocating to make cancer a health priority in my country and globally.”

FABIOLA FALCI GOULART
Fabiola works as a nutritionist at a philanthropic hospital.  Her interests include patients care, nutrition for cancer patients, and breast cancer screening and awareness programs.  She writes: “We live in a big country (more than 200 million people) where we have only 40 charity hospitals for cancer care and that each year 500,000 new cases of cancer are dignosticated.”



     JOANA JEKER DOS ANJOS
Joana just recently founded her NGO, called “Starting Again”.   Her organization is small, but has already done some important advocacy work, benefiting from being located in the country’s capital.  Starting Again has no office, and few volunteers.  This program will be a great help in getting them off the ground.  Joana’s job at a public hospital is to visit patients after breast surgery and assist those who seek breast reconstruction.  She writes: “Since I won my battle against breast cancer, three years ago, I have been devoting my life to helping other women who also had breast cancer. One of my main objectives is the establishment of local public policies in order to increase the number of breast reconstruction surgeries offered by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS).”                               

MICHELLE MANNRICH ANTUNES
Michelle volunteers at the scientific council of Institute for Humanist and Social Development (HUMSOL), an organization that provides mammograms, counseling and services to cancer patients and survivors.  She does outreach and leads talks on breast cancer and mammography in low income neighborhoods.  Michelle is also the project creator and coordinator and leads a Rotary Club project called “Rotary for Pink and Against Breast Cancer”.  Her interests on this exchange are health project development and implementing health programs for low income women.  She has published as well as taught in the area of mammography.    Michelle writes: “I am a volunteer in social projects because I believe that when we use our professional knowledge for the benefit of poverty is the best way to make the world a better and fairer for all!”

AERLE PATRICIA MARINHO
Patricia is an English language tutor who volunteers at IMAMA, a breast cancer awareness and support organization.  She writes:  “In my work as a volunteer I already donate part of my time to educate and communicate relevant information about breast health, the possible alterations informing about methods of early detection of breast cancer and health caring.”

MARIA CHRISTINA DE MEDEIROS MARTINS
Previously a journalist, Maria Christina is now self employed as a press promoter and events producer.  She is also involved in a number of volunteer activities, such as the Pink Ribbon Foundation, where she has been volunteering since its founding, helping them organize and advertise events. Maria Christina’s interests in this exchange program are communication, marketing, and arts and culture.  She writes: “I believe that the success of a project is strongly related to how much the local community in envolved and embrace the cause. More than advertising, it is important to generate local bonds. And I think the only road to reach this is through commitment and passion. I do have both and make them available for Fundação Laço Rosa [the Pink Ribbon Foundation].”

CLARISIA VISCARDI MONIZ RAMOS
Professionally an architect and designer, Clarisia has substantial international experience, and speaks fluent French as well as good English.  She volunteers in the areas of advertising and marketing at her NGO, Union in Support of Combating Breast Cancer (UNACCAM).   Her interests on the exchange are child care, fundraising, communication, marketing, and working with volunteers. She writes: “My interest in the program is to learn new solutions working with the third sector and bring to my country a new concept of volunteering so we can improve our organization, or even build a new structure to meet the emerging cities.”

AMANDA RIESEMBERG FERREIRA
Amanda volunteers at the Institute for Humanist and Social Development (HUMSOL), an organization that provides mammograms, counseling and other services to cancer patients and survivors.    A professional publisher, Amanda offers her design skills for HUMSOL’s social campaigns.  She writes: “I want to participate of this project because I see it like a possibility to take my love for people and my willpower around the world and be able to make a difference.”

JUREMA RAMOS DOS SANTOS 
Jurema has worked as a lawyer at the postal service for over 30 years.  She is committed to the work of her NGO, the Brazilian Association of Cancer Survivors (AMUCC).  AMUCC is run exclusively by volunteers and does advocacy work.  Jurema’s interests on the exchange include volunteer mobilization, fundraising, NGO management, events planning, and cancer screening.  As Coordinator of AMUCC’s Pink October Movement, she helped organize around 100,000 people to participate in events last year.  She writes: “The main point is that I’m very concerned about questions related to woman rights.  In special what refers to health, domestic violence and equal payment between men and women.”


VANIA REGINA SILVEIRA QUEIROZ
Vania is a lawyer who uses her professional skills and network to benefit her NGO, Our Pink Power, where she serves as president.  She gives legal advice to breast cancer patients and to victims of domestic violence.  Under Vania’s leadership, Our Pink Power established a partnership with a police station specialized in women’s issues.



ROSSANA RODRIGUES ROSSINI CAMACHO
Rossana is a police officer specializing in the area of domestic violence.  She also volunteers with the NGO Marilia Women’s Network.  Rossana’s interests on this exchange are advocacy, community leadership, domestic violence, and women’s empowerment.  She writes: “I’ve been trying to develop public policies for women in order to help provide them with dignity and a better quality of life.”

DIVONE SILVA VAZ COELHO 
Divone teaches English, Portuguese, and Spanish.  Her family was touched by breast cancer last year.  Divone volunteers at the Activist Women’s Association of (the city of) Paraíso do Tocantins (AMAP), a philanthropic organization with a mission to promote and support cancer patients and their families.  Her interests on this exchange are breast cancer awareness in schools, working with children and teens, and domestic violence.  Divone writes: “I hope learning from one another, to share experience of how organizations and institutions in the other country advocate for women, and after promoting women’s roles in my community.”


THAIS CARDOSO SOARES
Thais is Communications Specialist at IMAMA, ITD's Brazilian partner organization on this project. IMAMA is a breast cancer research and support services organization.  As ITD's IMAMA liaison, Thais led activities related to recruitment and selection of the Brazilian participants, and to the fellowship activities in Brazil.




March-May 2012

ROSANGELA CRISTINA DE SOUZA O´NEIL
Rosangela works for the NGO HUMSOL in Curitiba as a volunteer on the project “Vitorianas”, or “Winners”. She is a breast cancer and mastectomy survivor. Through her dynamic personality and work she helps breast cancer patients and survivors overcome obstacles through dance. She writes “This way we can show people that even though we went thru a terrible disease, we overcame it with happiness, movement and power thru music and dance.” Rosangela is interested in exploring similar non-medical therapeutic programs in the U.S.

JULIA ARRUDA
Julia is a lawyer and a member of the Organization for Brazilian Lawyers, in Curitiba. She is also a member of the organization’s subcommittee on women’s issues. Julie is interested in learning about programs and legal options for domestic violence victims in the U.S.

NARA REGINA FRANCO DE ANDRADE
Nara is a volunteer at the NGO IMAMA in Porto Alegre. She is a recent breast cancer survivor, and is dedicated to help other women overcome their health issues. Professionally Nara is a trained lawyer, and she works as a real estate agent. She would like to learn about women’s issues in general in the U.S., and specifically about what options women diagnosed with breast cancer have.

VALERIA DE CASSIA LOPES
Valeria works as a volunteer at the NGO Aama in Curitiba. Herself a survivor of three cancers, Valeria counsels women in securing the health care that they need from government and insurance company. She writes: “I have interest on learning third sector organizations history and actions undertaken in other countries. I’d like also to exchange experiences about the different realities of the health care in the world.”