Beatriz Pereira Silva is involved in the MePower project in Basel and the International Youth Network (IYN) at terre des hommes schweiz. Her commitment also has to do with her plans and dreams for the future.
You’ve been part of the MePower project for two and a half years now. How did you find out about it?
In summer 2020, the contact point for sans-papier drew my attention to the project. I was told that it was an initiative specifically for young migrants. As I had almost no friends who were migrants at the time, I was interested in the project. I was then invited by terre des hommes schweiz to a one-week camp in the Jura. During this week, I got to know many migrants with different stories, with whom I could strongly identify. I was most pleased that the project was tailored to us. It made me feel so special. At the camp, as the word MePower suggests, we did various activities that allowed me to better understand and assess my own strength and values. I recognized and realized strengths in myself that I was never aware of. After the camp, we then met once or twice a month in the MePower project at so-called regulars’ tables. This allowed us to get to know each other better and make friends. We also kept raising awareness and talking about topics that are otherwise rarely discussed. That was and is very nice. It really is a wonderful project that I recommend to all migrants in Basel.
You are now also involved in the International Youth Network (IYN) at terre des hommes schweiz. What do you do in the IYN and what is your motivation for getting involved?
We have a monthly meeting with all the delegates from the countries in which terre des hommes schweiz supports projects. At the meetings, we discuss what we can organize together with the young people. We exchange ideas and talk about our experiences and whether certain activities could be carried out in the same way in other countries. November, for example, was Global Action Month (GAM) and all IYN countries carried out different activities on this year’s theme “Say no to violence, break the silence”. In certain countries, young people took to the streets and demonstrated. We in Switzerland put on a play this year. Last year we made a podcast. In another country, young people went to schools and drew attention to the issue. Each country had its own ideas. Why I am committed to the IYN has to do with my plans and dreams for the future.
What plans and dreams do you have for the future?
My plan or dream is that one day I will have financial stability so that I can decide for myself when and where I want to be. Because I would love to help other people. I was born in Brazil and there is a lot of inequality there. I was also recently in Africa for the first time, in Angola, and I also saw the extreme inequality there. That made a big impression on me and I would like to change that. I am involved with the IYN because the organization focuses on young people, as they are the future. I always say that you can’t change the world directly, but you can change the world of individuals. For example, if I change your world, you can change someone else’s and so on.
The interview was conducted by Nicolas Staehelin, former community service volunteer at terre des hommes schweiz. Further information can be found at: www.tdhs.ch/IYN
For a strong youth
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