The University of Taubaté has participated in many Rondon Project missions with its professors and students. In 2022 there were two missions and Profa. Wendry Maria Paixão Pereira, Professor of the Master's Program in Human Development participated in one of them and reports on this experience here.
THE Rondon Project It is an inter-ministerial initiative, coordinated by the Ministry of Defense, with the aim of contributing to the development of citizenship in university students, as well as stimulating the production of local collective projects and developing students' social responsibility. It is the largest extension project in Brazil, and in particular a dream from the time of a physiotherapy student.
This dream the University of Taubaté gave me in 2022, as a teacher. It was an unimaginable experience for someone passionate about collective health and the extension. After all, being part of such a grand project made me feel valued professionally and helped me to get to know other realities in our country..
The operation took place in the North Region, more precisely in Amapá, in the city of Calçoene. The team was formed by six students from the areas of biosciences and humanities, plus two physiotherapy teachers.
Preparation for the trip lasted one semester. We take in our bags workshops and activities focused on culture, human rights and justice, education and health for the small community of Amapá and we brought in our luggage the love and care with which the population received us, the experiences and exchanges we had with colleagues from the South and the community, and finally, the power, the struggle and determination of each calçoenense.
I can't measure everything I experienced in the fortnight of July, in Operation Rondon Amapá. It is clear that along the way we had difficulties that were overcome, however, the positive results strengthened the will to always dedicate more, in the end, It is so good to see that, with so little, we already make a difference in people's lives and they in ours.
I learned from Rondon that everyone's contexts are important and that the great beauty of everything is precisely in the differences! Professional growth and development from a human and social point of view is worthwhile!
In the end, Rondon was much more than I expected, and today I want every student to have a Rondon in their lives to feel what it really is like to be Brazilian. Rondon is a true lesson in life and citizenship, moment we teach a little and learn a lot.
prof. Dr Wendry Maria Paixão Pereira
