The second edition of VOCÊ, the FNO and OEC volunteer program, is launched

Last week, the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation (FNO) and OEC launched the second edition of the VOCÊ volunteer program, which connects members of the engineering and construction company with students from FNO’s rural partner schools in the Southern Bahia Lowlands. The aim of the initiative is to provide life and career mentoring, with exchanges of experiences and learning between participants who live in different realities.

The launch kickoff, held remotely, brought together more than 60 people, including members of the OEC, Novonor, FNO, Rural Family Houses and young beneficiaries of PDCIS, the Foundation’s social program, who will be mentored in the program. One of the highlights of this edition was the diversity of positions, works, region of operation and gender.

The initiative aims to connect members of the engineering and construction company with students from FNO’s partner rural schools in the Southern Bahia Lowlands

At the start of the meeting, Cristiane Nascimento, responsible for FNO’s Sustainability and Partnerships areas, expressed her satisfaction at carrying out this new cycle of the program, an initiative she considers to be an important movement in favor of personal development. “We are very happy to promote this great interaction of good, which brings together genuinely noble intentions,” she said.

Adelcio Sousa, Partnerships coordinator at FNO, reinforced the impact of the VOCÊ program, pointing out that it offers participants self-knowledge and protagonism. “This edition saw a record number of participants, which shows the great interest and enthusiasm of the members in having this experience,” he added.

“The first edition was extremely enriching; we absorbed a lot of knowledge and built new friendships. We have high expectations for the second edition. We hope to further strengthen the culture of volunteering in our company, bringing valuable lessons that we intend to apply to our local initiatives as well,” said Paquisa Rocha Brandão, Social Responsibility leader at OEC.

The results of the VOCÊ program also strengthen the actions of rural schools in the Southern Bahia Lowlands, according to Thales Lima, director of the Presidente Tancredo Neves Rural Family House (CFR-PTN). “We are interconnected by the common culture we inherited from Norberto Odebrecht, present in each of us and materialized in our practices. We thank the mentors, who will play a crucial role in helping our young people to strengthen their visions of the future,” he says.

A moment of exchange

At the launch of the program, the pairs of mentors and mentees took part in a dynamic in which they were able to introduce themselves for the first time, sharing everything from their family structures, dreams for the future, life experiences and personal tastes.

“Like me, he also likes anime. That’s really cool,” said young Jeferson de Jesus, referring to his mentor Cristiano Oliveira da Silva. “He’s also a dreamer, whose lifelong dream is to pass on knowledge. I feel that we, as a duo, were the work of fate,” added the 17-year-old student from the Igrapiúna Rural Family House (CFR-I).

As for Cristiano, during his chat with the young man, he was clear about what he wanted for the future. “I want to mention how lucky I was to be mentored by Jeferson, a smart and responsible boy who has the dream of becoming a successful agronomist. I feel very happy to be able to contribute in some way to his development,” says the OEC member.

“Our role is to nurture these dreams, especially in contexts where dreaming can be challenging. We seek to stimulate the values and culture that unite us, respecting differences and adding value to each other’s lives,” said Cristiane Nascimento in her closing speech.

VOCÊ will take place over four months, with online meetings between mentors and mentees, ending in November 2024 with a culminating event in the Southern Bahia Lowlands attended by all participants.