After the suspension of their activities, imposed by the pandemic, Project DOJO, which holds jiu-jitsu practice with teenagers from the community around Compassiva´s head office, resumed their activities in January this year.
“What motivated us to resume activities was seeing these teenagers idle during the pandemic”, explains Caetano Pinilha, project coordinator. During our online monitoring, throughout this period, there were accounts about the difficulty in carrying out school tasks, because of the lack of necessary equipment, and for not being in an appropriate environment. “And not just that, they lacked motivation. Training can help these teenagers to keep calm, it strengthens their body and even their immunity”, he believes.
At the moment, a group of seven students have been gathering outdoors, weekly, in parks. “We were unable to do this before because jiu-jitsu practice requires a lot of physical contact and our building doesn’t have much ventilation, but at the end of last year this idea was proposed and we decided to give it a go.” The use of masks and hand sanitizer is compulsory.
Active listening, open talk
Besides encouraging the practice of sports, DOJO´s goal is also to be close to these teenagers. This reunion is a way to resume the mentorship with the group, by listening to their needs and expectations.
“We had a great time sitting together before the training, just talking”, recalls Caetano. These are the moments that make possible our awareness about the situation of each teenager and their families.
One of the girls in the group, for instance, is overweight. She’s been attending DOJO for a long time and has complained of a pain in her knees and ankles. “When I asked her about her routine, she told me that her mum goes to work everyday and she stays home eating sweets and pastry because she can’t cook”, says Caetano. Out of this account came the idea of teaching her how to cook. “This will improve her life quality and that of her mother, as they will no longer spend so much money buying fast-food.”
Another teenager in the group also shared his desire and need to work. His family, until not long ago, was living in a squat, but they have now rented a house. “He wants to work as a ‘young apprentice’, help his family, and being aware of this enables us to join him in his pursuit.”, says Caetano. On the same day, a job opportunity came up and was immediately forwarded to this boy.
Spending time with this group aims to show that we are there for them, in spite of all difficulties that may come up. “In the face of the hardship that the pandemic is for us all, it’s important to be this presence in their lives that somehow can bring them hope”.
