Four De Montfort University (DMU) Leicester students from Brazil have been inspired by their work with vulnerable women, at the incredible city-based project New Futures.
The charity supports, in particular, women who have been involved with the sex industry and who may also suffer with drug and alcohol problems.
One of the students Marina Cangussu, who joined BA Health Studies at DMU, said: “The interesting thing about this project is that we stop having prejudice. We are able to know the person holistically, not just looking at their medical issues.
“When I start to think about the impact of this on my life in Brazil where I study Medicine, now I am prepared to see my patients in this holistic way.
“It will help in my understanding of them, how different parts of their life impact on their health.”
DMU Social Work students have taken up placements with the charity since 2004, providing them with valuable work experience.
The Brazilian students, at DMU for a year with the Science Without Borders (SwB) programme, are running the charity’s drop-in. This provides women a safe welcoming space four days a week, with access to other support services.
Mayara Kado who studies Occupational Therapy in Brazil said: “I would like to share a story about a lady who came to New Futures. She was a drug addict, but with the help of the project, she was able to stop her addiction.
“Now she is going to college in a different city to allow her to study at a university. She wants to help other people in the way that she was helped.”
Talking about her time helping the project, she said: “It was an amazing experience. One of the areas of occupational therapy is social care.
“I was always scared to have experience in this field because people have gone through so much in their lives that I didn't know if I could handle that. Now I know that I can and it is possible.“
On her year at DMU, she added: “The whole year was not just about academic and professional aspects, I gained as much personally and that will reflect in my professional life.
“We see that the world is so much more than we thought.”
SwB is a global initiative by the Brazilian government enabling students to study at top universities overseas and DMU has accepted more than 250 Brazilian students through the programme.
Della Cavner, Director of the New Futures Project said: “The students from Brazil are running our drop in beautifully!
“They are working on their own initiative seeking guidance when appropriate and are doing a brilliant job. Can we have some more next year please?”
Another placement student Priscyla Freire, studying Nursing at DMU and in Brazil, said: “We all like the programme because we get to help these women and to see how the little changes to their lives eventually become a big change – it is amazing to see.”
Raissa Mendonca from Brazil added: “I intend to work in the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Having international vision, and understanding how it works in another country will definitely help in the future.”
Commenting about the valuable work which the charity does, she said: “A lot of women go to New Futures just for the company, to talk and to feel at home. It’s a good place.”
Posted on Monday 10 August 2015