ONE: Joel Richards

Joel Richards

A challenge I overcame: Overcoming the difficulties I had when I first decided to work for myself

A dream for my future: To be content within my work and day to day life.

A hope for the global community: For everyone to have peace and to have enough to look after themselves.

Joel is a brilliant graphic designer and web designer from Bradford in the UK.  He originally came out to Medina back in February not as a volunteer but to visit Lauren who is the Pink House dance teacher and with the idea of doing the Meninadança website.  Since arriving he has not only extended his stay from 1 month to 5, but has also taken on far more than his original role with the NGO.  While still working freelance for clients back home Joel is responsible for creating the new Meninadança logo which he developed from designs produced by the girls during a logo-design workshop he ran with them at the Pink House. Brilliant!

Joel's logo work: the new design will be printed up onto t-shirts to sell to supporters.

Joel is an absolute star of a lad, hardworking and dedicated in what he does, and also keen to share knowledge and ideas.  He is also very calm and clear thinking so was a supportive presence to have around at difficult points of the placement.  And it turns out the point where he came by to help with the mural fitted right with him - preparing the eyes for the girls and then painting in eyelashes for some afterwards suited him as he apparently did a project all about eyes when he was studying.

Joel was staying at a local Pastor's house which meant that we volunteers also got to spend some time with the gorgeous motherly Sonia and Pastor Adir, sharing "cafezinho" in the home and going along to their Evangelical church one Sunday and playing football and eating barbecue with the regular service-goers.

Thanks for all the shared times Joel.  Keep up the work, you're doing amazingly for Meninadança and the girls...  (I love how they love that your name is knee [for any non PH readers, Joel in Portugues sounds like joelho which means knee and so... Joel=Knee!)  I hope you enjoy your last few weeks here in Brazil before flying home and I hope that you get to come back to as soon as you wouldl like.

:-)