ONE: Rita de Cassia M Peseina

 

Rita de Cassia M Peseina

A challenge I overcame: The thought that people would not be able to turn around. Looks of incapacity.

A dream for my future: To got to places where nobody wants to go and through love for the other rescue.

A hope for the global community: I believe that we can live together in a world with more equality and love.

Rita, wow what an incredible person.  The rock and foundation of the Meninadança Pink House in Medina, Rita is a social worker with a heart of gold who truly holds each and every girl’s best interests in the palm of her hand.  She is hugely passionate about the girls’ safety and well-being and works long and intense hours both within the Pink House and in the community working towards bettering the girls situations.   She is also a no-nonsense person who will go to great lengths to make sure the girls attend the Pink House and stay off the streets at night.

During the week reflecting on ¨Leaving your mark¨ one of our girls draws Rita stopping a snake labelled ´danger´(left) / (right) my celebration of Rita´s qualities: ¨The power of Love in the Pink House, Strength, Love, Incredible Woman, Leader, Believes in Everone, Protection, Strength,The girls secured in her hands, Hope¨

As well as her role as director of the Pink House Rita is mother to two and has a wonderful extended family who all made Rachel and I feel fully at home in Medina.  We were both impressed by Rita’s baking ability too, when we had the pleasure of a “cafezinho” (“just a little coffee” that is never so little!) at her home one afternoon.

Rita’s positive response to Rachel and my “Abra seus Olhos” photography project was the trigger for the entire “O Seu Olhar” mural project and presentation and was an amazing example of what huge amounts can be achieved in a very short period of time with determination, faith and a lot of contacts within a town!  Rita certainly has all of these in volumes.  Accompanying her on a couple of missions around Medina it was immediately clear what huge respect the community has for her, and it was lovely to watch Rita’s kind and gentle way with everyone she comes across.

This collage on the side on one of the girl´s personalised boxes at the Pink House reads: ¨To be a woman is to be Strong and victorious¨, Rita is certainly that!

Que linda e estimulante mulher você é Rita!  Muito, muito obrigada por todo seu apoio, compreensão e amizade por todo agellas 6 semanas que estava com Meninadança.  Sempre vou lembrar de você e as meninas com um grande amor, e espero que algum dia vou ter a oportunidade voltar e visitar a vocês de novo.

Com abraços fortes e muito amor

:-)