Alan, 15, wants to be an engineer. Luan, 16, wants to be a businessman, and their sister, Vanessa, 13, intends to be a doctor. Their parents, Pedro Silva, 65, and Micinéia, 43, have tears in their eyes as they speak of their children’s dreams.
The Dumonts live a short distance from them. Ronaldo, 46, and Sueli, 42, have nine children and eight grandchildren. There are no big professional plans among their children. Their sons and daughters dropped out of school and had their own children during adolescence.
The Silvas and the Dumonts live in the poor, violent and dirty slum with the unusual name of Sovaco da Cobra (Snake’s Armpit) in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Pernambuco (PE).
Both families, aside from living in the same slum, depend almost exclusively on the federal government. It was the money from the Bolsa Família program and Social Security benefits that made them evolve in the past ten years. The Bolsa Família social program costs the Brazilian Federal government R$ 24.8 billion and reaches 14 million families across the country.
Folha has followed the paths of the Silvas and the Dumonts since 2005. At the beginning, R$ 1 made a big difference. Even R$ 0.50, which was enough to buy the pork to be mixed with the beans. Today their houses are equipped and they have some perspective for the future.
At the Silvas‘ home, the monthly income is R$ 1,746 –all from the government. Mr. Silva is retired for disability and is paid the minimum wage (R$ 788) and Isaque, 3, who has Down syndrome, also receives the minimum wage.
Alan and Vanessa also receive the Bolsa Família benefit, totaling R$ 178.
Among the Dumonts, nine children and grandchildren receive some R$ 850 from the Bolsa Família program. The patriarch, Ronaldo, is the only one among the 19 members of the family who has a (temporary) job as a garbage man. His children occasionally get temporary jobs.
The choice of Sovaco da Cobra slum was due to the great penetration of the Bolsa Família program in the Northeast of Brazil (7 million people receive the aid; 50% of the total) and the very low local social and economic indicators.
It is a constantly flooded area due to its proximity to a lagoon. Even a severed head has been seen at the slum which received asphalt on some streets and trash removal services recently.
SPELLING TESTS AND SCHOOLS
During Folha ’s visits in the past ten years, many photographs were taken and videos of the families were recorded. The children have also undergone reading and spelling tests to monitor their progress at school.
In the case of the Silvas, Luan and Alan developed successively. But both, attending their second year in high school, still have difficulties to write and to understand complex subjects. One of the requirements to receive the Bolsa Família benefit is to keep the children in school.
On the last spelling test in June, Luan wrote „luís“ (instead of „luz“) and „emplena“ as one word instead of two. Alan’s handwriting is difficult to understand and wrote „gregros“ instead of „gregos“ and „“divindades infernas“ (instead of infernais). Despite their mistakes, they have been familiar with pens and books for years.
On the trips to Sovaco da Cobra slum, Folha also visited local schools. In some of them, the ceilings were dripping, walls were electrified because bare wires were damp, libraries were closed and there were not enough teachers in units with more than 2,000 students per day.
The director of the school attended by Luan and Alan, Nova Horizonte, said that nearly 40% of the students repeated first grade.
The head of the Ministry of Social Development (MDS), Tereza Campello, says one of the biggest challenges of the Bolsa Família program is to improve the program’s integration with better education in public schools.
Another point that seems to escape the government’s reach is the beneficiaries‘ destination after they reach the program’s age limit, 17.
The MDS has several stories of success and more than 3.1 million families that left the Bolsa Família voluntarily – most of them because their income had raised.
Among the Dumonts, the program was successful as it improved the family’s material condition. But it was limited to requiring the children attend a school of poor quality.
During the first visit to the Dumonts, in 2005, ten people lived in a very poor house. Today the parents live with some of their children in a brick house with ceramic floor, painted walls and all the appliances found in a middle-class house.
„HAVING A LOT OF CHILDREN“
But in ten years the number of family members has risen to 19 from 10. The adolescents became pregnant while they were receiving the Bolsa Família aid and gave birth to children who are also in the program today. Seven children are in the same situation, the daughters of mothers who are under 27 years old.
After they stop receiving the Bolsa Família benefit, some of them join other federal programs, such as Agente Jovem, for those who want to learn jobs at underequipped training centers.
Questioned about what she learned with the program, Priscila Dumont, the mother of two children who receive funds from Bolsa Família, says: „I learned how to fool around and have a lot of children.“
Although they followed different paths, it is clear that the children and grandchildren of the Silvas and the Dumonts live in a much better present than their parents‘ poor past. All paid for by the government’s money.
In 2003, the Bolsa Família included several social initiatives of the FHC administration (1995-2002), such as Vale-Gás and Bolsa Escola. The number of families in the program then hiked from 3.6 million families and R$ 570 million spent to 13.7 million families (50 million people) and R$ 25 billion, respectively.
INEXPENSIVE PROGRAM
Often seen with prejudice, the Bolsa Família program is the country’s cheapest social program and that which reaches the most people. It amounts to only 2.8% of the government’s budget of non-financial expenses.
In comparison, the minimum wage benefits for those who never or hardly ever paid social security (such as Pedro and Isaque Silva) amount to 16%.
The Bolsa Família program is also criticized due to its undeniable electoral power. In former president Lula’s reelection in 2006, and in President Dilma Rousseff’s victories (2010 and 2014) the result of the votes they received divided by region makes it very clear.
During one of the visits, in 2010, Folha asked Sueli Dumont who she would vote for in the presidential election.
„Lula“, she answered. Her daughter Késsia stressed that he could not run anymore and that „Lula’s wife“ would be the candidate. „What’s her name?“ asked Sueli. Vilma“, said Késsia. Sueli then concluded: „I’m going to vote for Vilma.“
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