France-Brazil Interexchange 2016

It is much more than a cultural interexchange. That´s the description of the 15th edition of France-Brazil Interexchange. Since 2002 the students of the French institution Sport Dans La Ville come to Brazil to visit Fundação Gol de Letra and learn about its projects. On the other hand, Gol de Letra´s students also have the chance to travel and get acquainted to the actions developed in France. The project leads to a broader vision of the world, a cultural upgrade and the increase of exchanged experiences.

In 2016, 12 adolescents and two French teachers visited several of Gol de Letra´s units: Caju and Barreira do Vasco, in Rio de Janeiro, and Vila Albertina, in São Paulo. Besides enjoying the city doing cultural and touristic programs they also became familiar with the activities developed by the Foundation in Brazil.

 Brazilian students visited France in 2016 and took part in a different Program. Four young monitors, two from Rio de Janeiro and two from São Paulo, accompanied by two teachers, represented Gol de Letra in the Street Football World Festival 16, an official event of UEFA EURO 2016 which took place in Lyon, with the participation of more than 80 delegations of 50 countries. The Festival was organized by Streetfootballworld (an organization that works with Futebal3 methodology) and by Sport Dans La Ville.

The program included, besides the games with the participation of mixed teams from different countries, several activities focused on integration and exchange of experiences. Gol de Letra´s young representatives a workshop dedicated to Chinlone (a football modality) with the other participants, and it was very much appreciated.

In fact, the result could not have been better! The Foundation´s delegation was among the champions of Futebol3 Festival, together with young people from Colombia, Indonesia and Germany. A remarkable experience, full of emotion! After the trip, these young representatives reported their experiences with the interexchange to the other students, reinforcing the role of multipliers of Gol de Letra´s initiatives.

“I could not believe it when we won the Festival, and I lifted the trophy! Our team´s name was  "Yasiyes", which means "yes" in German, Spanish and Indonesian, doing a mix of idioms. The days were super, with several tours, lots of laugh and photos taken. I really liked the opportunity to know several places and learn a lot of things.”

Henrique Marques, 18 years of age, Young monitor of Programa Jogo Aberto SP.

“The interexchange is an opportunity that goes beyond the exchange of experiences. It is also an exchange of methodologies. Besides promoting the cultural integration of young people, it also permits the exchange of educational practices in both institutions.”

Patrícia Paiva, analyst of social and educative programs in Fundação Gol de Letra.