100 days without rain

Today we completed 100 days without any drop of rain in Brasilia. Tough times. Even with some humidity during the evenings, the vegetation faded out and the grass is so arid that it is not even brown anymore – it is gray. It is also very hard to breath, our eyes burn, our skins are very dry...

There is a common feeling we deeply need water falling from the sky. We need the green back! Lately, this is a typical topic for conversation, either with people we know or the people we do not know. World Pulse has allowed us to talk to people from all over the globe. So today I want to share with you I miss the rain too.

I’ve been reading great ideas for your regional or national situations here. Though, I have not find yet someone with a goal like mine: to bring the political discussion - and I mean mainly to fight corruption - to the core agenda of social development. Women have to be involved because we are the most affected when our governments are fragile and the levels of poverty and inequality are high. But, in general, people do not understand what kind of difficulties women face and why they suffer more than men. Unfortunately, some people consider the feminism only as a way to surpass men’s dominion, as if the gender issues were just a matter of in whose hand’s the power is. The misunderstandings on feminist perceptions make people be unfaithful on the feminist mission.

Therefore, I believe the most critical obstacle for achieving goals as a social worker is the lack of faith. And I can compare this lack of faith to the lack of rain in Brasilia. The dry land represents the things I want to change; the rain is me and the things I believe will help me to overcome misunderstandings – I really mean, the rain=support –; and the flowers and green leaves and grass are the outcomes of a joint movement.

I can't “be the rain” alone. I want all women to be the rain, and make the soil fruitful and green again. We can start with some manifestations that in the beginning seem shy. But then it will gain force in the media and the governors, because they need our votes to keep their seats.

So, for now, the solution I have is to use public spaces (either online or offline), manifestations, and the environment encompassing them – like the rescue of the national sentiment and the excitement of joining the movement and be part of a major change – to start the change I want. World Pulse is included.

It is unbelievable! While I write the last lines of this article, 9:55 pm, the rain starts falling - no kidding! I hear “woohoos”, “it’s raining” and whistles coming from all over the neighborhood. This is nice! The rain smells so good! And tomorrow the colors outside will be different. Dear God, it’s a sign!