Maria Clara

Maria Clara suffered from bullying at school, and from an early age, she tried to understand the circumstances that generate situations of racism, homophobia, sexism, and sexual abuse experienced by young people. A teacher from her school opened the way for her to talk about these problems in a group of conversations, which sparked her interest in expanding this opportunity to other young people. Thus, she created Fora da Bolha, with the objective of supporting victims of bullying and abuse while building a supportive network of people, such as teachers, who could provide assistance to students. The initiative happens in rounds of conversations with students who need a space to talk about oppression, fear, discrimination, and violence. Teachers provide their assistance in accompanying young people to ensure the confidentiality of their conversations. They work on each case closely, handing them over to the Tutelary Council and other psychologists when necessary. At the age of 14, Maria Clara is now planning to expand her initiative to other schools in her city, taking into account the circumstances of the pandemic.