Rhayani

Born and raise in a small town the interior of Brazil, Rhayani has always noticed the presence of public policies in her daily life, such as the Bolsa Família [Family Allowance] program and the universal health system, and developed a passion for politics from an early age. During her adolescence, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and faced difficulties in treatment due to neglect and lack of infrastructure. This experience deeply impacted Rhayani and played a crucial role in shaping her view of the importance of public policies. She and her friends couldn't find spaces to discuss their rights and noticed apathy and a lack of critical thinking among young people when it came to politics and current affairs. As a result, they created Politiqueiros Brasil, which aims to democratize political education in a non-partisan, accessible, and engaging way for young people.

The project involves 34 volunteers who work in areas such as human resources, scriptwriting, design, communication, events, podcasting, and training, and they collaborate in a horizontal way to develop projects. The project organizes Model UN simulations called "PolitiChampions," which received 200 applications for 50 spots in its first edition. Rhayani also gives lectures on racism, structural racism, youth leadership, proactivity, passion, politics, and her own story. In the future, the group aims to create an in-person conference, expand its current impact by empowering more young people in positions of power to change the structures, and train the team to develop an ambassador program.

Rhayani believes that by not participating in politics, individuals give others the power to make decisions on their behalf, and she seeks to stimulate these discussions so that young people are not silenced and can express their views on the social causes and factors that directly impact them.