For many children who are living in poor communities in Brazil, there are usually only two career examples to follow – being a police officer or being a criminal. The idea of pursuing any other career is very far from their imaginations. At home, they often lack the basics of access to quality food, personal hygiene and education.

In October 2023, Avanade partnered with World Vision Brazil and the Ebenezer Institute to help 30 children reimagine new possibilities for the future by teaching them about careers in technology.

The children, aged eight to 16, spent the morning with us at the Avanade office in São Paulo – starting with a tour of the office, followed by a welcome breakfast, and finally a chat with Avanade’s inspiring leaders including Rodrigo Caserta, Avanade’s Growth Markets Area President; Fabio Hasegawa, Avanade’s Brazil General Manager; and Eric Andrade, Avanade’s Regional Sales Lead for Brazil.

During this interaction, our executives shared their personal stories, challenges they overcame and career achievements in a fun and playful environment. The kids felt at ease and curious, and asked questions such as: Who owns the company? Is it tiring to work here? Can I apply now?

One of the children shared: “My friends and I would like to work here because everything is very beautiful, very elegant, everyone is wearing formal clothes, with the tables very all organized.”

After the session, the children were accompanied by volunteers on a shadow employee session to experience what the day-to-day life is like at a global technology company. They also had the powerful opportunity to meet with Avanade employees who had similar childhood stories – demonstrating that they too could follow the same path.

Filled with expectations and hope, the children were able to see that opportunities and different paths are available to them – despite their backgrounds. It is our hope that they left the day feeling empowered to create their own future.

Rodrigo Caserta, Avanade's Growth Markets Area President , said: “It was an incredible experience to spend time with these wonderful children, all of whom have so much potential to do what matters in the future. It was a day full of fun, laughter and hope. I believe we were able to make a genuine human impact and inspire this next generation to lead their own paths and believe that anything is possible.”

This is just one of the many meaningful initiatives which contribute towards a strategic program with World Vision to positively impact thousands of children in Brazil through inclusion actions. Additionally, we plan to partner with Ebenezer Institute to donate notebooks through our Tech Grant Program – enabling children to have access to online education.