The Day of Struggle for the Homeless Population features poetry, debate, and reflection on fundamental rights.

Residents of the Municipal Social Assistance Secretariat participate in a cultural event celebrating stories of overcoming adversity. Photo: SMAS/Press Release

The National Day of Struggle for the Homeless Population, celebrated on August 19th, was commemorated in a round table discussion with the participation of residents of the Realengo Social Reintegration Unit (URS) and users of the José Saramago Pop Center, located in Bonsucesso. The event, organized by the Super-Ação project of the Municipal Secretariat of Social Assistance (SMAS) of Rio, at the Parque Library in the city center, included poetry readings, a lecture, a debate, and reflections on the rights of people in situations of social vulnerability.

The meeting was attended by men and women whose lives have been transformed through institutional care and contact with culture. Erick Santos Meireles, who lived on the streets for years and is a recovering drug addict, recounted how he managed to rebuild his life with the help of the Revista da Calçada project, the first in the country to feature poems written by homeless people. Produced by SMAS and published by the City's Official Press, the work brings together texts created in poetry workshops promoted by the writer Léo Motta, who also experienced homelessness and is the author of the trilogy "There is life after the awnings".

– I managed to get back on my feet, I reunited with my family and today I'm working, I have a job. This project from Revista da Calçada helped me a lot. It was a revolution in my life, for the better. I can only be grateful – described Erick, one of those reached by the Super-Ação initiative.

The Undersecretary for Special Social Protection (SUBPSE) of SMAS, Jéssica Oliveira de Almeida, highlighted that the struggle is daily, but having a specific date reinforces the value of the cause.

– Every day is about reclaiming citizenship and dignity, with public policies that make us believe in and invest in human beings. This date is important to draw attention to this struggle and to celebrate initiatives like Revista da Calçada, which gives a voice to the people who most need social assistance. We celebrate stories of overcoming adversity, and it is these stories that increase our hope and show us that it is possible – he commented.

Alongside his students from the poetry workshops, Léo Motta summarized the daily challenge faced by those who fight for basic rights and, in so many cases, don't even have the bare minimum:

"The street is home to many, it shouldn't belong to anyone," he said.