Protecting children from the womb onward!

The Associação de Apoio à Primeira Infância São José (AAPI-SJ) was born of faith in God, of hope and of the conviction that every life has value and deserves to be welcomed, protected and loved.

I am the daughter of teenage parents who, despite hardship and scarce resources, chose life. My parents did not choose abortion, and today I recognize the importance of that decision, which allowed me to be here and to dedicate my own story to protecting other lives. I have learned that circumstances can be hard, but no story should be denied the chance to flourish.

I am also a single mother, not by choice, but because of the circumstances I faced along my journey. Like so many Brazilian women, I lived through the pressure to end my pregnancy, emotional and material abandonment, moral and psychological violence and the struggle of shouldering so many responsibilities alone. I had to be both mother and father, face uncertainty and find the strength to keep going, even when the road seemed far too hard.

I chose my daughter’s life, and it was the best choice of my life. She is one of the greatest gifts God has given me, my daily inspiration and a constant reminder that love can give us the strength to overcome the greatest difficulties. My story also reflects the reality of so many mothers who face motherhood without the support they need, and who need welcome, protection, opportunities and a support network that does not leave them alone.

It was from this story, strengthened by faith and by the experience of motherhood, that the mission was born to found AAPI-SJ and to dedicate my life to building a work of protection, care and love for children and their families.

My purpose is to create, develop and expand the AAPI-SJ ecosystem of protection, bringing together programs, projects, services, professionals, volunteers and partners into a network of care that follows children’s needs from pregnancy through childhood and adolescence and strengthens their families. I want every initiative of the association, from food security to education, from social assistance to inclusion and specialized care, to be part of one and the same commitment: to protect lives, promote dignity and offer opportunities so that every child can grow up with love, safety and hope.

I believe no pregnant woman should face pressure, fear or vulnerability without finding outstretched hands. Defending life must go hand in hand with concrete care, because welcoming a mother is also protecting her child, and supporting a family helps give a child a better chance at the future.

For me, AAPI-SJ is much more than a social project: it is a life’s mission, inspired by Jesus Christ, by the Catholic faith and by the works of mercy. Our commitment is to turn charity into concrete action through food, education, community life, inclusion, assistance and the strengthening of family and community bonds. Every meal served, every pregnant woman welcomed, every child protected and every family supported is a living expression of this mission.

I thank, first of all, God, who sustained me in difficult times and allowed me to turn personal experiences into a commitment to others. I thank our founding members, staff, volunteers, partners, donors and the families we serve. Everyone who contributes to this work takes part in a mission greater than any one person, a mission that only grows when we walk together.

Under the protection of St. Joseph, patron of our institution and a model of care, responsibility and devotion to the family, we hold fast to our purpose: To Love and to Protect.

We work for the children of today and for the generations to come. I dream of an AAPI-SJ that grows ever stronger, better structured and able to extend its reach, welcome more families and build new opportunities for protection and development. I want the ecosystem we are building to endure as a legacy of faith, charity and commitment to life, able to keep transforming lives far beyond my own journey.

I believe that a story of hardship can become a story of hope when it meets faith, welcome and solidarity. That is the future I want to help build: a society in which mothers are not left to fend for themselves, families find support in difficult times and every child is recognized as a precious life, worthy of love and protection.