Last Friday, June 20, Casa Restaura-me, in São Paulo, celebrated the graduation of the 2nd class of the Electrical Installation Course. In total, 13 students completed the training, which began in April of this year and was carried out over the course of two and a half months. The closing ceremony took place in the house's TV room and brought together family, friends, technical staff, teachers and representatives of the Alliance of Mercy.

The training is the result of a partnership between Home Restore Me, the Prada Foundation and the SENAI. The Foundation pays for the teacher's work, while SENAI is responsible for providing the handouts and issuing the certificates. For the participants, more than just professional training, the course represented a real opportunity for a new beginning.

During the ceremony, the presentation of certificates was one of the most memorable moments. Graduates, one by one, were called to the front to the applause of those present. Some let out broad smiles; others, silently, let their emotions show through restrained gestures. Each diploma awarded was a sign of achievement — not only for having mastered the technical content of the course, but for having faced harsh realities and chosen to persevere.

RELEVANCE

Social worker Elenice Santana Jesus, who closely follows the students' progress, highlighted the achievements of each one. “We have faced many challenges, many obstacles, but you are here today representing perseverance. You did not look at the difficulties, but kept moving forward. I hope that this stage is just the beginning of great achievements.”, he stated.

Professor Renilson de Souza Paula, responsible for technical training, also addressed the students. “At the beginning of the course, I talked about the northern winds that do not move the windmills. What happened, happened. Now you are the southern winds. You are moving, you are making things happen. And that makes me very happy. Here comes the end of a stage, but a new cycle begins, with professionals who have taken this time of learning seriously.”, he said.

+ Casa Restaura-me: Community centers that transform the lives of homeless people – Alliance of Mercy

The House's service manager, José Gilvan, highlighted that the training process goes beyond technical qualification. “This course helps to give new meaning to life. It is a way of re-educating yourself for living in society, of remembering that it is possible to dream. Each of you has overcome a battle so far, and this is a testament to hope. As long as there is life, we cannot give up.”

Representing the management of the Alliance of Mercy, Vanessa Tinelli, social director, highlighted the deeper meaning of the graduation in the context of the movement's mission. “You are not just finishing a course, you are telling yourselves and the world that you want to live in a new way. Casa Restaura-me is this place of transition: here you arrive wounded by many marks from the street, and little by little you rediscover your capabilities. What we celebrate today is not just a diploma, but a choice for life. And we want to walk with you in the next steps as well.”

At the end of the ceremony, between photos, hugs and thanks, it was possible to notice in the atmosphere an atmosphere of concrete hope, the kind that is not born just from words, but from real processes of transformation.

About Restore Me House

Casa Restaura-me, located in the central region of São Paulo, is an initiative of the Alliance of Mercy aimed at welcoming homeless people. The space offers daily meals, showers, laundry, social services, a library, a computer room, a bazaar and vocational courses. More than a welfare service, the Casa is an environment for listening, care and a new beginning.

Many users, throughout their stay, begin a process of reflection on their trajectories and are referred, when they wish, to therapeutic communities, family reunions or actions that favor their social reintegration. It is a space where dignity is restored and new possibilities for life are built.

Access Instagram @aliancademisericordia It is @alianca.social to follow more news about our social actions.