Chance to Do Better

With the phrase that this text captures the articulator of the UNICEF Seal in Panelas, (PE), Cidinha describes what the initiative represents for the municipality. Registered in the 2017-2020 edition of the UNICEF Seal and already certified by the previous edition, she explains that the search for the Seal directs the managers' eyes to the municipality and to what is being done. Located in the Agreste region, the municipality has 26,000 inhabitants, of which 9,500 are between 0 and 17 years old according to the IBGE.


“If, by chance, we're doing something wrong, it's time to stop and fix it. It's our chance to do better”, describes Cidinha. She reinforces that the municipality already had a special focus on the public from early childhood to adolescence, but points out that the ideas presented by UNICEF helped to strengthen public policies. He cites the Adolescent Citizenship Center (NUCA) as a highlight of the municipality.

“This strengthening of youth leadership, the adolescent's experience of citizenship, and the quest to sharpen interest in public policies was one of the great fruits of the UNICEF Seal for Pots,” says Cidinha. After the implementation of the NUCA, established in the last edition of the UNICEF Seal and strengthened in this edition, gaining its own headquarters, located next to the city's Department of Education, adolescents began to play a role, in fact, active in the municipality.

Cidinha points out that the NUCA group participates in community hearings and forums with opinions and an active voice, in addition to performing at all celebrations and municipal events with musical, dance, theatrical staging, or poetry activities. “We were already doing these activities in a private way, in each of the schools. Now it's at NUCA, they have a space and they meet daily. We feel that adolescents are even more aware of their role and of how it is carried out in the municipality,” she says, citing that UNICEF kicked off the chance and the municipality was able to seize and consolidate.

She also points out that the UNICEF Seal still represents the possibility of improving lives in all areas. “Looking at the baselines and the systemic actions that we are invited to carry out, we have the opportunity to look at our people. Each of those indicators has an impact on the lives of Panelenses. That's why monitoring the indicators, seeing what we were able to achieve and overcome, and still be recognized, is so good”, he comments, talking about the initiative's methodology.

UNICEF seal

The 2017-2020 Edition of the UNICEF Seal includes the participation of more than 1,924 municipalities from 18 Brazilian states, in the Amazon and the Semi-arid region. Panelas is one of 123 that are in Pernambuco. The success of the initiative is the result of a partnership between UNICEF and state and municipal governments through integrated action aimed at children and adolescents. Reaching all of these cities, boys and girls, is only possible with the support of thousands of individual donors and corporate partners such as Amil, Instituto Net Claro Embratel, Itaú Social Foundation, RGE, Enel, Neoenergia Coelba, Neoenergia Coelba, NeoEnergia Coelba, Neo, Neve, Energisa, Celpa, and Cemar.