With five goals in La Liga so far this season, Vinicius Junior has helped Real Madrid take the lead in the rankings. The 21-year-old has had an influence off the pitch as well. The forward for Brazil founded Instituto Vini Jr., an organisation that attempts to educate young Brazilians through sport and technology, with the ultimate goal of creating a more just nation.
The quality of Brazil’s public education system is far from ideal. Rich families usually send their children to expensive private schools, which increase their chances of being accepted into the government colleges in the country, which admit deserving students for free. In Brazil, social mobility seems to be universal because university education is free, but wealthy parents may still easily game the system by sending their kids to prestigious private schools.
Vinicius is attempting to assist students who are unable to pay for a private school since he is aware of the challenges faced by less privileged kids. His company released Base, educational software that engages children via football. The program was first implemented at his former Rio school, and further development is anticipated in the upcoming year.
Vinícius explains, “My first concern was to help these young kids achieve more via education.” “Although being a football player is a dream, isn’t it amazing that we can help children overcome poverty via education? I want to finish it in the medium to long term. More favela-born engineers, solicitors and doctors are needed. We are going to provide them opportunities.
In Brazil, there is still a significant literacy divide. Since I was familiar with the software’s operation, we ought to have implemented it at my previous school. Of course, I have a lot of fond memories from those days, but football games in particular! I just thought I was capable of more, and I actually am. Athletes have done that on many occasions. I’m inspired by the work that Lewis Hamilton, LeBron James, and Marcus Rashford are doing. So I started by doing good in my area, but who knows if it will get on across Brazil.
Vini’s home neighborhood in Rio, São Gonçalo, has always been supported by him and his family. When he was younger and not yet earning a lot of money playing football, his family gave him small gifts and offered help in every way they could. Now that he represents Brazil internationally and plays for Real Madrid, he can accomplish more. Having put in about R$2 million of his own money to start the institute, he is its sole backer.
The idea of fusing football with education was a good one. This app makes studying possible to look forward to. We had been working on it for a year and a half, and the epidemic made us realize how important it is to give community members better living conditions. Our goal is to help close a substantial educational gap that [between the classes] exists. “When I visited them a few months ago, I saw how important this is and how the kids feel better by doing the activities,” he says.
In the classroom, they make use of the program. To pass, they have to correctly finish each level and activity. We also do in-person activities with the students, including math and Portuguese, and we always use sports as the background. On the other hand, kids learn more about global social issues, such the necessity of treating everyone and the environment with respect.
Bruna Ferreira Matos, an eight-year-old student at the institution, is one of the kids utilizing the app. She is happy to be a part of it. It is filled with puzzles. I thought learning with Base was easier than learning from my books, and I truly enjoyed it. I wish I could use it every day since it’s so great.
At the school named for the Brazilian philosopher and educator Paulo Freire, the concept is being applied for the first time. But Vini Jr. and his group plan to expand it next year. This is only the start.