Students from Vila Verde give suggestions to improve quality of life in the municipality

Students representing different levels of education and schools in the municipality of Vila Verde participated today in the Municipal Youth Assembly, where they had the opportunity to confront the municipal executive with problems and suggestions on various topics that concern new generations.

The president of the Chamber, Júlia Rodrigues Fernandes, led the session, praising the civic intervention and the work of the students, in an “exercise of democracy and freedom that represents a unique added value for development and the construction of a better quality of life for all people”.

As part of the program commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April Revolution, the initiative was also marked by the distinction of the winners of the “April Poems” competition and the presentation of the giant book “Herdeiros de Abril”.

“These are achievements of great quality and with enormous artistic value, which will remain in our memories. They reinforce social awareness, especially among new generations, of the inestimable importance of democracy and freedom”, maintained Júlia Rodrigues Fernandes.

The session opened with the interpretation of the song ‘Grândola, Vila Morena’, by Zeca Afonso, by a student from the Vila Verde Music Academy. This was followed by a recitation of the winning works of the ‘April Poems’ competition. Tomé Dias and Maria Clara Delgado, from the 3rd year of EB no. 2 in Vila Verde, with the poem “In the small time of my grandparents”, won the first prize. Second place went to Diogo Araújo, from Escola Secundária, with “Dar Asas à Liberdade”. The poem “Flores de Liberdade”, from the 4th year of Escola Básica Monsenhor Elísio Araújo, won 3rd prize.

The giant book ‘Herdeiros de Abril’ – with pages measuring one meter by 70 centimeters – had the participation of all school groups in the municipality, the Secondary School, the Amar Terra Verde Professional School, the ‘O Mundo Somos Nós’ Association, the Casa do Povo de Prado, Colégio D. João de Aboim and the Academia de Música de Vila Verde.

Proposals and suggestions from young people

In the plenary session of the Municipal Youth Assembly, representatives of the municipality’s students exposed various topics, from children’s rights to environmental issues, including proposals and suggestions to reinforce the quality of life of local communities.

The Mayor, flanked by all the elected councilors of the municipality, thanked the excellent contribution of children and young people to “this journey that is important to consolidate, in favor of sustainable development and in the interests of the municipality and its population”.

The proposals from the 4th year children, from EB no. 1 in Prado, opened the interventions, defending the ‘Right to Play’, together with other children’s rights to family, housing, education and to be protected and well treated.

For the 2nd cycle, a representation from 5th B, from the Moure and Ribeira do Neiva Group, highlighted the potential benefits of collecting and transforming bio-waste, an area in which the Municipality has just launched a new project, highlighting the importance of preventing food waste.

Spots of pollution detected in the Cávado river attracted the attention of the PIEF group from the Prado Group, who suggested a “joining of forces with the municipality for an awareness campaign for the local population”.

From the 3rd cycle, the 9th C class at EB in Vila Verde focused on creating and maintaining spaces that encourage the participation and involvement of young people in community dynamics. Along the same path, the “Citizenship Counselors”, as the 11th J high school students introduced themselves, presented different proposals to encourage the activity of new generations, such as a summer cinematic drive-In, circulation of scooters, support for start-ups and promoting the three R’s.

Júlia Rodrigues Fernandes highlighted that “the opportunity for reflection guided by the new generations, as well as their proposals and suggestions, substantiates the success of the initiative and supports the Municipality’s commitment to promoting the civic and political participation of young people”.

In a municipality formally recognized as “Friendly to Children” and Youth, along with several distinctions in the defense and promotion of younger people, the mayor highlighted “the strong municipal program of events that place younger people as protagonists”. “A strategy with increasingly clear gains for our populations and for the municipality”, highlighted the mayor.