About Us
A story of love, dedication, and social transformation
Our Mission
SER Alzira de Aleluia was born from a dream that transformed the former family home of our founder, Antonio Carlos Aleluia, into a beacon of hope. Our mission is to work directly in the heart of the Vidigal community, promoting citizenship and offering educational and vocational training so that every resident can break down the barriers of prejudice.
We believe that education is the primary tool for transforming lives and that everyone, regardless of where they are born, deserves access to real opportunities. We exist to Serve, Educate, and Restart, creating spaces for reflection and empowerment that allow children and adults to write their own futures with dignity and autonomy.
Our Vision
Our vision for the future is one of continuous growth and profound impact. What began on a single floor now occupies a three-story building, and we work tirelessly to triple our service capacity. We want SER Alzira de Aleluia to be a reference in social development, transforming every new space into classrooms dedicated to changing destinies.
We strive for a Vidigal where the stigma of the favela is replaced by the power of knowledge. With the support of our network of volunteers and partners, we project a future where we can welcome even more students in various fields, ensuring that the legacy of resilience and dedication of our founders reaches all generations of the community.
The Beginning of Everything:
The Power of an Example
The story of SER Alzira de Aleluia is not just the story of an organization, but the living legacy of a family that decided to transform pain and hardship into opportunity. It all began with Antonio Carlos Aleluia, a boy born and raised on the hillsides of Vidigal. In a childhood marked by the harshness of local reality, Antonio found in books his refuge and his weapon for the future.
With the essential encouragement of his grandmother, Alzira Aleluia, he defied statistics and prejudice to become the first student from Vidigal to enter a university, graduating as an Ocean Engineering major. But Antonio knew his victory would not be complete if he were the only one.
Driven by the desire that other young people would not have to face the same solitary barriers he did, he made a bold decision: he transformed his former family home into a center for training and hope. In 2003, alongside his wife, Elma Maria, and their children, he founded the NGO that bears the name of his greatest supporter.
Today, what was once a family residence is a three-story building pulsing with education, sports, and citizenship. Our story proves that poverty is not a lack of money, but a lack of access to knowledge. Here, we honor Antonio's past by building, every day, the future of hundreds of new "Aleluias."
Contact Us
We are here to hear from you and strengthen our community together.
+55 21 98745-1158
contato@seralzira.org