Vilma Marcelino, deputy mayor of Rio Grande da Serra (SP), found an unexpected path in politics, but one that is deeply connected to her life story and social work. A psychologist and former manager of the APAE in her city, where she worked for 20 years, she brings to public administration a humanistic vision and a non-negotiable commitment to caring for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPolitics wasn\u2019t on my radar, especially as a candidate, but I believe that life calls us. My social work gave me visibility and brought me closer to politics. When the mayor invited me to join the ticket, I was captivated by the idea of a management that wasn\u2019t just about structures, but that actually looked after and cared for people,\u201d recalls Vilma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caring for people is the hallmark of management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With a career dedicated to social inclusion, Vilma brings clear causes and a firm purpose to the vice-mayoral position: to fight for human rights and to build a city that serves everyone. \u201cMy specialization in social inclusion, people with disabilities and autism, as well as gender and race issues, guides my actions. Our goal is to transform Rio Grande da Serra into a more humane and egalitarian place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first 100 days of the administration, the priority will be to understand the city's needs. \u201cWe carried out an in-depth diagnosis, listening to the community and organizing actions. Health, for example, was in a precarious situation, and we started by reorganizing the UPA, the main point of care. Our government plan was built with the participation of the people, and we have the responsibility to make this happen\u201d, highlights Vilma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The strength of indignation and courage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vilma found in politics a way to channel her indignation at the lack of opportunities in her city. \u201cAs Augustine of Hippo says, hope has two daughters: the indignation to not accept things as they are and the courage to change them. That was what motivated me to leave my indignation behind and find the courage to transform Rio Grande da Serra,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This spirit of change is reflected in Vilma\u2019s vision for the city\u2019s future. \u201cI want to leave a legacy for the children and youth, so that they will be proud to live here. I want people in the future to look back and recognize this moment as a turning point in the history of Rio Grande da Serra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tourism and cultural identity: a new page for the city<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to caring for people, Vilma believes that the city\u2019s tourism potential needs to be explored as a way to foster economic development and rescue local history. \u201cRio Grande da Serra has riches that few people know about. We have the second railway station built in the state of S\u00e3o Paulo, the deepest quarry in Latin America, and a historic chapel from 1611 that has already been visited by a Pope. These landmarks need to be rescued and valued.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deputy mayor has plans to transform the city into a tourist resort, bringing knowledge and pride to the population. \u201cWe want to record this history and make it part of the city\u2019s legacy. This is more than an economic project; it is about giving residents back their sense of belonging and identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vilma Marcelino's legacy for Rio Grande da Serra<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With a keen eye on the needs of the population and an ambitious vision for the future, Vilma Marcelino is transforming Rio Grande da Serra into a more humane, fair and opportunity-filled place. \u201cI love my city and I want people to feel proud to live here. I want the children born today to grow up in a better place, with access to healthcare, education and opportunities. My commitment is to leave a legacy of care, hope and transformation for future generations.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vilma Marcelino, deputy mayor of Rio Grande da Serra, S\u00e3o Paulo, found an unexpected path in politics, yet one deeply connected to her life and social work. A psychologist and former manager of the APAE (National Health Assistance Program) in her city, where she worked for 20 years, she brings to public administration a humanistic vision and a non-negotiable commitment to care [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1952],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lideranca"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renovabr.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}