The journey of creating Ondas de Sonho - SOMAs Book

Today, curiously on Teacher's Day, we cannot help but think that we exist solely for our students. If we don't have them, for any reason, we have no professional reason to exist.

As educators, there is nothing more gratifying than being able to inspire and motivate our students for learning. When we add to this equation an interest in others, the desire to transform the world into something better, and the constant joy of learning something new, we hit the jackpot! We cannot wish for anything more, and with these ingredients, we overcome any challenge. There are no longer dreams that are impossible to achieve.

Our students, still very young, have the gift of believing that anything is possible. They believe in us and that we are capable of guiding them. It is this belief in us that strengthens ourselves for the most incredible projects.

That's what happened with these students. They wished that other girls would have, if not the same opportunities they have, at least something more. How could these girls have their future restricted? How to believe that school, which for them was a given right, was a luxury for others? Unsettled by these inequalities, they wanted to know how they could contribute to reducing them.

Thus, a common goal was born, shared by SOMA and the children of Matosinhos Basic School: to write a small book that could show the world that there are children who cannot be children, but that there are also people trying to give a little bit of childhood to those who do not know the true meaning of that word. A book that could also be a financial aid for SOMA, which has many projects in the pipeline for the girls of São Tomé and Príncipe.

In professional terms, the project presented an excellent opportunity for students to integrate knowledge and skills. From the research required to embody a character born and raised in a distant country vastly different from ours, to the writing of a text with specific characteristics, to the translation into English, to the creation of illustrations capable of giving shape to words, and even the recording of SOMA's anthem, which still brings tears to our eyes every time we hear it.

Beyond the final outcome, the book and a beautiful anthem with lyrics also created by the students, the moments experienced in this process will endure—in class, during club hours, in free time, and even during the Easter break. It was precisely during this journey that true learning occurred, and we witnessed our students growing as individuals.

Beyond the final result, the book and a beautiful anthem with lyrics also created by the students, what remains are the moments lived in class, during club hours, in free time, and even during the Easter break. Unforgettable moments that undoubtedly enriched us greatly.

At the end of two periods of hard work, enthusiasm, and energy, a book was produced that we hope will be a helpful contribution to the girls on the other side of the sea. We were joined by Dr. Filipa Rebelo, who guided us with her experience of the reality we wrote about, Dr. Anabela Fonseca, who revised the English text, and Dr. Ígor Reina, who co-created the anthem with the students and produced the recording. Our sincere thanks to them, as well as to the parents of the students who believed in their children and trusted the adults who accompanied them on this journey.

And now?... we are already ready for the next projects because being a teacher is precisely this.

Teachers Manuela Duarte and Pedro Brito