Being a Social Entrepreneur: One of the Best Feelings in My Heart

I was a pediatric doctor working into Rio’s public hospital when I saw my patients returning again and again. Why wasn’t treating their medical illnesses helping them? I soon realized the true cause of their illness: extreme poverty. Over 50% of my cases were readmitted children that were living at a standard of life so poor that they were continually getting sick. I knew I needed to break these standards for something to change. I immediately launched Associacao Saude Crianca Renascer- a program for children admitted to public hospital – to break the vicious cycle of poverty-admission, readmission and eventual death. Since our founding in 1991,17 institutions that have adopted our model, creating the 'Rede Saude Crianca' network. We currently help more than 20,000 people. I feel proud and grateful that I have made my life’s work out of being a social entrepreneur. It is one of the best feelings I carry in my heart.