Eng
As you may have seen on our social media, Instituto C participated this past weekend in Domingão com Huck, in an emotional and eventful moment on the segment The Wall. Our participation featured three very special people in the history of the Institute who truly represent all the work we do.
Vera Oliveira, founder and executive director of Instituto C, was in charge of releasing the green and red balls that determined our final prize. Thais Barbosa, our board member, answered the challenging questions on the wall. Cheering us on and representing the families we serve was Grazi, who was once assisted by the Institute and is now part of our team. Also present were Marcos, Vera’s husband, and Nilzete, Thais’ mother, both sending positive energy to our representatives.
Anyone who watched the show could feel the adrenaline of the battle against the wall for the prize. With lots of twists and turns, in the end our board member made the right choice, and Instituto C walked away with over R$190,000. This amount will help us reach our R$350,000 goal to expand our work to a new municipality.
From a Letter to Luciano to the Domingão Stage
Fifteen years ago, Vera wrote a letter to Luciano Huck expressing her desire to work on the show Lar Doce Lar—a segment of Caldeirão do Huck that renovated homes. When she received a reply from Luciano suggesting she work in the third sector, she found the answer somewhat unexpected and didn’t think it aligned with what she wanted to do. But in time, she realized that this path could truly make a difference in many lives—including her own. That was the seed that grew into Instituto C.
For the founder of IC, being on the stage of Domingão com Huck was a mix of emotions, since Luciano’s reply to her letter had been the push she needed to find her purpose. She says she was already very emotional before even stepping on stage, but the end of the segment made it even more special: “The moment we left the recording, we already knew the show was going to be beautiful.”
During the show, Vera also shared the story of the letter with Luciano and how it influenced her decision to create the Institute and spread care to so many families. Today, she hopes to grow that impact even further, reaching more families in different parts of the country.
“I think this is a milestone in IC’s history. It was amazing, and I truly believe this will open doors for us to be present all over Brazil,” she says.
Strong Partnerships from the Start
Some people have been part of Instituto C’s story from the beginning—and Thais is one of them. Now a board member, she was the first social worker at IC and helped implement our methodology. Her excitement at being part of another special moment was clear during the show, further highlighting how vital people like her are to our mission. “I joined IC in 2012. There were only three of us. It was challenging for someone newly graduated, but I love challenges and was determined to make it happen,” Thais says.
Since then, she has worked as a social worker and currently also works in primary healthcare, supporting many people. She believes IC’s work is essential in guiding and making public policies more effective in families’ lives. “Our mission is to care for people—with love, respect, and belief in their potential,” she emphasized during her final remarks on the show.
Families Are the Foundation of Instituto C
Among the over 6,000 families supported by IC, Grazi’s story is a powerful example of that care. She came to IC after going through a difficult time when her premature twin sons were born while she was on a trip to São Paulo. At the Institute, she found strength and learned about the rights she and her children had.
“When I started receiving support from IC, I had no hope, no future vision. I was exhausted, drained, and scared. But through the support, I grew stronger and gained knowledge about many aspects of life in the group discussions,” shares Grazi, who is now a social work intern at the Institute.
She is a great example of how access to knowledge and a listening ear can change someone’s reality. Grazi says she never imagined she would finish school, but now she’s already planning to pursue a postgraduate degree. She also shared how it felt to represent the over 6,000 families supported by IC on the Domingão stage: “It was very emotional, it was beautiful to see the reach and now the results of all of this.” We’re proud to tell her story and now have her on our team as an inspiring colleague.
Beyond the prize, The Wall also helped us see the incredible network that supports and cheers for our work. We were thrilled to see so many people watching and rooting for Instituto C!
It was wonderful to feel all the affection from those who follow Instituto C. Now, to add to the amount we won on the show and reach our goal of expanding to a new municipality, we’ve launched a donation campaign—and you can contribute starting from just R$10 by clicking the button below!
