The Ippon Social Year II Project offers free judo lessons to 300 children in Dionísio and São José do Goiabal.
For the fourth year in a row, the social project that offers judo lessons to children, aged between 4 and 17, free of charge, as a school supplement will be maintained until February 2020. The project is carried out by Ajudôu.Org, sponsored by the company ArcelorMittal, through the ArcelorMittal Foundation, made possible by the State Sports Incentive Law and support from Municipal Governments.
Last Wednesday (22), the inaugural classes of the Ippon Social Year II Project took place with the participation of the school community and local authorities. At the event, uniforms, kimonos and mats were delivered for training the 300 children benefited. The judokas took the opportunity and made presentations of judo techniques such as strikes, takedowns and rolls.
In addition to physical activity in the school environment, judo provides several benefits such as mental balance, character strengthening, stress reduction, improvement in physical conditioning, reflex improvement, increased concentration and memorization capacity. “I am proof of how judo has contributed directly to the lives of our students. They are more disciplined and focused in the classroom”, says Ana Maria Ferreira Lana, Director of the Dr. Gomes Lima Municipal School, Dionísio’s nucleus.
In such small cities, the Ippon Social Ano II Project goes beyond the school complement, being the only option of specialized sport for children. Lucinete Duarte (2nd Photo), resident of S.J Goiabal, mother of 9-year-old judoka Theo Henrique Duarte, does not hesitate to tell how judo has changed her son’s life. “He was on his cell phone all the time, he was overweight and complained of pain in his legs. In judo, he does physical activity with commitment, he doesn’t like to be absent. He comes home after spending energy in class and prefers to talk to us than stay on his cell phone”, she highlights.
In Dionisio, the reflexes of the martial art classes are also already noticed in the families. Ariana Silva (1st Photo), says that her son Artur Viniciu Silva, 10, changed his behavior a lot after becoming a judoka, “Because of the project, Artur is less on the street and more on the mat. He makes sure to go to class on time. Judo only helps”, declares the proud mother.
What’s New in Ippon Social II
In this edition of the project, the service was expanded to preschool students (up to 5 years old) and the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional (Apae) of São José do Goiabal. For the Director of Apae, Rosinha Severino, judo has changed the lives of her students. “There are exercises that they do exclusively in judo classes. To give you an idea, before they had difficulty making simple bearings. Today, they already do. It’s remarkable how it impacted their body control”, says Rosinha.
Open Vacancies
There are still places open in the two centers of Ippon Social Year II. To participate, just look for the school secretary and meet the established requirements such as being enrolled in the school and age group.
Dionísio Core – Dr. Gomes Lima Municipal School: (31) 3858-1194
Core S.J Goiabal – Manuel Lúcio de Morais Municipal School (31) 3858-5202
About Ajudôu.Org
Ajudôu is a Non-Governmental Organization, recognized for its public utility in the municipal and state spheres. It was founded in 1995, in Timóteo-MG, and has already served more than 23,000 children and adolescents with free judo and other sports classes. Currently, Ajudôu is present in more than 20 cities in Minas Gerais.
