Brief Biographical Note - Maria Aparecida Santos

A 59-year-old woman, writer, passionate about self-education and self-development, who believes in the power of purpose as a key to changing and transforming destinies.

My motto: "My life experiences and my internal and external achievements form my best CV".

Author of the books: "As aventuras do Porquinho Rococó", (2007) - Children's literature focused on Values Education; "Uma História de Sucessos: experiências e valores construídos na concretização de um Projeto de Vida" (2010), and "O Poder de um Propósito: é possível mudar um destino", Editora Appris (2023) (Image of the Launch in 2024, inserted above, for my identification), launched at the São Paulo International Book Biennale, 2024. My main qualifications:

- Certified Coach in Ikigai, by Certified Excellence (I help people find their Life Purpose), Master in Education and Training Sciences, Specialisation in Adult Education and Training (FCHS, University of Algarve, Faro, PT), Degree in Full Pedagogy - SP, Brazil; Specialist in Psychopedagogy - clinical and institutional practice, FAMERP - Faculty of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil; Specialist in Integrated Quality Management, Environment, Occupational Health and Safety and Social Responsibility, Centro Universitário SENAC SP, Brazil.

- Today, as well as writing my books, I work as an assistant in a customised food house, without a contract.

- I'm asking for contributions towards the editing and publication of my book, How to Find a Life Purpose (provisional cover photo), which is already at Primeiro Capítulo Publishing, a publishing house that publishes simultaneously in Portugal and Brazil (my main interests). In addition to a dream, it's the fulfilment of my Life Purpose: to help people find a Purpose that helps them live with more meaning and joy, and also to make their contribution in favour of a better world, for themselves and for everyone.

- The proceeds will go towards editing and publishing my aforementioned book. If I receive more than I need, it will be invested in buying copies for distribution in public schools in the following countries: Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde and Mozambique.

A bit of my story: At the age of eight, after being taken out of school to work and finding it impossible to fulfil my dream of studying, I made a promise to myself: "I'm going to work and, when I can, I'll go back to school and have a better future." Here, without knowing it, I was beginning to change my destiny, because I did indeed go back to school almost eight years later. With a lot of faith in God, persistence and will, I finished my studies, went to university, graduated as a Pedagogue, took specialisation courses, a Master's degree and started a PhD, which I stopped to return to Literature. After a while, I realised that with this promise I had discovered a passion for transformative education; my vocation (writing and teaching) and my talent for literature, which led me to my Life Purpose, which I designed like this: to always learn, to develop myself and to take what I learn forward so that other people also have the opportunity to learn; a purpose I fulfil through the books I write, the talks, workshops and seminars I develop... With this in mind, I worked as a teacher of vocational education for young people and people with intellectual disabilities in Brazil until 2015, when I left to fulfil another dream: to study for a Master's degree (a course I completed in 2018) in Portugal, the country where I live today. So, as well as fulfilling my promise, I found my gift: teaching and helping other people to realise their dreams through self-education and transformative education. What I believe in most: That any and all dreams can be realised if: The dreamer has a meaningful Purpose for their dreams; If the dreamer believes that each and every dream is possible to realise and has a meaningful Purpose for their dreams; If in this dream there is the germ for the realisation of other people's dreams.

From now on, my gratitude to all the people who embrace this Purpose with me.

Thank you very much.