I’m one of these youth that believes in agriculture,” said Ubiratan dos Santos, age 17. “It is the best business,” he said. Resident of the community of Riachão da Serra, in the municipality of Valença, Bahia, the youth is proud to live in the rural zone. “I realized that I can live well in the rural region and this is what I want for myself,” said the student of the Presidente Tancredo Neves Rural Family Home (CFR-PTN) – a teaching unit associated with the Bahia Southern Lowlands Environmental Protection Area Mosaic Program for Development and Growth Integrated with Sustainability (PDCIS), supported by the Odebrecht Foundationtogether with public and private partners.

The representation of this pride through images is the essence of the PDCIS Photography Award – a mobilization action involving the graduates of the teaching units associated with the program. These include: Family Homes, the Youth Home State High School and Build Better Professional Training Center. The idea is to awaken in youth a new perspective about the region where they live and encourage them to care for the local wealth, reinforcing a love for the land.

Promoted by the Odebrecht Foundation, those interested can sign up for the award until September 20. In order to participate, the youth must be at least 16 years of age, be enrolled at one of the teaching institutions associated with PDCIS and send photos that they themselves took and which represent “Proud to Live in the Rural Region” through the Odebrecht Foundation website.

The validated photos will be published on theFacebook page, created especially to publicize the award. This space also feature photography tips, information about PDCIS and the life stories of people who are making a difference in the region, such as Ubiratan. “Just like myself, there are several other youth who believe in agriculture,” he said.