Founders
Daniela Zimmermann Castelo and Julia Lewkowitz are the founders of She Speaks! In 2021, they decided to launch this project in the hope of changing Brazilian women's lives forever.
Daniela Castelo
Hello, my name is
Daniela Castelo
My name is Daniela Zimmermann Castelo. I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and moved to Miami at the age of 5. My entire family has lived in Brazil for their entire lives, so it was a shock when my parents decided to move to the United States in 2013. It was scary to be moving to a completely new country where we didn't even know how to speak the language. Luckily, we were able to adapt quickly and learn how to speak English and Spanish in just a couple of months. Looking back, I am extremely grateful that I was able to get this amazing opportunity of moving to the U.S., and I hope that I can help others achieve this same dream.
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Being a Brazilian has always been something I was proud of. It is an incredible advantage to be fluent in English and Portuguese as I can communicate with so many different people from around the world. If I hadn't moved to the United States, I would have never had the opportunity to learn English fluently.
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Growing up, I was always taught to put more into the world than I took away from it. So many people will never get the opportunities I got, so I feel that it is my responsibility to help them in any way that I can. That is why I came up with the idea of She Speaks!
She Speaks! is a non-profit organization with the mission of teaching young Brazilian girls English through weekly conversations. Millions of Brazilian families have lived in slums for generation after generation. Education is the most important thing anyone can have, so we want to provide these girls with the opportunity for a better future.
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The Covid-19 pandemic normalized the possibility of working remotely from anywhere around the world. If these girls can communicate in English, even at a basic level, they can get a good job that will provide them with the funds to leave poverty and build a better future for their families.
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Julia Lewkowitz
Hello,my name is
Julia Lewkowitz
My name is Julia Lewkowitz. I was born in the United States in 2007 to Brazilian parents who immigrated to the United States in 1998. I grew up speaking 3 languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish) having the privilege of connecting and learning different cultures.
I've always been interested in helping others in different ways. Every Friday I used to read books to young children in a park near my house. I was also a “safety patrol” when I was in elementary school. With this project, I want to help with something that will have a positive impact on children's lives.
So when my friend Daniela Castelo invited me to start this project to help Brazilian girls learn English, I accepted without hesitation.
We are now building She Speaks! with the purpose of helping children through English. English is a universal language and the ability to speak it is a great benefit to children's development and confidence. Speaking with knowledge, the English language will help you in your daily life, providing a solid foundation for future opportunities.
This is why we developed She Speaks! Our motivation is to make a positive impact on children's lives through learning the English language. She Speaks! is a non-profit organization with the ambition to help children's progress and development.