PMZITO Program trains over 1,400 children and adolescents focusing on citizenship in Pará
The initiative of the Military Police of Pará has already reached 15 municipalities with educational, preventive, and human rights promotion activities
The Government of the State of Pará, through the Military Police, has been strengthening the civic education of children and adolescents with the PMZITO program, which already benefits over 1,400 participants in 15 municipalities in Pará. Lasting one year, the initiative offers regular classes on topics such as ethics, citizenship, human rights, first aid, drug prevention, environmental education, and physical education, among others.
14-year-old student Andressa dos Santos, a resident of the Murinim district in Benevides, is one of the participants in the program at the local Usina da Paz. With the dream of becoming a police officer, she highlights the impact of the training on her life.
“Being here is a unique experience, I feel honored by this opportunity. We have many experiences and learnings, especially to be a better person. The discipline we need to have will certainly help me in pursuing my personal and professional goals,” she states.
Training beyond the classroom
The PMZITO program is aimed at children and adolescents aged 10 to 15 years, regularly enrolled in public or private education. To participate, it is necessary to have an updated vaccination card and present a medical certificate proving fitness for the activities. At the end of the course, students receive the certificate of "PMZITO Citizen."
“The course lasts for one year and, upon completion, the student receives the certificate. The proposal goes beyond formal education, as it works on fundamental values such as citizenship and respect,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Helde Silva, deputy director of the Community Police and Human Rights Directorate (DPCDH) of PMPA.
Currently, the program is present in the municipalities of Belém, Ananindeua, Marituba, Benevides, Castanhal, Soure, Breves, Salinópolis, Xinguara, Tucuruí, Altamira, Santarém, Rurópolis, Itaituba, and Acará, including quilombola and riverside communities.
Direct impact on families
In Benevides, 120 students participate in the program, distributed in four classes that also serve residents of Benfica, Santa Maria, and Murinim. Captain Delson Ferreira, deputy commander of the 39th Battalion of PMPA and coordinator of the local PMZITO, highlights the transformation of the students.
“The child enters with one mindset and throughout the process leaves with another. This new way of thinking and acting also influences the lives of their families. Parents report that after starting the program, their children have become more disciplined in their daily lives,” he points out.
The instructors of the program are military police officers with ongoing training and a pedagogical profile. Corporal Cezar Cardoso, who acts as a monitor at UsiPaz in Benevides, explains the importance of this preparation. “The training course is focused on police officers with pedagogical aptitude, as it is necessary to understand the language of children and adolescents. PMZITO is a preventive strategy that reinforces that public safety goes far beyond repressive actions,” he emphasizes.
Education to transform realities
Hanzo de Castro, 10 years old, was enrolled in the program by his mother and reports how much he has learned.
“We know that there are many bad things in society and we need to do things differently for it to improve. In the program, we learn about many things, but I found human rights the coolest. And the discipline we learn here we also have to have at home because the monitors talk to our parents to know how we are behaving,” said the student.
