Gerando Falcões: in search of the ideal social flight

NGO created by Edu Lira aims to transform favelas throughout Brazil through training, education, and economic and social insertion

By Leonardo Zanon

Still in the early part of the last decade, at an event full of entrepreneurs and their families at the Sofitel Jequitimar hotel in Guarujá, a young man named Edu Lyra took the stage, still shy, but with a strength and focus that made each of the 200 event participants fall silent and listen attentively to that 20-year-old. He defended, tooth and nail, the fight against social inequality. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, but where you’re going.”

These are the words that Lyra carries with him after a difficult start in life alongside his parents. Even with few resources and living in a favela in São Paulo, the young man has taken the opposite path from those who want to study, work, and leave the community.

After conceptualizing a book called “Young Falcons” and selling 5,000 copies in just three months within the favela, he managed to open the NGO Gerando Falcões. After 10 years of hard work, he succeeded in creating a social development ecosystem that operates as a network within favelas, delivering education services for future generations, citizenship, and economic empowerment in vulnerable locations. The work has been effective and has caught the attention of major companies, such as Ambev, Motorola, Microsoft, Gerdau, XP Investimentos, etc.

Transforme-se (Transform Yourself)

One of Gerando Falcões’ major projects involves the NGO, Serasa Experian, and Senac. “Transforme-se” involves young people aged 18 to 29 being inserted into the market through education. The program started in Fortaleza and trained 96 students in the peripheral regions of the Ceará capital. They had 260 hours of free in-person classes and specialized in technology and data. Additionally, each student received financial support through scholarships, career mentoring with volunteer professionals from Serasa Experian, and individualized social and pedagogical support. “We know that the technology market is growing and lacks specialized professionals. We are very happy with the results of this partnership,” highlights Lemaestro, co-founder and COO of Gerando Falcões.

Photo 1: Falcons University immersion in leadership training.

Photo 2: Gerando Falcões leaders hold constant meetings to format projects. Credit: Malu Monteiro

Falcons University

Another celebrated platform of the NGO is Falcons University. Born in 2020, it’s the educational arm of Gerando Falcões. With an educational methodology based on the 10 competencies of the BNCC (National Common Curricular Base), the objective is to break the cycle of intellectual, emotional, and technical poverty with training in management, fundraising, innovation, human resources, data use, finance, communication, self-knowledge, and autonomy. “Falcons University is an institution that was born in the favela for people from the favela. The leaders we train will have access to concepts of management, innovation, data use, finance, among others,” comments Lemaestro. “They develop socio-emotional skills and social entrepreneurship competencies that allow them to deal with complex problems.”

The program is expanding and already has centers in all five regions of Brazil. “Residents from anywhere in Brazil who are 18 years or older can apply for the selection processes.” The course, lasting 6 months with in-person and online classes, trains leaders with full potential to reach the most u