By Laíze Lantyer Luz, Beahrs ELP 2023) – EcoWomen CEO, Founder
My name is Laíze Luz, but you can call me “Lai” to avoid calling me “Lazy.” People used to call me “Light” when I was little, since that's the English translation of my last name, Luz.
I grew up in the vibrant city of Salvador, in the state of Bahia, on the captivating coastline of Brazil. When I was a kid, my parents and grandparents used to take me to the ocean. Salvador is a place of breathtaking natural beauty, where the warm sands invited me to embrace the light and joy of the sun, where the sunsets painted the sky with the colors of the rainbow. I could breathe in the salty sea breeze while listening to ocean waves and music filling the air.
But Salvador is a city of contrasts and struggles. I would be reminded of those challenges whenever we drove by the Canabrava landfill on our way to the Judges Mansion Social Club. I vividly remember my parents rolling up the car windows and my anguish, closing my nose because of the terrible smell. I even shut my eyes while I held my breath—as if one sense interfered with the other. I saw families struggle to make a living from that mountain of waste. I watched children, women, and elderly people collecting treasure in our trash. My grandfather made sure that we didn't ignore this problem. He would say, “That’s our garbage pool!” Those words struck me deeply, leaving a mark on my conscience.
Growing up, I received many Barbie dolls from my mom (she loved dolls), yet, every time I received a new doll, I couldn’t help but think of other young girls my age, climbing that mountain of waste, who never had dolls to call their own. I decided to wrap some of my dolls carefully in tissue paper pretending they were trash, hoping that some of the girls I saw on my journeys would find them someday.
I remember one day when passing by the landfill, I crossed paths with a young girl named Annemone. Her childhood was shaped by the challenges of poverty and the daily struggle for survival. I handed her a doll out of the car window. In that instant, I saw Annemone’s eyes, wishing for a different life than the one she was living. I never thought I'd see Annemone again. But life has a very curious way of guiding us to light.
While conducting field research for my Master’s Degree in Social Policies and Citizenship at Catholic University of Salvador, I had the most incredible surprise. I was interviewing waste pickers—people who collect resources from trash—mostly black, illiterate, and marginalized women. One of them was about my age. Through conversation, we discovered that we had met 30 years before at the Canabrava landfill. It was Annemone. Speaking to these women taught me so much about the largely invisible lives of people who collect recyclable and reusable materials to survive.
Inspired by these experiences, I became an environmental lawyer, university professor, entrepreneur, and writer with a mission to give a voice to these vulnerable people—those invisible to the State. It's crucial to include these people in the transition from the linear to a circular economy.
The interviews I conducted were used to create a documentary film and a book. Through these projects, I brought light to these issues. As a result, I created a program called EcoWomen to provide education to young women who don´t have many opportunities to achieve their goals. I advocate for their ecological and economic rights. These efforts have elevated the visibility of waste pickers like Annemone, leading to media recognition, coverage on the first page of newspapers, invitations to speak at events, and involvement in important environmental projects. To see Annemone nowadays, seated right next to the president of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court, teaching us about recycling is proof that progress is being made.
UC Berkeley´s motto is, “Let there be light.” The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program lights the way for environmental leaders to develop relationships and passions, to make new discoveries, and to build global movements. I am excited to be here to continue to ask the question, what can I do for the future today? How can I help light the way for others like Annemone?
My grandfather was right, it is our responsibility to light the way.
To listen to Laíze's speech: https://youtu.be/UgM5ca6bmps?si=txkSKsIRUEDbt-e-
To learn more about the project: https://navidaeditora.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/A5-E-book-Catadoras-de-Luxo.pdf