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Installment No.2
Peleߣs Autobiography reveals the Man.
Neither of his parents seems to have had an education or at
least much formal education. In 1950 an estimated 50% of the
population over 15 were illiterate. (Microsoft Encarta 2000) In
1997 the problem still exists with only 18% of blacks
completing a maximum 8 years of school and 35.2% still unable
to read (SEJUP, News from Brazil, 1997). Pele never mentions
reading or books in the house. He mentions endless games of
football in the neighbourhood, selling wood with his Uncle
Jorge, selling unfinished cigarette butts, stolen peanuts, and
later shining shoes, as activities he was involved in as a
child.
Living in a two room rented house made of reused brick and
washed plaster, were some of the stress factors the seven
members of the extended family experienced. Pele recorded the
poverty his family lived in and the arguments and constant
negativity he heard. These were predominately about the need
for Dondinho to get a proper job and Peleߣs motherߣs pressure
for him to be looking at other ways to spend his time than
playing football. É?Poverty, in short, is being robbed of self
respect and self reliance. Poverty is fear. Not fear of death,
which though inevitable, is reasonable; it is fear of life. It
is a terrible fearߪduring the first few years in Bauru,
however, poverty was a problem for my parentsÉ?(Pele,
1977).
In summary, Peleߣs family of origin is a poor Brazilian family,
descended from African and Portuguese ancestors with little or
no formal education or qualifications. They lived in an
extended family situation and were Roman Catholic. In 1940 they
lived in a Favela (an area of poor housing with little or no
running water, electricity) in the town of Tres Coracoes, in
the state of Minas Gerais on the southeastern area of Brazil.
That Pele has held a Government post, and visited over 88
countries, has met with ten kings, five Emperors, seventy
Presidents and 40 other Heads of States including 2 Popes,
holds a University qualification and has been voted to be the
Sports Person of the Century is remarkable. As an African
Portuguese descendant, growing up in Brazil, it would be
significant enough to be able to read and write. Brazilߣs
society has and still excludes these people from rising above
their poverty through the large numbers that still cannot read,
write or share in the countries wealth.
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