Inter Campus Angola: meet Leopoldina

Victoria Leopoldina Goncalves – Leopoldina to you and I – is the coordinator of the Inter Campus Angola project in Benguela and has been working with Inter Campus since 6 March 2019.

One of the aims of the project in Angola is gender equality, in a country where the macho culture still abounds.

Here, Leopoldina tells us about what it takes to be an Inter Campus coordinator.

“The thing that instantly got my attention and convinced me to take part was the project’s objective,” she says. “I like to help other people and I believe there’s nothing better than doing things for others. You don’t meet many people who are suitable for working as an Inter Campus coach or coordinator – you need to understand people and be willing to make sacrifices.

“The thing I find funny is that I was chosen to become a coordinator ahead of lots of men. It still hits me when students come up to me and call me ‘coordinator’. It’s strange, but it’s gratifying at the same time.

“I’ve grown so much because of all this. I’ve learned to interact better with the male world, and I’ve learned to listen and to try to understand. I’ve learned to resolve any issue that comes up in the world of Inter Campus – and I’ve learned to put myself in other people’s shoes. I’ve realised that being a leader isn’t about telling people what to do, but working as a team.”