2025 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

19th Edition

Phase 4 of 8

Results open vote 28/03/2025 - 31/03/2025

Process phases

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Salvador - Agente Vida Nova: Innovative Model for Social Inclusion with Active Assistance and Democratic Construction

Official proposal

07/02/2025 13:46

The Vida Nova Program is an innovative and intersectoral model for combating poverty in Salvador, uniting social assistance, health, education, and employability. Unlike traditional approaches, the program implements an active strategy, where Vida Nova Agents directly visit vulnerable families, identifying their needs and connecting them to public services. This model prevents families from needing to seek help on their own, ensuring better access and support. A key feature of the program is that the agents are residents of the very communities they serve, strengthening social bonds and providing a more sensitive approach to the real needs of beneficiaries. Furthermore, Vida Nova introduced a participatory methodology in the creation of the Family Action Plan (PAF), ensuring that families democratically define their own priorities for overcoming poverty.

The program does not view poverty only through the lens of income, but as a multifactorial phenomenon involving health, education, housing, and employability. In this way, the agents work in an integrated manner, referring beneficiaries to the appropriate services and ensuring comprehensive support. The digitalization of the program also represents a significant advancement, allowing real-time recording and monitoring of services, ensuring transparency and faster responses. This system enables continuous follow-up of families, allowing for strategic adjustments and preventive actions to avoid exacerbating vulnerability.

The impacts of the Vida Nova Program have been significant. The program has reached over 73,474 services, demonstrating its broad reach and effectiveness. The initiative strengthened access to social benefits, reduced food insecurity, and improved access to health and education.

With this approach, Vida Nova is tackling social vulnerability, creating sustainable paths for families to achieve autonomy and permanent inclusion. The Vida Nova Program continues to evolve to ensure that more families have access to fundamental rights and real opportunities for development.