Dr. Vera Cordeiro MD

Dr. Cordeiro attended Medical School at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro where she graduated in 1975. In 1979, she founded the Centre of Psychosomatic Medicine of Hospital da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, which she headed until 1996. During this time, in which she treated children and adolescents, she became aware of the extreme condition of poverty their families lived in. She realized that after being discharged many children were returning to the hospital, often in a more serious condition, and some woud even die.
Hence, in 1991, Dr Vera Cordeiro, with the support of the staff from the Hospital da Lagoa and of members of the civil society, founded the Associação Saúde Criança Renascer, whose key objective is the recovery of sick children and the restructuring of their respective families.

A word by the Founder

"The Associação Saúde Criança Renascer is the mother cell of a very successful health project, being responsible for the foundation of several self-managing institutions with the same mission.
During its 16 years, Renascer has brilliantly fulfilled its mission, as a powerful tool against poverty, and towards providing dignity and foundation for self-sustainability to a large number of families.
As Margaret Mead, considered the greatest anthropologist of the last century, said once: 'never doubt the capacity of a small group of very committed and thoughtful people because they can change the world.' "
Vera Cordeiro

Dr. Vera Cordeiro is Fellow ASHOKA, Leader AVINA, Social Entrepreneur SCHWAB FOUNDATION and SKOLL FOUNDATION and Board of PATH