José Santos originally hails from the poor north-east of Brazil. When he was just five years old, his mother left him with an aunt in the countryside out of necessity. But instead of sending him to school, she sent him to harvest cocoa.

As an illiterate person, José often feels discriminated: "Some people treat us as if we're inferior because we can't read or write."

But now he has been given the chance he has long been waiting for: a free literacy course every afternoon, right here on the university campus.

The project also offers lessons for school dropouts with previous knowledge. It's intended to make at least a small contribution to second-chance education, says coordinator Denise Cunha: "A country in which the rights of all people are respected and protected, will also help the country itself improve – both economically and socially."

José still has a long way to go before he can read and write, but the first steps have been taken. And its clear that its the right path: lowering the illiteracy rate in Brazil slowly, but steadily.