'I prefer to look at the positive side of things' (Zilda Arns Neumann)
A woman of courage! Dra Zilda lived to defend and promote children, pregnant women and elderly people, and to build a more just society, with less sickness and human suffering. She died tragically in the earthquake that devastated Haiti on the 13th of January 2010, just after she had given a talk on how to save lives using simple, educational and preventive means. She left her mark on the history of Brazil when she founded and coordinated the Pastoral da Criança (Child´s Pastoral) and the Pastoral of the Elderly.
In her work she always united scientific knowledge to popular culture, she valued the role of the poor woman in social transformation, she moved all, rich and poor, illiterates and the learned, in the search for a Full and Better life for all. In her declarations she was accustomed to say: "There is much to be done, because the social inequality is great. The efforts that are being made need to be given importance so that these may produce even greater efforts".
She died doing what she always said: to bring together more people so that these may unite in the search for "Life in abundance" for poor children and poor pregnant women.