The importance of the Bolsa Família Programme

Update of an article presented at the Latin American and Caribbean Congress on Education, Communication and Public Policy, held in Argentina in 2014. This article presents the Brazilian income transfer programme 'Bolsa Fam lia', the history of its creation, the political and economic context in which it was introduced, the rules and conditions for the population to be eligible to receive it, and the importance of these conditions in influencing permanence and understanding the importance of education and its contribution to social transformation. It also uses reports of experiences from the author's daily work on the outskirts of the city of S o Paulo, Brazil, particularly in family support through the Comprehensive Family Care Programme (PAIF), created by the Brazilian Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) and an integral part of monitoring the conditions of the Bolsa Fam lia Programme. Thus, using theoretical foundations based especially on the works of Paulo Freire, this article seeks to demonstrate the importance of Bolsa Fam lia as a tool for investment in popular education and transformation.