Izis Melo

Our Positive Woman is Izis Melo, a postgraduate biologist in environmental management, creator of the Healthy Coast project and president of the institute of the same name. Izis tells us how he started his career and about the development of the project, with many difficulties and some obstacles, but always full of determination to unite preservation, economy and tourism. “To pay for going to some meetings, my husband and I sold gourmet bags on the beach and through delivery. Not to mention that, on many occasions, they did not treat me with respect for the professional that I am”, he said. “I managed to send the project to Leonardo Índio, who read it and believed in it as much as I did. He scheduled a meeting so that I could present it in Brasília to Gilson Machado, then Minister of Tourism. With help and funding from my family, I managed to buy the tickets. I was very well received in Brasília. I presented it to the Ministry of Tourism and the Environment. Soon after, I got the federal government seal.”

1. How did your career start?

I studied biology at the State University of Minas Gerais. Soon after, I moved to the Lagos Region, in Rio de Janeiro, where we have cities like Búzios, Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio. There, I took an extension course in the area of ​​marine biology. With that, I had the idea of ​​creating a project that would take care of our coast, without leaving aside the economy in relation to tourism. This is how the Healthy Coast project was born! I dedicated myself for another two years (an average of 12 hours of daily study in the area of ​​marine biology) to the Ocean Decade, decreed by the UN in 2021, and the importance of tourism for Brazil's economy, since we have more than 8 thousand kilometers of coastline. Eight out of ten Brazilians consider it essential to travel to the beach at least twice a year. Just when I started promoting the project, I had the opportunity to talk a little about it in an interview with Arvore do Futuro. It was an incredible opportunity!

2. How is Litoral Saudável’s business model formatted?

The project is a set of actions that aims to change the lifestyle and culture of everyone who lives, works or just visits coastal cities, in addition to children's environmental education, with the main focus being the Decade of Ocean Science. Waterfront infrastructure, training for traders, lectures for tourists and residents, children's environmental education and technology, with the Litoral Saudável app. The first coastal city to receive the project will be Maceió, in Alagoas. We became an institute, and the project works with PPPs (public-private partnerships). Let's unite preservation and economy, without radicalism. And today we rely on Prospectar, which carries out all corporate, financial, fiscal and commercial management of the project. Coordination of all accountability with partners and project presidency. An excellent partnership.

3. What was the most difficult moment in your career?

For a long time, I was alone. Without any public or private financial assistance, or even the help of an environmental professional. I spent more than 15 hours on my cell phone, sending messages to large companies, deputies, senators, looking for an opportunity to present the project. To pay for going to some meetings, my husband and I sold gourmet bags on the beach and via delivery. Not to mention that, on many occasions, they did not treat me with respect for the professional that I am. I, a woman, alone in meetings surrounded by men in “power” (deputies, senators, secretaries, businessmen…). And the only thing I was offering was the project. I managed to send the project to Leonardo Índio, who read it and believed in it as much as I did. He scheduled a meeting so that I could present it in Brasília to Gilson Machado, then Minister of Tourism. However, I did not have the resources for the trip. With help and funding from my family — my mother Janice, my sister Izadora, my uncle Pedro and my aunt Silvânia —, I managed to buy the tickets and went with my husband, who was always with me.

I was very well received in Brasília. I presented it to the Ministry of Tourism and the Environment. Soon after, I got the federal government seal. With that, through another friend, Athos Moraes, who was extremely important, I went to present the project in Alagoas. There, I was also able to count on the help of Zezeco, a businessman in Barra de São Miguel (AL), who made his marina, Stella Marina, available so that I could make the presentation to managers, businesspeople and environmental defenders, such as Thereza Collor . I only managed to go to Alagoas, once again, with the financial help of my family, my husband and the gourmet bag (laughs)! State deputy Cabo Bebeto liked and believed in my work and in all the benefits it will bring to Maceió. Through it, we will begin execution in the capital of Alagoas!

4. How do you manage to balance your personal life x corporate/entrepreneurial life?

To balance my personal life and professional life, I try to define my routine schedule at home. At work, I establish organization based on well-defined goals and a schedule of project activities that allow me to manage my schedule without leaving any unfinished business. Weekly meetings with Prospectar, daily study to keep up to date on issues related to the oceans and the tourism economy. In addition to meetings with managers and large companies that have already shown interest in being part of the project. It is important that every day I take at least two hours for physical exercise, family and study, always for personal growth.

5. What is your biggest dream?

May the Healthy Coast project be an example of the preservation and care that our coastline deserves. May we include, in the largest number of public and private schools, environmental education as a subject for elementary education. With this, we will not only be taught about nature, but also about being a better citizen, who cares about others and thinks about the good of the community. Environmental education teaches values ​​and builds a mentality of future adults concerned about the future and stability of the planet. May we have a strong economy, without it coming at the cost of the health of our oceans. More conscious traders and businesspeople, with preservation as an ally, not an enemy. The formula for lasting, quality tourism is directly linked to preservation. I've always wanted to contribute something important to the planet that actually improves people's lives. I really believe in the potential of the project.

6. What is your greatest achievement?

I started studying and developing the project a few months before the pandemic. And so it was throughout the pandemic period. It took a lot of dedication and perseverance to finish the theoretical part of the project, in such a sad and troubled time with Covid-19. Then, a lot of struggle to put it into practice. I heard from many people, even “close” people, that I wouldn’t make it, that it wouldn’t amount to anything, that it was a waste of time. But I stayed focused and never thought about giving up. It's priceless to see my son watch my Zoom meeting, his eyes shining with pride, saying at school: “My mom has a very important project.” It's gratifying! My greatest achievement was my dedication, it was the people who were with me, believing in me and my work. It was leaving a rural city and being able to offer something that truly changes the lives of many. Obtain the seal from the federal government, showcase the project and begin implementation in a city as important as Maceió. Both in relation to tourism and in the economic part. And narrow in a capital… Wow! The Healthy Coast Institute is a source of pride!

7. Book, film and woman you admire

Book: “The Earth Is Blue. Why are the Fate of the Oceans and Ours One?” We all own the high seas. It's like air. It is a common good and it will be good if it remains healthy, as it is the guarantee of our existence Movie: “Free Willy”. I watched this film when I was a child and saw how cruel the lives of marine animals, such as orcas and dolphins, who live in captivity in the parks, were. The orca that “starred” in the film had an extremely unhappy life and died before the age of 30, whereas the normal life expectancy would be to live an average of 50 years. She was even released, but was unsuccessful. Since then, I have identified with all the “hidden” life on the blue planet and all the animals that call our oceans home. Woman: Sylvia Earle, the lady of the seas! A marine biologist. “The oceans control the way the world works.” She is definitely a great inspiration!