In the municipality of Itapipoca, in the interior of Ceará, an enumerator stands out among the team of about 70 agents: Shirley de Souza, 24 years old, who is in the seventh month of pregnancy with her first child, and has worked since the fourth month  in the 2022 Population Census. “I needed to work, then I saw the opportunity and applied. After I took the test, I found out I was pregnant. Then I didn't quit, I continued”, says the enumerator, who already has 785 completed questionnaires in five enumeration areas.

Expecting a seven-month baby, Shirley is collaborating in the enumeration in her municipality.

Carrying little Fred Arthur inside her belly, Shirley walks the streets of the city, preferably Monday through Friday during business hours. However, whenever necessary, she also goes at night, looking for those people who were not home. Shirley says she is welcomed by the elderly, who have more memories of  the Census. The younger ones, as they do not know about the survey, are a little resistant. “They are afraid of losing some benefit. But on the contrary, the Census will bring more benefits to them: more investment for the country, for the municipality. And we have to convince these people of the Census importance”, says the enumerator, explaining her main point.

 

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Shirley tells what her biggest difficulties have been in the census work: “The biggest challenge is dealing with people, dealing with people's ignorance and trying to convince them. In addition to resistance, the biggest challenges are the distances we have to travel, some unpaved road accesses where the the paths are kind of bad, and there is the weather too, which is very hot.”

But she guarantees that her work as an enumerator has not interfered with her pregnancy: “I have not had any problems with my pregnancy so far, thank God, because I go out more walking and visiting households, and I believe it does not affect the baby much.  When I have pregnancy and prenatal care, I don't work”. Shirley, who is currently 34 weeks pregnant, says she plans to work through to the 37th week.