They are past 60 years of age and wear, very proudly, the IBGE blue vest and cap with a yellow visor. They are easily found coming and going on the streets all over Brazil. Their walking with no hurry, knocking on every door and experience in dealing with residents leaves no doubt: the number of older enumerators working in the 2022 Census is big – and powerful.

With different accents, views about the world and backgrounds, they have in common the will to work and the competence to complete the census in their enumeration areas. See below some reports of some of our oldest enumerators who, since April 1st, have helped portray the reality of the country from North to South.

Enumerator: Nilton de Alcântara Plácido
Age: 71 anos
Area: Campo Grande (MS)

Since he was a child, Nilton wanted to work for the IBGE. His father (who is still alive and aged 92), used to tell him Stories from the time he collected data for the IBGE in a rural area. But Mr. Plácido ended up as a bank teller, and remained so until he retired. Getting back to his childhood dream, he decided to apply for a position as enumerator – and he does not regret.

“It is a very important activity, and I like to meet people,” he says. The biggest difficulty, he explains, is to find respondents at home. “Many people are traveling, working...but we come back as many times as necessary, until we can get to fill out the questionnaire.”

Enumerator: Natham Inácio de Freitas
Age: 66 anos
Area: Anápolis (GO)

To the retired engineer, the experience of working in the Census has been rewarding. Natham says he saw in the IBGE the opportunity of helping residents and serving the community. According to Mr. Freitas, some people look down on the survey, but that makes him more persistent in the task of convincing people to take part in the census. “But the majority supports the collection, though.”

At the age of 66, he leaves a message for all his colleagues working all over Brazil: “Don’t give up. It is hard work, but nothing in life is easy.”

Enumerator: Raimundo Nonato Campos
Age: 66 anos
Area: Méier, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

For a person who used to operate big ships, learning to use the Mobile Data Collection Device (DMC) was quite easy. That is what says Raimundo Nonato, ex-commander of da Marinha Mercante. Now retired, he says he decided to work for the IBGE to keep active, because he cannot stand being at home doing nothing.

About the job, he has succeeded in opening many doors, using his experience and based on dialogue, “Working for the IBGE is excellent for the curriculum of younger professionals and for the mind of the older ones.”

Enumerator: Sônia Maria de Oliveira Gratão
Age: 63 anos
Area: Anápolis (GO)

Sônia states that working in the 2022 Census has been an extremely positive experience. She says people trust her work and are more receptive to an older person who decides to engage in household data collection. “That dissipates any possible feeling of distrust.”

Excited, she makes plans for the future. “I hope that, in 10 years’ time, if I am still active at 73, I’ll be able to participate in the next Census. Our country needs that, to show more interest for the human being.”

Enumerator: José Ruivam da Cruz
Age: 61 anos
Area: São Cristóvão, região metropolitana de Aracaju (SE)

Besides the need of being active and making some Money, José explains he would like to have a representative job due to its quality. He guarantees he will always remember the friends he made during training and the everyday routine with the IBGE teams – besides the people he interviewed.

When he was a minor, José used to sell candies on the streets of the capital. He was also an electrician and a typist. At the age of 16 he started working for a newspaper in Aracaju and never stopped. He graduated in statistics and, since then, has been an admirer of the IBGE, having great interest for work in the field. “Nowadays, I study at the Federal University of Sergipe. After all, we can’t stop.”

Enumerator: Maria Aparecida da Rocha Lima
Age: 61 anos
Area: Campo Grande (MS)

Having recently graduated in Education, Aparecida sees that all the experience accumulated in the Census will be used in the future, either in her professional or personal life. “Fellowship in the team, during trainings and field work is something I will always keep with me,” she says.

At the age of 61, she says she has had different jobs before the Census. “I worked as a mason, a domestic worker, I never stopped.” And she quotes author Eduardo Galeano to explain her marching ahead: “Utopia is there on the horizon. I come two steps closer, it moves two steps further. I walk 10 steps and the horizon runs 10 steps. The more I walk, I will never get there. “What do I want utopia for? For one thing: to make me keep walking.”

Enumerator: Ricardo Freitas Castro
Age: 61 anos
Area: Bairro São Pedro, Belo Horizonte (MG)

Besides the possibility of making extra Money, Ricardo decided to be an enumerator for citizenship reasons. "I come from a family of civil servants and I know how important the Census is for the development of public policies."

He usually rides a bike to the neighborhood where he Works, in southern Belo Horizonte, and has been welcomed in most housing units. “I’m very calm and try to be in the footsteps of those who don’t accept the visit, I insist a little and very carefully.” So far, Ricardo has had “zero” refusals.