A dream is a mental experience with distinctive meanings. We all have this ability of being able to dream; night or day, in different ways and on different occasions.

 

With myriads of meanings – conscious (or subconscious) -, we dream about tangible assets and intangible things; with chills, sweat, fear of the unknown, or the adrenalin of fiction…

 

There are various types of dreams. I have my own and B16 has its dreams.

I have already achieved many of mine and I have countless within me that I believe will happen shortly: a 5-door pick-up truck, a wooden house with chickens and dogs, a journey with perfect waves around the world in the very best company.

I’ve already had many. I’ve already achieved many. I’ve already accepted that some will never come to pass.

 

However, there is one that still has to happen. For the second time. For the third, the fourth, for as long as possible. It was my daughter who conveyed this to me on the day of her birth.

 

B16 also has diverse meanings: Bruno has his birthday on 16 February, the new branding company was born in 2016, “bushido”, the code of conduct of the samurais, applies in everything B16 does or the implementation of the concept “be sixteen every day” in our work. It is the latter, authored by P. Kotler in one of his manuals, that tells us that from the age of 16, we can achieve our dreams (buy a bike through saving or working, get a girlfriend through seduction, an embrace through goodwill).  

We like to demonstrate to our Clients that we dream with our feet firmly on the ground but with the universe as our limitation. We design narratives here or there, always with the purpose of making your (their) dreams come true.

 

And my dream – that which my daughter strengthened in me – is also a part of the B16 DNA. It is in our Vision, in our Mission, in our Values. Each member of the team feels and works with the daily purpose of making it happen all over again.

 

The message that I wish to convey here is simple: we should all be motivated by causes that do good to the world. That makes the planet better. That strengthens the relationships among people. That helps those nearby. That improves the quality of every surrounding thing, no matter how small our mission might be.

 

And there is so much to be said about this Dream of ours…

 

My skin still tingles thinking about the minutes preceding the entrance of the children into the rebuilt Inhagóia Primary School. The small schools that we rebuilt in 2015. Our first project.-

 

I remember the children playing on the swings, running, rolling in the clean sands, pulling themselves through the tyres.

Using the infrastructures without understanding how we changed their lives forever in that particular moment.

And I remember our sponsors, workers, and supporters living this moment and openly crying.

It was then, at that precise moment, that we forget friendships that were to be forever. And still today!

Because we did it together. Because we set out to do the work. Because it was made by people from the community itself. With the same love as us.

And it’s still there.

We produced two extensive videos, showing what it was like to experience that moment. Watch them with time. This is not content for Generation Z, lacking both time and attention. This is a no-swap-up content. This is content with content.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeQzBDDerq4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDyA8yvzgdM

In 2020, an enormous desire to return to Mozambique emerged. We produced another content video to raise the awareness of those present as to our desire to again get things done. We were all prepared and about to buy the plane tickets… in March 2020. When the global crisis of the mad virus arrived… Despite being far shorter, this is also a no-swap-up content. This is one for the sofa, with popcorn and attention.

https://youtu.be/TWAsCV-nNAk

Today, eight years later, the feeling persists, stronger, more structured, and emotional.

I would again recall that the children are not guilty of anything nor have they ever been.

They are there. Without even knowing what a dream is. Without knowing that they can and should dream…

And here I am, in my bed, living my dream without them.

 

I inhale my ambition for legacy, look into my daughter’s eyes, and feel the strength that can make this dream come true.

 

Rebuild Mozambique!

I’ve already dreamed. Have you?