At 41, Valter Fonseca dos Santos had spent nearly half his life without a home. In November 2015, after four months of studying on park benches and in public spaces, he earned the highest score in a municipal exam for gravedigger positions in Patos de Minas, Brazil. His result, 26 out of 30 points, placed him first among 22 candidates and secured one of the three available jobs.
Fonseca’s journey began in Ilhéus, Bahia, where limited opportunities led him to seek work in Minas Gerais. He found only short-term work, including bakery and cleaning jobs, as well as outdoor labor such as gardening and agriculture. None of it offered stability or a path out of homelessness. Despite these setbacks, he completed secondary education and eventually received support from the Centro de Referência Especializado de Assistência Social (Creas), a Brazilian public service for people facing social vulnerability.
Support and Preparation
With help from Creas director Maria Augusta de Lacerda Ferreira, Fonseca got access to previous exam materials and updated his CV. He balanced studying with cleaning work at a restaurant, often reviewing notes on public benches. Exhaustion remained a constant challenge: sleeping on the street rarely allowed for proper rest. Still, he kept to a disciplined study routine for four months, fitting his efforts into different parts of the day.
Before the exam, Fonseca attended five job interviews, but his lack of a permanent address closed doors each time. Creas then suggested he apply for the municipal competition, a process unique to Brazil and not directly comparable to public job exams in Spain. Fonseca chose the gravedigger position, aware of the competition and unsure of his chances.
Exam Success and New Beginnings
The results, published on November 24, 2015, confirmed Fonseca’s achievement: 26 points out of a possible 30, or 86.7% of the maximum score. He topped the list. The initial salary was 805.18 Brazilian reais per month. Benefits covered food and transport, and included health coverage. Official documents show he was called to take up the position on March 2, 2016, and began work on April 4. The two other successful candidates joined that same month.
After receiving his salary, Fonseca’s first priority was to rent a home, a turning point after years of instability. By December 2019, municipal records listed him as an active employee, still working as a gravedigger. No official information confirms his employment status beyond that date.
Social Impact and Context
Fonseca’s story resurfaced in August 2026, when Brazilian media revisited his achievement more than a decade later. The renewed attention reflects continued interest in stories of ability to recover and the role social services play in overcoming barriers to employment. The process that enabled Fonseca’s success is specific to Brazil, but his experience raises broader questions about access to services and the barriers people without stable housing face.
In Spain, public job competitions follow different rules, and targeted support for candidates in vulnerable situations varies by region. Fonseca’s experience shows how tailored assistance can help qualified individuals compete on equal terms, even after years of exclusion. Creas provided exam materials and practical guidance, along with encouragement.
As Talent24h reported, Fonseca’s case remains a rare example of determination backed by institutional support. Municipal records show that he was listed as an active employee for several years after beginning work.
