A professor from the Federal University of Espírito Santo (Ufes) is engaged in a frantic, month-long search for a lost yellow bag. The bag's contents are far more valuable than any personal item; it held his signed doctoral thesis and other irreplaceable work documents, representing a lifetime of academic effort.
The professor, identified as Cauê Maia, reportedly lost the bag on April 10th while cycling along Avenida Vitória in the city of Vitória. The disappearance has sparked a widespread community effort to locate the items, with the story gaining significant traction on social media after a student, Maria Eugênia, posted a video detailing the situation.
In the video, the Arts student emphasized that the bag was handmade by the professor himself and contained items of immense sentimental and professional value. "It's not just a bag; inside were irreplaceable things," she stated, highlighting the profound personal loss.
The missing thesis is titled "Cada Caminho é um Risco" (Every Path is a Risk) and was successfully defended at the School of Communications and Arts at the University of São Paulo (USP). Its loss, after having been formally approved and signed by the evaluation committee, represents a devastating blow to the professor's academic journey.
Since the incident, Professor Maia has undertaken an exhaustive search across the greater Vitória area. He has filed reports at police stations, checked with municipal secretaries, and contacted educational institutions. His dedication to the search is further evidenced by the creation of detailed posters and a comprehensive inventory of all the lost materials.
The emotional toll of the loss is evident. "You can see how much this has shaken him, because it's not just an object, it's a life's work," the student Maria Eugênia remarked, underscoring the deep personal connection to the missing documents.
The community is now being asked to help. Anyone with information regarding the yellow bag or its contents is urged to come forward. Tips can be reported directly to Professor Cauê Maia via the phone number (11) 989.960.098 or by email at [email protected].
Based on reporting from g1.