Maria Alaíde Menezes was born in Sergipe, Brazil, on 5 July 1912. She enrolled in a local elementary school at the age of 7. Eventually, she became a teacher herself.

In 1933, she participated in emancipation where the city of Ribeirópolis became independent of the municipality of Itabaiana. She was responsible for reading the municipality’s emancipation letter.

In March 1989, a municipal school in Ribeirópolis was founded and named after her.