FIELD OF INTERVENTION: Socio-economic Development, Capacity Building, Professional Training
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Latin America, Brazil, São Paulo, district of Rio Pequen, favela of Vila Dalva
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: This proposal fits in with the government campaign to fight poverty, in the context of the beneficiaries’ participation in the creation of a local development initiative, through models of social and fair economy. For this reason, the project aims to implement a training on cooperativism which would promote production and trade associationism (with the provision of a shop and an office for the marketing of products) among craftsmen working at the “Space of Dreams” cooperative, which was created in 2003 thanks to the support of UIL Pensioners. To increase sales of the cooperative’s textile products, a craftsmanship initiative developed by a group of women from the favela, the intent is to support marketing, training programs and product experimentation with a solidarity approach, towards a more structured intervention and with appropriate know-how and technologies for creating a more qualified training/production experience, potentially influencing income levels for craftsmen and their families, and to send a message of hope to families and youth in the neighborhood.
OBJECTIVES: ● Support local economic and fair development, in the favela of Vila Dalva, trough production associationism and training, production and income-generating activities. ● Creation of employment opportunities, improvement of products quality and increase in textile production for the existing “Space of Dreams” cooperative, through training modules and product experimentation. ● Income increase through sale of products and support to marketing.
ACTIVITIES:
- Training and business creation modules for members of the cooperative.
- Market analysis for handicraft products and their market potential.
- Purchase of equipment and machineries suitable for medium/high quality production.
- Training on machineries’ use and maintenance, on products development and on conditions governing the access to credit.
- Pilot product experimentation, with the help of experts and craftsmen and with the possibility to access a revolving fund for production costs.
- Drafting of a business development plan for the cooperative.
RESULTS:
- 50 women trained on quality textile production.
- Created a production group with the 50 women who participated in the training, thanks to microcredit funds.
- Organized a product exposition at the tradesmen union of São Paulo and supported a partnership with enterprises connected to the trade union for purchasing various materials.
- Drafted a business plan and planned the activities for the production group.
- Supported the marketing of handicrafts products from the cooperative.
- Organized a seminar, in Cesena, to disseminate, share and give visibility to the implemented activities, with a special focus on the positive impact of decentralized cooperation on human rights protection, income generation, training activities aiming at the participation of youth in the labor market.
PARTNERSHIP: Lead applicant: Progetto Sud. Partners: Associaçao Ponte Brasilitalia, Sindicato dos Comerciarios de San Paolo.
TIME PERIOD/DURATION: 12 months
DONOR: Emilia Romagna Region
