The first collection of products is ready and it is time for the co-operative of handicrafts to grow! To enable the business model and raise funds for the 30 co-op members at the Tremembé Penitentiary for Women 2, the Humanitas360 Institute organized a group of contributors. The fundraising dinner brought together friends and partners to show them in detail the business model of the co-op as well as invite them to support the startup, which aims to not only generate income and employment, but also contribute to the reduction of violence in Brazil.

Television host Luciana Gimenez, Ana Paula Fava, International Affairs Special Advisor to the São Paulo State Government, and lawyer Roberto Podval are a few of the members of the group that came together to support the co-op. Restaurateur Marcelo Fernandes provided dinner and service from Kinoshita for the event, which is the first of a series of monthly meetings. The opening dinner happened in August at the rooftop of CIVI-CO, a coworking space for civic-social entrepreneurs in São Paulo.

The event also counted with the presence of business people, communications professionals, and representatives of civil society. Each participant will collaborate in the best way they can: by bringing new members to the group, supporting the co-op as an angel investor, helping with promoting the project and opening new sales channels, or even by collaborating as volunteers in the field, directly participating in projects.

At the next event, which will take place in the end of September, H360 will organize a charity auction with the first products produced by the co-op. The auction will raise funds and leverage the business model of the startup.
Promoting education and citizenship in the prison system, helping ex-inmates reintegrate in society, not only improves the quality of life for those that are incarcerated, but also for all of us. The lack of opportunities and difficulties in entering the job market lead ex-inmates to go back to committing crimes, a process that furthers the growth of criminal factions and, consequently, of violence. The partnership between government and civil society is able to generate deep social changes.