Humanitas Institute360’s actions to help fight the pandemic in Maranhão
The Humanitas360 Institute has been acting on several fronts to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic in Maranhão, the state in Northern Brazil where we implemented the Cuxá Cooperative. We donated 2,000 liters of sanitary water to the state’s prison units and material for the production of 88,000 protection masks, which adds up to an effort to make more than 1 million masks in the prison system. We gave the Cuxá Cooperative space for the production of these masks and also intermediated the donation of 10,000 meters of fabrics from the Alpargatas group to the Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration of Maranhão – with this material, prisoners will make jackets and clothing for health professionals.
This work involves some of the women of Cuxá Co-op and other inmates of the Feminine Prison Unit of São Luís (UPFEM), in an effort of social responsibility that seeks the reunion of the population of Maranhão with the incarcerated people. “During the pandemic I am making masks, sewing to help other people. I see that I am important and I collaborate with those out there fighting against this virus”, says Keitiane Mesquita, one of our cooperative members involved in the project. “Here I am one more day working to do good”. Part of the material produced is being distributed with the Tereza label, telling the life story of these women.
In addition, we have provided 55 notebooks that are already being used throughout the Maranhão prison system for virtual social visits in the midst of the suspension of face-to-face visits in prisons due to the pandemic. Learn more about the project here.