New Cooperation Agreement to expand H360’s impact in Maranhão
The Humanitas360 Institute and several instances of power in Maranhão are finalizing a new Technical Cooperation Agreement, which should be signed in the next few days at the State Court of Justice. The agreement will allow the continuity of the work of the Cuxá Social Cooperative, created by H360 in 2020, for another three years. In addition, it foresees the creation of an external space for the cooperative in São Luís with two main objectives: 1) incorporating the commercial operation of the products through the Tereza brand, and 2) expanding the accompaniment to women of the cooperative who left prison and victims of domestic violence.
Installed in the Women’s Prison Unit (UPFEM) of the Pedrinhas Penitentiary Complex, the H360 initiative in partnership with the National Council of Justice and the Government of Maranhão has made it possible to offer women prisoners and former inmates in the state the possibility of starting over by offering professional training, income generation, legal guidance, and psychosocial assistance.
“The work of the Cuxá Social Cooperative reaches a new moment,” says Higor Cauê, director of the Humanitas360 Institute. “The protagonism of the social enterprise starts to receive recognition from local authorities and projects a public policy agenda on entrepreneurship in prison and beyond. We impact the lives of women and communities. Now there is room to change the stigmas and paradigms that surround them, starting with Justice itself.”
The negotiations for the renewal of the term occurred during H360’s trip to São Luís between February 27 and March 3, during which president Patrícia Villela Marino and Higor Cauê fulfilled an intense schedule of meetings and visits to the cooperative’s space at UPFEM.
The moment of the negotiations could not be more emblematic for the cooperative and the institute. On March 1st, the show “Marrom, o Musical”, which celebrates the legacy of singer Alcione, godmother of Cuxá, made its debut in the capital of Maranhão. The costumes include pieces embroidered by the cooperative members in Pedrinhas, 13 of which were granted the right to attend the premiere as guests and socialize with the H360 team and the show’s crew, headed by producer Jô Santana.
Negotiation with the Judiciary
The new Technical Cooperation Agreement will also expand the dialogue between the partners by setting up a Monitoring and Management Committee and holding bimonthly meetings to assess the impact. The dialog will involve the State Penitentiary Administration Secretariat (under-secretary Fredson Maciel); the Federal Prosecution Service (prosecutor Pedro Lino); the State Public Defender’s Office (defender Suzana Camillo, from the Penal Execution Center) and the State Penitentiary Council (president Susan Lucena Rodrigues), besides the Humanitas360 Institute and the Cuxá Social Cooperative, represented by counselor Patrícia Maranhão.
The work of H360 also counts on the partnership of other important authorities of the Maranhão Judiciary, including the judges Paulo Velten, president of the State Court of Justice; José de Ribamar Froz Sobrinho, from the Judicial Internal Affairs Office; Francisco Ronaldo Maciel Oliveira, general coordinator of the Unit of Monitoring, Accompaniment, Improvement and Inspection of the Prison System, and José de Ribamar Castro, director of the Superior School of Magistrates, who received a lecture from Patrícia Villela Marino. Judges Mirella Cezar Freitas, Douglas de Melo Martins and Rommel Cruz Viégas complete the group of partners.
Check below some photos of H360’s institutional agenda in São Luís:
