Welcome, Flávia Maria da Silva!

The ecosystem of social cooperatives of imprisoned women and victims of domestic violence, created by the Humanitas360 Institute and materialized in the Tereza brand, has gone through many transformations since its creation five years ago. In all these phases, Flávia Maria da Silva played a fundamental role. Her inclination for leadership has been felt since the installation, in 2018, of the first cooperative created by H360, in the Women’s Penitentiary II of Tremembé, in São Paulo’s countryside. There, she learned to sew, embroider, crochet, and, eventually, to preside over a cooperative and help transform lives. Now Flavia is free. With her as an ambassador, the Tereza ecosystem gains new momentum.

For these reasons, the Humanitas360 team was very moved on February 7, when Flávia left the São Miguel Paulista Women’s Correctional Facility, where she was serving a semi-open regime after almost 10 years in a closed regime in Tremembé. On her way back from São Miguel, Flavia also spent time at the CIVI-CO space, where she socialized with the rest of the team.

In this moment of reintegration, full of hopes and challenges, she receives support from H360 through legal counseling – about the rights and duties in the progression of her sentence in open regime – and psychosocial support, focused on strengthening community and family bonds. The re-socialization cycle is further strengthened by the continuity of her studies at the Zumbi dos Palmares University, where she has been a law student since last year, and by her work with the cooperatives, now with more freedom.

“Flávia’s case is an example of when organized civil society participates in the social reintegration process beyond the State itself,” says Higor Cauê, director of H360. “Strengthening bonds and breaking social paradigms imposed by the criminal justice system decreases criminal recidivism and increases the reality of emancipation of reintegrated citizens.”

On this March 8, when International Women’s Day is celebrated, we are pleased to welcome Flávia Maria da Silva to our team.