Ocyan to offer free course for sewing and fabric mask production for residents of communities in Rio

Ocyan and Cooperativa Maravilha, in the port region of Rio de Janeiro, have united to act together in the new coronavirus crisis. The company has bought from one of the seamstresses working for this NGO 10,000 face masks, which will be destined to the members of the company in Rio de Janeiro and Macaé, in addition to donating the surplus, and the production resulting from this training will be distributed to the residents of the region. And, in order to further stimulate income generation in Rio’s needy communities, Ocyan will support a free online sewing course for 40 students.

“We include in our action plan the purchase of face masks to ensure the safety and health of our members as soon as they return from remote work, but instead of acquiring them from a large industry, we decided to support the community where we operate, in the Porto Maravilha region. This initiative boosts local economy, providing greater financial autonomy to these people,” comments Nir Lander, Ocyan’s Personnel and Management Director.

The registration for the course starts in May. The course will be offered for free and the residents of the region’s communities such as Morro da Providência, Morro do Pinto and Conceição, and also the community known as King Kong will have priority, but the course will be available to people from all deprived communities of Rio. The selection will also take into account the populations considered most vulnerable, such as the black community, people with disabilities and the LGBT community, for example. Classes start in the second half of next month.

The course will last three months, with two sessions per week with, two hours per session, via the Google Classroom platform which can be accessed through a smartphone. The content will alternate live and recorded classes, when the participant will be able to interact with the instructors and clarify doubts. Among the topics covered, notions of entrepreneurship and Small repairs to the machinery will be offered. At the end of the course, participants will receive a certificate.

In order to apply, you must be over 18 years old, have a home sewing machine and internet access. Applications should be made by e-mail coop.maravilha@gmail.comby filling out a form to be forwarded via e-mail.

“In addition to the investment in organizing this course, each participant who completes the training will be guaranteed at least 500 masks purchased by Ocyan per month, for a period of three months. The fabric for this production will also be provided by the company,” explains Nir. “Commitment to society is one of our values and this is a time for collaboration, empathy and union”, concludes the executive.

For Raquel Spinelli, founder of Cooperativa Maravilha, who already produces masks, the partnership will be important for the community.

“We always seek the support of and to be partners with companies to make the courses feasible. Having Ocyan with us will ensure that those registered in the course will know the whole process and techniques that allow the production of several pieces at the same time. Thus, productivity and daily income tend to grow,” she ponders.

The Cooperative has the support of Companhia de Desenvolvimento Urbano da Região do Porto (CDURP) since 2017.