Lupa do Bem: our portal dedicated to social projects

There are so many social projects taking place all around the world – plenty more than we can possibly imagine. How many of them are doomed to oblivion due to a lack of visibility online? That’s the thinking behind Lupa do Bem, a joint initiative by Sherlock Communications and Favela em Pauta.

This partnership has created a space in which to share initiatives that are changing lives all over the world. Sustainability, education, fighting discrimination, entrepreneurship, encouraging culture and the arts – these are just some of the inspiring movements which you will find on our portal.

”Neuza’s Column” is another of Lupa do Bem’s editorial features. Neuza is a 62-year-old writer, journalism student, former housekeeper and creator of CIACAC, an NGO that supports children and adolescents who are at social risk. Today, she works in research, highlighting amazing projects that are ongoing in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Get to know some of them below, and feel free to explore many others on our official website!

1. Brazil from a fisherman’s perspective

Located in the extreme south of Bahia, and a stop for many tourists, Caraíva is considered one of the oldest villages in the country. Throughout its one kilometre from end to end, you will meet people from the most unlikely places, especially indigenous people from the Pataxó Tribe.

Even so, Fernanda Almeida, director of the short film “Tarzinho: the man and the sea”, notes the importance of rescuing the various narrative cultures that exist in Caraíva besides tourism, which is a source of income for most residents.

Almeida highlights this contrast by interviewing a native fisherman, and exploring his intimate relationship with the village and its wildlife. You can see Caraíva through Tarzinho’s eyes by watching the short film, which will be available soon on streaming platforms such as Cardume and Curta Flix.

2. When human rights are not enough

It cannot be denied that racism still exists – after all, we are still searching for ways to counter it and to support the people who deal with discrimination without acess to public policy, or the trust of its authors.

However, Oxê is seeking to alter this reality. The social project’s name refers to a Candomblé totem symbolising  justice – a word which should be much more present in the lives of black communities. 

Created by Rede de Mulheres, in partnership with Pernambuco’s Office of Legal Advice to Popular Organizations and Black Articulation, the initiative provides legal and psychosocial assistance to victims of racism, with the support of a team made up of black lawyers, psychologists and social workers.

The project also has the support of the National Articulation of Black Psychologists and Researchers.

3. NINA vs. harassment on public transport 

According to a 2021 study by Patrícia Galvão and the Locomotiva institute, about 81% of Brazilian women claim to have experienced some type of harassment on public transport.

This has been common knowledge for years, which is why, in 2017, entrepreneur Simony César created NINA: an artificial intelligence app that cross-references data from harassment complaints with their geolocation, facilitating the creation of public and private policies in urban spaces.

Eighteen months after its implementation, the app has received approximately 2,300 complaints, 10% of which led to police inquiries. The data was also used to improve urban planning in the city of Recife. Simony is currently planning to expand NINA’s operations to the Southeast and to Rio de Janeiro.

The amount of bad news reported in the media on a daily basis can be overwhelming. Whether on our mobiles, computers or televisions, we are constantly faced with catastrophic events.

On the other hand, every single day a new social project is born, bringing extremely positive results to the most diverse places in Brazil and around the world.

Our role is to publicise these social projects and increase their visibility, so that they can transform even more lives. Be a part of this fantastic movement, and spread the good news with us on our Facebook and Instagram pages.