Solvay employees in Latin America regularly support in initiatives to support social causes (feeding low-income families and the homeless population; removing children from socially vulnerable situations, elevating their self-esteem and inspiring their future goals); protect the environment (reducing pollution and unnecessary waste), and advocate for education (reducing school absenteeism).
Planet Rhodia is a cultural project aimed at teaching children about sustainability through theater and cinema. The project took place between 8-14 April 2022, reaching around 2,700 people located in the communities around Solvay’s industrial sites at Paulínia and Itatiba, in rural São Paulo.
Developed by Magma Cultura and sponsored by Solvay, the project was carried out by the Ministry of Tourism, through the Federal Government’s Cultural Incentive Law. It involved a special structure attached to a truck that could be turned into an indoor arena where theater companies were able to perform shows mixing folklore, fun, music and entertainment, and raise awareness about sustainability among children.
The program, which was repeated in both locations, featured eight theatrical performances, a night movie session, two workshops on recycling and a lecture to raise awareness about the relevance of preserving the environment. While some performances were reserved for students from local public schools only, others were open to the local population in general.
“In addition to democratizing access to culture, by bringing premium shows to the audience, the project uses the magic of theater to raise an interest in sustainability among children.” Jefferson Bevilacqua, Cultural Producer at Magma Cultura
In an effort to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic, Solvay produced 7,000 protective masks in record time for distribution in Heliópolis, the largest favela community in São Paulo. The masks were made using our Amni® Virus-Bac OFF polyamide textile thread, which is effective against viruses – including coronaviruses – and bacteria.
Our donation was delivered to the Union of Centers, Associations of Residents of Heliópolis and Region (UNAS), a non-profit organization that has been working to promote citizenship, social inclusion and improvement in quality of life in the community since 1978. They distributed the masks through their “Fala Jovem” Project, as part of an initiative that also featured cultural points and leaflets on health and Covid-19 prevention.
In addition to donating the masks, we have also made significant contributions to two social projects: Costurando Renda and Costurando com Amor. These are run by Santo André city hall and help to generate additional income for seamstresses in the city. In 2020, we donated four tons of polyamide fabric, which was used to make approximately 200,000 protective masks. In 2021, we donated another 1.7 tons of fabric made with Amni® Virus-Bac OFF, enough to make around 120,000 additional masks.
Solvay has sponsored Tinkering, a training project for public school teachers in Itatiba, Paulínia, Santo André and Taboão da Serra in São Paulo state, since 2020. Developed by educational company Evoluir, the project is based on the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Active Learning Methodology, which uses art as a key subject through which children can access learning.
The project is made possible through the Federal Incentive for Culture Act, with the Special Culture Department at the Ministry of Tourism providing educators with the required training. Aligned with the National Common Syllabus (BNCC) established by the Ministry of Education, Tinkering is focused on hands-on activities, based on projects and challenges, helping students to develop a freer, more creative and collaborative way of leading their own learning and prepare themselves to confront future challenges outside the classroom.
In addition to key São Paulo cities, the project is also underway in the communities of Heliopólis and Paraisopólis, the two largest favelas in São Paulo. So far, 6,100 students and teachers have benefited from Tinkering.
“Tinkering seeks to bring to schools a freer, more creative and collaborative way of learning, and so contribute to the emergence of new brilliant and curious minds.” Thais Buratto, Project Coordinator at Evoluir
