A textile collective for Eldorado-Diadema, Brazil

Our fashion teacher, Higor, who learned his skills from our first professional textiles teacher, Carol, now successfully leads three ‘Moda’ sessions, two of which have no age limit while the third one remains dedicated to young people aged 12 to 22. We find it very positive that older participants from the embroidery group are keen to expand their skills in garment making and that Higor is willing to adapt and support their ambitions.

Since Carol’s departure, members of the collective are increasingly coming forward with enterprising new ideas and initiatives. Gilvanete’s craft group, for example, made seasonal Easter rabbit decorations, and Martah, one of our embroiderers, has created a versatile tote bag with an extra strap that converts it into a backpack.

On 6th June, ACER’s sister organisation, the Children At Risk Foundation UK (CARF UK), hosted an evening of live Brazilian music in London, where textiles by the Eldorado Textile Collective were admired and sold. Among the attendees was Ana, who as an eight-year-old in Diadema collected and sold scrap metal with her younger brother, Mauro, so that they and their grandmother, who cared for them in the absence of parents, had enough to eat. Their lives changed dramatically when they learned about ACER from neighbours. At ACER, they found the support they needed and took part in activities that enabled them to play, learn, and develop. Mauro later accepted a scholarship to attend an English-speaking school, embarked on a career in the hospitality sector and became a flight attendant with British Airways. Today, both Ana and Mauro live in London and serve as trustees of CARF.

The following day, the textiles were displayed at a local fair, where visitors had the opportunity both to buy and to learn more about ACER Brasil and the Eldorado Textile Project.

Thank you so much for contributing towards the development of our collective and fulfilment of our aim to improve the lives of women and young people living in an economically and socially deprived area.