Horizonte

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Visually impaired people that overcome barriers everyday and produce brooms to generate income, reducing their dependency on donations. Project Horizonte extends this business seeking their financial stability.

Standings & Awards

190 out of 190 in Central & South America
268 out of 268 in Economic Dev
573 out of 573 in Pilot
992 out of 992 in Charitable
4003 out of 4003 Overall

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VOTES

SIFE CEFET/RJ

Helping re-integrate visual impaired workers to the job market, thus improving their life quality.

And if visually impaired people could work in a synergic and efficient manner?

The association “Aliança dos Cegos” (“Alliance of the Blind”), founded in 1929, shelters adults and elders that do not have financial resources, did not have opportunities in life and that could not count with family support. Currently supported mainly by donations, the institution was able to shelter 150 people. Nowadays, it only can hold 50 people.

As a secondary source of income, the broom factory is a great opportunity of work for these people. Placed inside the association, it contributes to the self-esteem and personal development of them. Despite the good quality of their products and the competitive price of them, the revenue from the factory cover/covered just 30% of their expenses, making the place extremely dependent on donations.

In order to provide financial stability and to improve the quality of life of these people, in 2010 the Project Horizonte was created.

The first part of the project sought to increase their profits, we trained the associates in Business Management and Occupational Safety, we improved the divulgation of their business and the prospection of new clients. Only with these actions, we achieved an increase of 25% in productivity. Also, trying to decrease their personal dependencies, we offered them a basic informatics course.

Still, we have much to do! Now, in the second part of the project, we plan to help them to upgrade their productive process by mapping the risks involved on the production of these brooms, the environmental impact created by the factory and the waste generated by the production of the brooms. All of this, without neglecting the improvement of quality of life from the beneficiaries, through partnerships with doctors and other complementary activities.

Before, they were people that struggled with the prejudice because of their limitations, now, they show that all of us have barriers and that we are able to face and overcome them, finding a horizon of opportunities.

Support Your Idea Optional (5 - 7 minutes for three uploads)

Supporting Document:

One of our letters seeking sponsorship from companies

One of the banners designed by our marketing team to promote the association and its products

Roadmap to Success Optional (1 - 3 minutes to upload)

Roadmap to Success:

roadmap_to_success.pdf

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation?

The project's innovation is the ability to engage the beneficiaries to expand their business, aiding them to achieve the so sought after financial independence and to give new opportunities for other disabled people. These actions are going to be achieved by collaborative intervention: we seek to transmit knowledge to improve their business, thus our actions are going to be sustained by a long time. Another innovation is the personal growth of the own staff, developing new social entrepreneurs.

2. Who gains the most?

The main beneficiaries of the project are the members of the Association “Aliança dos Cegos”, because with the increase of their profits from the factory, their quality and standard of life are substantially improved. In a parallel manner, each associate will be able to experience the personal development and social inclusion that we propose with the project, through professionalizing courses to help them enter the job market.

3. Who pays?

The entire project’s staff is composed by volunteers, so there are no expenses with manpower and transportation. The University, CEFET/RJ, gives us the structure of work, such as an office and the necessary equipment for work. In addition to support the team, the university provided a laboratory without costs, so that we could provide the basic informatics course developed for the visually impaired. Nothing is paid by the beneficiaries, the team make actions through partnerships and donations.

4. What is your success?

Our success is achieved by the commitment of the students involved on the projects of the organization, aiming to qualify people in need, to improve substantially their lives. With the knowledge gathered in class, we use strategies to plan and act on the professional development of all beneficiaries reached by us. Definitely, the main success of the project is to improve the quality of life of the visually impaired people, who are often left out of society.

5. How will you do it?

The project's activities are focused in the broom factory. Using the study of industrial engineering of methods and times, ergonomics and work safety, we seek to improve their productivity and to acquire new machinery. Allied to this, marketing strategies were planned for the dissemination of products, such as posters on buses, pamphlets and the revitalization of the site. In a parallel manner, we will act in the development of those who do not work in the factory, seeking professional courses.