the communities

The communities differ greatly in every respect. Every community uses different production techniques, materials, colors, product types, and customization possibilities. The origin of these differences lies in the way we choose to work with the communities. Every product has been designed and produced with the techniques, material, and colors that come natural to the communities. The culture and natural environment of the community determines what a product looks like, feels like, and in the case of our collection of soaps even smells like.

As such, the following pages have been dedicated to descriptions of the communities that have been selected for the ambassadors program. The stories told by the products through the cultural context in which they are produced entails what we would like to share with the rest of the world. It is why we continuously try to include more like-minded people in our network of artisan producers and conscious consumers.

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BABAÇU

The artisan association called Babaçu da Amazonica is located in the state Tocantins, in the outer skirts of the Amazon. The state is known for the intense social conflicts between local farmers and land lords looking for expansion. Reason for the intensity of these conflicts is the richness of natural resources in the peak of Tocantins, called Perrot’s beak. This entrepreneurial group of artisans makes use of exactly this natural wealth by transforming the fruit of the imperial palm into woman accessories and home decor items. The artisan women have become exceptionally skilled in using the simplicity of the material to produce beautiful woman accessories and home decor products without degrading their direct natural environment. Babaçu da Amazonica has become a successful micro business that generates a healthy stream of income in an environmentally sustainable way.

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BORACEA

Boracea is a shelter for the homeless run by the City Government of São Paulo, Brazil. The oficina or workshop was developed as an effort to create opportunities for income generation for the homeless residents of the shelter. Whereas their previous source of income was garbage collection the members of the workshop now use the same material they used to collect but in a more profitable way. The association of artisans includes former and current residents of the shelter who after a period of apprenticeship are able to produce colorful products, made entirely from old newspapers, magazines and non-toxic dyes.

Founded by five people, the arts workshop Boracea now has 12 members, of which nine have left the shelter and thanks to revenues from their work are completely self-sustaining with respect to basic requirements such as rent, food and clothing. Furthermore, the members of the Oficina are being taught about social awareness. As such, this program, which grew out to become an NGO in 2007, truly empowers the unfortunate of Sao Paulo, increasing their self-esteem and showing them they are the drivers of their destiny.

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CAPIVARA

The group Ceramica Capivara manually produces ceramic products inspired by the beauty of the National Park in which the group works. The national park “Serra da Capivara” was granted the title UNESCO cultural heritage and is considered one of the world’s largest archeological treasures. The thousands of prehistoric inscriptions serve as the source of inspiration for the decoration in this community’s line of ceramic products. As such, this well organized artisan group disseminates and maintains the regions’ culture. A well organized production process has led the products of this group to be widely spread in Brazil. As such, this group has learned to value the treasures of their natural environment as they now entail their most stable source of income.

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TURURI DE MUANA

This productive group consists of 25 artisans that work on the island Morajo in the state of Para. Through a partnership between the ministry of agriculture of Para, the inhabitants of Morajo, and the governmental institute of SME development, a project was created to co-create a line of products that would represent the culture and environment of Morajo. Surrounded by mangroves, the island is known for its vast amount of so-called Buçu palm trees. A special type of palm tree that grows fruits coated with a highly interwoven fiber. This fiber, called Tururi, was historically used by Indians to produce clothing and to cover huts. Now, with the help of a group of internationally known designers, this fiber is transformed into purses, hats, bags, and wallets that have reached the international Rio Fashion show and thus form a steady source of income for the rural community on Morajo.

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MUMBUCA

Mumbuca, a rural community located in the North east of Brazil in a pristine region called Jalapao. Using the locally sourced “Capim Dourado”, or Golden Grass, these artists handcraft a line of amazing accessories. As they’ve lived off the land for many generations, they treat their environment with great respect. As such, they harvest the golden grass solely from September to November, allowing it to get its natural golden shine during the rest of the year. Wilhelmina , one of Mumbuca’s older members learnt the techniques to handle golden grass from her mother, who in her turn learned from the native Indians. It is exactly these traditions and cultural treasures that Tekoha tries to preserve through trading handicraft. By providing the women of Mumbuca with an extra source of income their community can live autonomously, the only way that allows them to maintain the culturally rich lifestyle they have lived for all these generations.

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RENASCER

The women of the group Renascer live in a city in the center of Brazil called Cuiabá. A wonderful group of ladies that always welcomes the Tekoha team with open arms. Together with an internationally awarded product designer the group started producing handicraft using recycled coffee filters and Tetra Pak wadding. Highly detailed products that show the skill of the artisan women in Cuiaba. Through the choice for recycled raw material, the artisan collective now single handedly stimulates the selective waste collection in the region and simultaneously provides the women with a sense of purpose through the opportunity to become fully self-sustaining.

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RECICLAR

The Reciclar Institute was founded in 1995 by a group of executives and entrepreneurs who wanted to contribute towards changing Brazil’s social reality and, at the same time, help to preserve the environment. Located close to the Jaguaré favela on the west side of the city of São Paulo, the Institute makes various products out of recycled paper, offering an opportunity to the needy youth in that area to change their lives through the educational program that prepares them for the labor market and teaches them about responsible citizenship. Since the start of the project, 235 youngsters have participated in the program. On average, 75% of them is employed in the labor market of Sao Paulo. Reciclar produces and sells products made of recycled paper that conform to the concepts of social and environmental sustainability. Reciclar’s products meet high standards of quality and have found a solid place in the Brazilian market for their innovative design and quality finish.

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URUCUREA

Urucureá is located in the outer skirts of the Amazon, close to the Amazon river in the state of Pará. A group of 30 families weave a broad line of decorative items and utensils from the so-called Tucumã straw. The straw is sourced from a local palm tree, ensuring the environmental sustainability of the communities work. In fact, all products made by Urucureá are FSC certified and colored with natural/organic dyes made from berries, plants, and flowers. Urucureá is one of Tekoha’s oldest productive partners and has been an important source of inspiration for the foundation of the company. The inhabitants of Urucureá are completely in balance with their direct natural environment and fill their lives with joy derived from the sun, the natural pools, family etc.

Once the community catalogs are finished they should appear when clicked upon the name of a community. Show them through issuu or scribd. I’ve copied the links to the catalogs, for high-res versions, please contact export@redetekoha.com.br: