I recently visited ATEMDO’s new headquarters in Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil, and I’m going to share here the news and activities that are already being organized in full swing in the new space.
Right at the entrance, an open space overlooking the street is dedicated to ATEMDO’s new store, which features products made by affiliated workers. The idea is to give more visibility to the crafts and offer a sales channel to the local public. We then enter the house and come across a general living room, which hosts workshops, round tables and various events. The headquarters also has a fully equipped kitchen, where ATEMDO’s food collective prepares meals for coffee breaks and events for up to 4,000 people. In addition, the back area stores all the sewing collective’s equipment and houses another workspace dedicated to the seamstresses.
During my visit, the President of ATEMDO, Edileuza Guimarães, welcomed me with other workers in the warmest possible way, hosting a lunch especially for us to chat and get to know each other. Edileuza has been a home-based worker for 28 years and visits the headquarters in person every day.
We had the opportunity to talk, and I had the pleasure of meeting and learning about the products and stories of several incredible workers! Like Mrs. Marcia, who explained to me how the dolls sewn by her Artsol collective are made to help with children’s sex education, with colored dots that teach children which parts of the body a stranger can and can’t touch, or Shirley, who showed me her beautiful handbags and explained that all her production is done in her bedroom. She also told me how she balances household duties with her passion, sewing, and other activities, such as conducting some sewing workshops at ATEMDO’s headquarters.
It was an incredible experience to be able to exchange with these talented workers, learn more about their stories and witness the community cultivated by ATEMDO up close.
