Providing prospects, Creating the future. An aid project in São Paulo.

São Paulo is the business, financial and cultural heart of Brazil. The companies based here promise a wide range of vocational opportunities for the people who live here and exert a magnetic pull on job-seekers from all over the country. As a result, housing is in short supply.

Long-term assistance through education

So it was that, in 2013, more than 800 families built makeshift accommodation on a piece of open land with no access to clean drinking water or sanitation. The newcomers were lucky: They had built their settlement on land belonging to Instituto Anchieta Grajau (IAG). Neighborhood initiatives like those run by Instituto Anchieta Grajau in the south of the city are a first point of call for families trying to find their bearings in this confusing situation. The people at IAG acknowledged that although the families had occupied the institute’s land, they should be allowed to live there and be provided with assistance in improving their homes and resolving the drinking water and sanitation issues.

A comprehensive aid concept from Knorr-Bremse Global Care

Prominent architect Roberto Loeb, the founder and head of the IAG, made contact with Dr. Rudolf Gerich and Vanessa Gama from Knorr-Bremse Global Care Brazil, which is based at Knorr-Bremse’s Itupeva site in the state of São Paulo, where Loeb had been responsible for planning new buildings in 2013. Together, the team drew up a comprehensive aid concept. Ten model homes were built, but that was just the start. “As well as providing the resources for model houses, we wanted the young people to receive local training in manual trades,” explains Dr. Rudolf Gerich. Roberto Loeb emphasizes how important it is for the assistance to have a lasting impact: “This support strengthens the commitment of IAG to educate and care for local children and adolescents. By doing so, we also help the parents to structure their daily lives.”

Building a new life with aid projects

Part of the support put in place for the residents of the settlement is vocational training. So far, 36 people have completed a 5-month building skills course organized by IAG and delivered by SENAI , a vocational training institute. Knorr-Bremse Global Care in Munich funded the course in Brazil, as well as the construction of a training facility and the provision of materials. The construction sector is the industry with the highest demand for workers in São Paulo. “We train the participants in various trades, from electrical and plumbing skills to roofing,” explains Roberto Loeb.

Knorr-Bremse Global Care treading new paths of its own

Julia Thiele-Schürhoff is delighted with the aid project: “It sends out a clear message locally,” she says, “especially in terms of the lasting impact of the projects we support. People in Grajáu have benefitted from targeted assistance that will enable them to take care of themselves in the long term.” Knorr-Bremse Global Care will continue to support the organizational development of the Instituto Anchieta Grajaú. As well as providing financial resources, the association brings its professional expertise to bear. Knorr-Bremse Global Care Brazil will be actively involved in the work of IAG and will assist IAG in reviewing its strategic direction. In the future, for instance, IAG intends to boost its fundraising activities in order to increase its income. With this initiative, Knorr-Bremse Global Care is breaking new ground: for the first time, it is moving beyond a successful project to invest continuously in an organization.