Olivier-Hugues Terreault is preparing Brazilian society to be able to care for their growing elderly population. Through an innovative clowning therapy, he is equipping caregivers and seniors themselves with tools for communication, meanwhile his work with decision makers and the general population...
Read moreMara Ferreira
Ashoka Fellow since Sep 1990
Mara Ferreira, a former geographer, urban planner, and systems analyst for the city of Rio de Janeiro, has taken her skills and training to the countryside. She has developed a comprehensive systems approach that grassroots rural communities can readily use.
Read moreFlávio Luna is improving the culture and skills of a new class of small producers arising from Brazil’s large landless population. Through a multifaceted approach harnessing technology, Flávio fills key gaps in the agricultural value chain, from transforming existing extension services to meet the...
Read morePaulo Lima founded a low-cost, effective print publication to spark the participation of children and teenagers in civic life and decision-making. He also helps adult readers understand and respect the perspectives of young people on issues of critical importance to the community.
Read moreSuzana Machado Pádua
Ashoka Fellow since Jan 1998
Working in Nazaré Paulista, a relatively impoverished conservation area that borders on the Atlantic Forest and is a major source of water for the city of São Paulo, Suzana Padua has developed a new model for community engagement in environmental protection.
Read moreBased on a profound sense of respect for rural laborers that grew out of his own early experience working side by side with them, Goya Lamartine has designed and implemented the first comprehensive paralegal training course for community advocates in northeast Brazil.
Read moreHernani da Silva is addressing the social and economic exclusion of blacks in Brazil by combating racism within Brazil's fastest-growing religious segment: evangelical churches. He is building bridges to the secular Black Movement and government. Hernani is also launching human rights campaigns and...
Read moreMaria Teresa Romeiro Leal, who works with seamstresses in a Brazilian slum, reveals two realities about business and poverty: first, workshops owned by poor women can compete in the world of haute couture; and second, making quality goods is the best way for poor women to find business partners...
Read moreNelsa Nespolo is creating a “fair chain” model that brings workers in the supply chain into ownership and management responsibilities—giving them greater control over their livelihoods.
Read moreRosana Grinberg has been developing an effective way to contact, inform, and empower excluded people in Recife, making them aware of their rights and explaining current government programs and services for consumer defense and promotion of civil rights.
Read more