Locksmith and Carpentry Manufacturers – Cooperativa Dedo de Gente

Formação de Novos Jovens

Training youth in the traditional woodworking and blacksmithing trades for income generation opportunities

Araçuaí is located in the Jequitinhonha Valley, MG; and has approximately 40 thousand inhabitants. Opportunities for income generation and jobs practically do not exist, and it is common for young adults and men to migrate to large cities in search of work or acceptance of dangerous jobs in agriculture, mainly in cutting sugarcane and on coffee plantations.

Dedo de Gente has emerged to generate opportunities for personal and professional development training for the youth of agricultural Minas Gerais. The Fabriquetas de Serralheria e Marcenaria, one of the initiatives launched, aims to provide young people with the opportunity to generate income for themselves, contribute to the local economy and stay in their region, while also contributing to the appreciation of the local culture.
Through the revival of the woodworking and blacksmithing trades, passed down from generation to generation, there is a personal and professional growth that unites education for income generation, civic training and environmental education with the reuse of disposed materials.

With support from BrazilFoundation, the organization will:

• Train 12 young people in the trade of woodworking and blacksmithing;
• Strengthen personal and cultural values ​​and youth leadership;
• Increased the number of young people served;
• Encourage future joint ventures;
• Enable income generation for young people.

Impact

12 young people learning and reviving the woodworking and blacksmithing trade
Training of young people to protagonists for their own income generation
Education for work, civic training and environmental education

“It is a space for discovery of new skills and other talents that contribute to the professional and personal development of young people.” -Dedo de Gente team