Plantando o Amanhã
(Seeding the Future)
Nova América Outlet Shopping
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Del Castilho district of Rio de Janeiro struggled with poverty, drug
dealers and misdirected youth--especially after the 1992 closing of a
textile factory, the residents' main employer.
Nova América Outlet Shopping, which opened in the old factory in
October 1995, sought to rebuild the area. Beyond the immediate inner-city
market of 1 million lay a more affluent secondary market of 1.7 million.
The center's arrival brought new job opportunities, better public
transportation, a comprehensive system of road signage and improved
security, increasing overall traffic.
Nevertheless, the underprivileged people of the Del Castilho slums had
to overcome such barriers to employment as a lack of day care for
children and the elderly and a lack of professional education. The center
developers decided to reach out to help reinvigorate the downtrodden
community.
OBJECTIVES
1. To provide center employees and underprivileged residents with young
children with a nearby day-care center.
2. To redirect troubled teens with professional training in
gardening.
3. To help the community provide its seniors with care.
4. To increase the amount of center staff hired from the community.
5. To develop a partnership with the community.
6. To increase customer loyalty to Nova América.
IMPLEMENTATION
The first step was to develop a partnership with Cruzada do Menor, a
nonprofit social-service organization that has successfully dealt with
local homeless youth. Another important partner was the Rio de Janeiro
City Hall and its Favela-Bairro (Slums-District) program.
The community betterment project was housed in a old guesthouse on the
center's grounds. Building repair costs ($17,200) were funded by
donations to Cruzada do Menor.
The project offered no- or low-cost day care for underprivileged
children ages four months to six years, allowing locals to benefit from
employment opportunities at Nova América Outlet Shopping; their
parents either live in the community or work at the center. The children
receive four balanced meals daily, pedagogical support, and medical care.
The second aspect of the program is its gardening school for teens,
which provides professional training and opens job prospects. Using the
shopping center as their learning laboratory, students plant and maintain
the center's landscaping. The third component is a day center for the
elderly, which can accommodate 20 seniors.
The project was funded by the developers, by center promotion and common
area funds and by donations to Cruzada do Menor.
RESULTS
Currently 104 children are enrolled at the day-care center, 41% of them
the children of center employees. In response to demand, the program's
capacity has already expanded 20%. The senior center is currently used by
15 people. Twenty students have graduated from the gardening school, and
60% of them have found employment. The school has received 90 requests
for enrollment and has doubled its capacity to meet the community's
needs. A second class has already started, with 23 new trainees. Added
benefits are that the center saves 30% in landscaping costs by using the
students rather than outside contractors to handle the gardening, and
consumers deem the quality excellent.
Altogether, Nova América Outlet Shopping has helped improve
education and the quality of life for more than 150 underprivileged local
families. In just three years the market has been transformed from an
area ravaged by poverty, drugs and youth gangs to one that shoppers rate
highly for safety.
CREDIT
Owned by: Ancar/Conshopping Vicunha/Fator Participa
Managed by: Ancar Empreendimentos Comerciais S/A
Professional recognition to: Mariana Carvalho, marketing manager;
José Luiz Bartolo, general manager; Marcelo Carvalho, leasing
director.
EXPENSES
| Furniture, appliances | $28,307 |
| Tools | 1,467 |
| Uniforms | 1,716 |
| Total | $31,490 |
| Monthly costs: | $20,500 |
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