One million masks

POC 1MM, Bellorizonte- BR

One million masks

Should Brazilians wear masks on an everyday basis? Can we imagine Brazilians greeting each other without touching each other? The pandemic is forcing Brazilians to change their habits. Furthermore, in many cities, politicians are making the use of masks compulsory. One million masks (1MM) wants to ensure that all citizens have a mask to wear.

One million hearts

1 MM operates within three production fronts: masks in industrial TNT, protective civility masks in fabric and reusable masks for hospital SMS. Beneficiaries include health professionals, the elderly, recyclable waste pickers, homeless people, low-income citizens and the general population.

The main goal is to help fight COVID-19 through a collaborative action carried out by civil society, along with mitigating the social and economic impact generated by the pandemic.

Actions focus on the protection of civil society, income generation and occupational health, configuring accordingly a socially innovative proposal that thinks and acts in conformity with the sustainability tripod: reducing waste, generating income for autonomous seamstresses and acting as an occupational activity for the elderly. All benefiting individuals in multiple ways in many partner cities.

Stronger together

The project brings together a whole network of volunteers, composed of CEDTec‘s teachers and students, civil society entities, companies, fashion industry professionals, Armed Forces and NGOs, among others. This collaborative and supportive design network seeks, therefore, to bring out new possibilities for the proposal’s replication, with the perspective of attaining a sustainable project in the short, medium and long term.

Right now, there are dozens of production centres, with hundreds of people that are engaged and involved in the production, logistics, distribution and donation of masks for those who need them, anywhere.

The networks and contacts that consolidated during the pandemic can and must continue. The seamstresses, with the support of designers, create products reusing garbage residues in a new sustainable business model. Circular design gains expression and must grow, gain body and importance as a viable and more attractive business alternative.

  • Porteurs de projet/Project holders : Escola Técnica CEDTec, UEMG – Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais
  • Designers : Rita Engler, Letícia Guimarães, Gabriela Marcondes, Mariana Laktim, Aline Fonseca
  • Acteurs/Stakeholders : l’industrie de la mode, les forces armées, des ONG, les professionnels de la santé / the fashion industry, armed forces, NGOs, health professionals
  • Crédit photo/Photo credit : Escola Técnica CEDTec, UEMG – Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais