A hug has power. The power to welcome, comfort, transform and, at times, even heal. The spread of Covid-19 in Brazil has led to a period of social distancing, to preserve our health and that of our families and neighbors. Measures such as the temporary closure of schools, restaurants and stores, in addition to the postponement of fairs and events, have significantly impacted those who depend on such activities to guarantee their income, including people seeking refuge.
While physical hugs are limited, Abraço Cultural, an NGO and language school with refugee and immigrant teachers, has launched its #AbraceDaí (#HugFromThere) campaign, as a means of continuing to embrace over 11,000 people who are recognized as refugees in Brazil (Conare, 2018), and over 82,000 immigrants from 132 countries that have turned to the Brazilian government in the hope of obtaining the right to live here as a refugee (Ministry of Justice, 2019).
Refugees are already a vulnerable group under normal circumstances. They are people who have been forced to leave their countries of origin in order to survive, and are rebuilding their lives in a new location, adapting and reinventing themselves, their support network and their occupation.
For this reason, Sherlock Communications has partnered with Abraço Cultural to develop a landing page that gathers together different initiatives to support refugee causes, promote entrepreneurial refugees who are adapting their businesses for online sales, and gather information online for those looking for help. The landing page is hosted on the website of Atados, an NGO that connects volunteers with different causes in Brazil.
