Last Thursday (20), a fashion show featuring pieces created and produced by students of the Ombro a Ombro social project celebrated the three training classes that have already passed this second year of the project. The event was an opportunity for the students to put into practice the fundamentals of cutting, modeling, sewing and finishing learned throughout the course, which lasts four months. The vast majority of women participating in Ombro a Ombro are already working formally or undertaking activities related to the sewing trade. 

Combining professional training and income generation, Flamengo's Social Responsibility created the Ombro a Ombro social project in June 2022, in partnership with the organization Aldeias Infantis SOS Brasil, to work with Brazilian and refugee women. In addition to improving the lives of these women, Ombro a Ombro seeks to help build and strengthen female self-esteem, empowerment, and autonomy through the craft of sewing and discussion groups on various cross-cutting topics. In its two years of operation, Ombro a Ombro has trained 140 women, and approximately 80 are already generating income from the project's training.

"The Shoulder to Shoulder project boosted my self-esteem, I made new friends, and I started interacting with more people, which was very important to me. I also learned to sew; today I make dresses, dish towels, toilet paper holders... It's also a way for me to earn extra income to help with my budget," said Valdenice Cerqueira de Souza, a local resident and student of the Shoulder to Shoulder project. "Many students are starting their own businesses, others are doing small repairs around the house; it's a very important project for these women. Most are single mothers, single heads of households. Many women have started supplementing their income with this project," said Ana Cristina Nunes, coordinator of Shoulder to Shoulder. 

Friends and family of the students present at the show were also thrilled and proud of the Shoulder to Shoulder contestants' achievement, further boosting the confidence and enthusiasm of these women, who walked the runway with makeup and makeup done by the beauty team at Espaço Make Art. To make the event even more special, the show was hosted by actress Pia Manfroni, who commented on each piece of clothing and celebrated the students' achievement.