Tembici and “Vai Longe”: accelerating social transformation projects in Brazil
In recent years, the discussion about the purpose and social impact of organizations has been increasingly frequent worldwide. Faced with this reality, many companies have considered seeking policies and practices that promote social responsibility and sustainability, including the embracement of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices.
Pressures from different groups, such as consumers, regulators, investors, and employees, have contributed to companies being increasingly called upon to act responsibly and allocate part of their resources and efforts to promoting a more just and equal society.
In this sense, Tembici has been investing in social transformation projects in Brazil for 3 consecutive years through “Vai Longe”, the company’s project acceleration program. This is an example of how civil society organizations can promote the use of bicycles as a means of transportation and thus contribute to mobility in the country, beyond the company’s bike-sharing business.
The purpose of “Vai Longe” is to support initiatives specifically aimed at changing micromobility in the country, a complex task considering that currently we do not have consolidated data on how many organizations or how much private investment is dedicated to this matter.
In 2021 and 2022, 7 projects were accelerated, and with the 2023 edition, the total investment from Tembici will reach 250,000 reais, potentially accelerating up to 11 projects. Speaking of the third edition, applications are open here until May 10th. Before that, it’s worth getting to know the seven projects that participated in the program in previous years.
Online Workshops and E-Book Bicycle: Tool of Transformation, by Bike Anjas
The project created a digital book, collectively built by Bike Anjas from Brazil, and held virtual meetings to address the topics in the book, designed to women who want to use bicycles as a means of transportation. There were 1.4k e-book downloads, more than 180 women participants, and 9 workshops held. You can read the E-Book at this link.
Tour in the Heart of Recife, by La Ursa Tours
Creation of an audio-guided itinerary for tourist walks in three neighborhoods that marked the beginning of urban occupation in downtown Recife: Boa Vista, Santo Antônio, and Santo Amaro. The tour provides tips on cool places, museums, and gastronomy in the city. You can find the guided tour at this link.
Social Workshops, by Bike Favela
Project carried out by the micromobility cell within MDF (Favelado Defense Movement); conducted training workshops with classes composed mainly of residents of the favelas in the region, women, black people over 50 years old, and the LGBTQIA+ community. The 24 workshops had the participation of almost 100 people, in addition to bike rides.
Cargo Bikes, by Carol Matias
The project’s main goal was to strengthen cargo bike waste pickers, affirming their position as important urban environmental agents. In addition to improving the physical conditions of the bikes, the project aimed to promote the autonomy of the waste pickers and the socio-environmental mobilization of the neighborhood. The project involved the renovation of 19 cargo bikes and the purchase of 5 new ones.
“EBA! Learning to Pedal” by Bike Anjo
The book explains the method of teaching how to ride a bike through accessible language, from a child’s perspective. In the story, Pipoca is a child who dreams of learning how to ride a bike, and on his journey, he meets a Bike Anjo who explains step-by-step how to begin his journey with his bike. In addition to the book, launch events were held with storytelling in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Porto Alegre, with the participation of over 150 people. You can download the e-book at this link, as well as purchase the printed book.
The Friendly School Route in Salvador, by A pezito
The Friendly School Route is the result of a pedagogical process and dialogue between different sectors of society to strengthen children’s participation in ensuring that the daily routes taken by children and their families from home to school and from school to home are more inclusive, healthy, friendly, and bike-friendly. The project took place in the city of Salvador during the months of June and September 2022. You can find the Process Notebook and the game that systematizes the process on this link.
Pedaling Every Day, by Vá de Bike
The web series coordinated by William Cruz has five episodes, all focused on teachings for including the bicycle in daily life. The content was designed to awaken the desire to try cycling for transportation, showing the advantages, clarifying common doubts and debunking some myths about using the bicycle. Each video has a main theme and you can watch all of them on Vá de Bike’s YouTube channel.
New edition has registrations open until May 10th, 2023
For the 2023 edition, Tembici will again distribute 100,000 Brazilian reais to be invested in up to 4 projects. A novelty for this third edition is that projects must fit into one of three categories: Sustainability, Business or Public Policies. The goal is to direct projects and monitor their execution more closely, with the help of experts in each area. Transporte Ativo remains as a consulting partner, assisting in the selection and edict process of the projects.
The selected projects must be carried out in one of Tembici’s areas of operation, which include: São Paulo (SP), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Recife (PE), Olinda (PE), Jaboatão dos Guararapes (PE), Brasília (DF), Curitiba (PR), Belo Horizonte (MG), Florianópolis (SC), Salvador (BA), or Porto Alegre (RS). The exception is Public Policy projects, which can be implemented nationally.
The essence of Vai Longe is to strengthen micromobility networks in Brazil, supporting creative and impactful solutions to revolutionize active mobility in the country. The initiative believes in the social responsibility and sustainability of brands and aims to increasingly invest in fostering these initiatives, stimulating the ecosystem. Both individuals and legal entities can apply, and applications are open until May 10th. All information can be found on the Vai Longe website at vailonge.tembici.com.br.
