São Paulo – Brazil’s refugee reintegration institute Instituto de Reintegração do Refugiado – Brasil (Adus) is holding a Christmas bazaar sale on December 12th and 13th in São Paulo to raise funds in order to assist refugees. The event will take place at Instituto Casa da Cidade, in the Vila Madalena district. Items on sale will range from clothing and shoes to snacks and typical dishes from Arab countries.
Adus provides a slew of services to refugees, including Portuguese courses, professional training, psychological attention, acupuncture, culture-oriented actions, study groups and awareness campaigns. It caters to roughly 600 refugees at this time by relying on 320 volunteer workers.
Marcelo Haydu, one of the founders and the executive director of Adus, explains that the institute will sell clothing, footwear, accessories, books and CDs, among other new and second-hand products donated by companies and individuals. The proceeds will be spent in funding Adus’ actions.
However, refugees will also be selling self-made products, mostly cuisine-related ones, and will keep their earnings. A Syrian family will offer sweet and savory items, an Iraqi woman will sell yogurt cheese, butter and handicraft, and a family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo will sell savory dishes. A group of Africans will offer handicraft and a Syrian refugee will be selling Arab calligraphy work, among others.
Adus operates out of an address on loan from the federal government on São João Avenue. The bazaar will be held at a facility owned by a partner’s organization in the Vila Madalena area. Admission is free.
ADUS Christmas Bazaar Sale
December 12th and 13th, Saturday and Sunday
From 10am to 5pm
Where: Instituto Casa da Cidade – Rua Rodésia, 398 – Vila Madalena
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum