ARTEMISIA'S CASES

Brazil
 Architects of the Community
With millions of rural immigrants flooding the Brazilian metropolises over the past few decades, housing is a major national issue. Four young architects created a firm to provide affordable architectural services within low-income communities. In this price-sensitive category, where buildings generally emerge haphazardly without professional guidance, clients benefit from reduced construction and energy costs, improved health and safety and enhanced quality of life. Architects of the Community spends 6 months working in a given community before moving on to the next, leaving behind newly trained local construction workers capable of building such projects on a greater scale.

"The idea emerged when we saw that many people spend their whole lives building their greatest dream: a home to live in. From this experience arose our desire to provide technical construction assistance to low-income populations. We want to see these dreams well built."
Katia Sartorelli Verissimo.

France
 WARMI
In recent years, France has become a hub for the ethical fashion movement. WARMI is a company that acts as a bridge between the Parisian eye for fashion and South American artisan savoir-faire, launching clothing collections for the French market that feature the handiwork of women's weaving cooperatives from remote areas of Colombia. By obtaining a reliable income through their work, these women are motivated to preserve and even reinvigorate their Andean ancestors' art forms, while cultivating a strong sense of community. WARMI assures that the collections' design and branding maintain coherence with European consumer preferences, and simultaneously raise awareness of the circumstances of the Colombian producers.

"I believe in the role of the company to help create social change. I aim to support Colombian artisans to develop competitive upscale products for international markets, which will ensure a regular income, build women's self-esteem and help preserve Colombian handicraft culture."
Sylvia Sanchez

Senegal
 NDAAM Distribution
Like many countries in Africa, the share of Senegal's population that is under age 40 is rising rapidly, yet the available employment opportunities for youth are limited. NDAAM Distribution creates hundreds of opportunities every year for this age group. Offering training in employability, sales skills and entrepreneurship, as well as an employee saving scheme, NDAAM provides young people not only with their first professional experience, but also with a way to find new jobs, fund their studies and even open their own microenterprises. Focusing on the distribution of consumer products in a country where the vast majority of products are imported, NDAAM now aims to increase its social impact by supporting the local development of new goods and services.

"Our entrepreneurial journey began with 28 US Dollars in savings. Little by little, we managed to grow our distribution company and prove to the hundreds of young people who get their first job with us that ´you don´t have to be good to start, but you have to start in order to become good´!"
Cherif Basse