In Brazil, APAF offers opportunities to vulnerable women
A path towards economic autonomy and job market inclusion
Current Project
We help the Associação Paulista de Apoio à Família (APAF) develop the Espaço Iluminar: Trilhas para a Autonomia project, which is part of its Espaço Iluminar initiative.
This initiative is aimed at women aged 18 to 29 experiencing social vulnerability in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil. Its goal is to promote their economic autonomy through vocational training, psychosocial support, and employment and income-generation opportunities.
The project is structured around three main axes:
- Vocational training: Free courses in the beauty sector, including technical training, materials and certification.
- Psychosocial support: social support, discussion groups, and referral to other services.
- Employability and income generation: guidance for accessing the formal job market and support for entrepreneurship.
In addition to these three axes, there is a fourth cross-cutting axis: social protection and comprehensive care , which includes food security and health promotion initiatives. These measures help participants continue their training and improve their chances of successfully completing their training program.
Founded in 2004 in the Bela Vista neighborhood of São Paulo, APAF works to break the cycle of social exclusion through education and family empowerment. In addition to Espaço Iluminar, it runs the Aconchego I and II early childhood education centers and the Pós Escola project, which offers supplementary educational activities. Through its initiatives, it seeks to combat social and gender inequalities, promote productive inclusion, and strengthen the economic autonomy of people in vulnerable situations.