Territories of Care
Changing the community’s relationship with the children of Favela dos Sonhos.
We partnered with Fundacao Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal for Territories of Care, a campaign to mobilize a community to foster early childhood.
Key Takeaways
50% of residents reported a change in how the favela interacts with children.
21.6% of residents said that favela families seemed more united.
42.4% of residents reported increased attention to children in the favela.
Challenge
We set out to create a scalable campaign that boosted early childhood development and tackled structural poverty in vulnerable communities. In 2022, in Favela dos Sonhos, where 38.8% of the population are children, our initial focus on play revealed deeper needs. The community highlighted the urgent need for a safer, violence-free environment and stronger support for parents and caregivers. This made it clear that addressing broader issues was essential for truly supporting early childhood development.
Strategy
Our strategy was shaped by in-depth research that helped us identify opportunities and learn about the demographics and behaviors of residents, their perceptions about early childhood and the infrastructure and services available.
We complemented this desk research with empathetic listening to local leaders and included a robust monitoring system to track project outcomes.
“Children are everyone’s ‘responsibility.’ Making people aware of the importance of positive stimuli is a social gain in the short, medium and long term. The project showed that [people] are willing to improve their relationships with children.”
Sarah Maia
Project leader, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal
Creative
Our creative work stemmed from listening sessions with families, where we learned that childcare is seen as a women’s role. Clearly more hands are needed to carry out the critical work of raising children — so supporting caregivers became our guiding principle for the manifesto, brand, language and campaign name. We also created on- and offline outreach materials, including posters and t-shirts. Nelson, the baby we created as the campaign’s face, helped us shape the creative and allowed us to use simple, light and welcoming language.
Campaign
We organized community cultural and artistic activities, including Response Chat (caregiver discussions), Play Workshop (highlighting play’s benefits), and the Click of Dreams Exhibition (family photo showcase). We began by distributing materials on early childhood care, then focused weekly on five key themes — basic care, conversation, affection, play and learning — using digital pieces, radio and posters to engage the community with simple, welcoming language. We also created a Replication Guide for others to use to launch similar campaigns.
Impact
Territories of Care successfully raised community awareness about the crucial period when learning begins: early childhood. We helped everyone appreciate early childhood and their shared responsibility for the well-being of children. Families, caregivers, and community leaders all mobilized to support primary caregivers and collectively reinforce positive care behaviors toward children.
