Students from collectives from two Unicamp courses – Móbile (Architecture and Urbanism) and Dínamo de Engenharia Popular (from Engineering courses) – participated in the construction of the new headquarters of Ocupação Nelson Mandela, in the Industrial District, in Campinas. Representatives of the Archdiocese of Campinas and other civil society groups also took part in the project, coordinated by the local community.
Dance and music shows, as well as a photo exhibition depicting the stages of the work, marked the inauguration of the new headquarters, on the 25th. The material used in the construction allows the building to be transported and erected in another location, if the occupation change address. The old headquarters collapsed nine months ago after a storm.
Phamela Rocha, occupation coordinator, highlighted that the project was only possible thanks to joint efforts. “People from abroad organized themselves on the weekends and we took turns working on the work. The lunches were collective, organized groups and popular movements helped with labor and fundraising. There was a lot of help to get this dream off the ground,” she celebrated.
According to Tamires Baptista, also coordinator of the occupation, the resources for the work were raised through an online fundraiser that started in November last year. At the same time, members of the Brigadas Populares collective contacted Unicamp students, responsible for preparing the project.
“The headquarters has always been the heart of the community. Rebuilding it was our priority”, says Tamires, whose involvement with the occupation dates back to 2016. Over six years, the coordinator witnessed a repossession, in 2017, and the subsequent move to a new area.
R$20 were raised with the fundraiser. Entities, popular movements and partners already active in the occupation participated, including the Francisco and Clara Economy Center, from the Archdiocese of Campinas, which also organized bazaars to obtain resources. “We intended to build a bakery, but, due to lack of a suitable location, we allocated the money to the headquarters. Our priority is development”, says Márcia Molina, coordinator of the archdiocesan nucleus.
University extension project
With the resources to purchase the material, the Unicamp students began work. Luana Costa, in the fourth year of the Architecture and Urbanism course and member of Coletivo Móbile, explains that the entity adopts the participatory project model, whose structure is horizontal, without leadership.
Formed by undergraduate students, the group brings together teachers and experienced architects among its supporters. “We operate independently in communities without access to architectural services. This is a University extension project”, says the student.
Luana's colleague at Móbile, fourth-year student Nayara Reis, was excited about the opportunity to put into practice, for the first time and in a joint effort, concepts learned in the classroom. “We gained a lot of knowledge,” she reveals. “It was a challenging and exciting experience.”
Although stimulating, Luana emphasizes that the process was complex and, often, difficult. “You can’t romanticize it,” she asserts, remembering that, despite their theoretical knowledge, the ten students who participated in the project had no practical experience.
The exchange of information with community members was essential for consensual solutions to be reached. “The knowledge of many residents was essential to get the project off the ground. The construction was collective,” he recalls.
According to Luana, Móbile's initial project, after contact made in 2020 by Coletivo Dínamo, from the Engineering courses, included a vegetable garden and a children's playground. However, it was found that the construction of the new headquarters was a priority for the residents of the occupation.
With due legal support, the work was built using eucalyptus wood, water and sun resistant MDF and cement tiles. The floor was raised to avoid flooding and mitigate the effects of deterioration caused by floods.
Nayara reveals that the project was adapted according to the needs of the community. “The residents wanted a toy library, given the large number of children in the occupation, and a kitchen so the women could bake bread and hold workshops. This is how it was done”, says the Unicamp student.
The inauguration of the new community center was celebrated by Lucas Soltermann, Olympic boxing teacher and member of Brigadas Populares. According to him, sports classes for children were held in an open, unlit location. “With the new headquarters, students will be protected. It will also be possible to store equipment and promote conversation circles”, he celebrates.
