"We are all a family”
Solidarity

18 December 2021

"We are all a family”

"We are all a family”



The day started like all the others. It was another December day, with rain threatening to fall and a fresh wind in the air. The doors of CAID (Cooperative of Support to the Integration of the Disabled) opened at 8:30 am as usual. The users were arriving, ready for another day of activities, but they had a surprise: it was photo session day with BZR- Street Style Culture.


"It's me already?" they asked expectantly as they were called by Guida Neves, technical Headmistress of the Cooperative. Their anxiety increased and happiness was visible on their faces. The psychology office, where they normally have consultations with the institution's psychologists, was transformed into the backstage of a fashion show, with hangers full of outfits catalogued with the name and photograph of each of the 14 participants. The therapists became hairdressers, make-up artists and fashion assistants who helped dress and prepare each model.


On the other side of the corridor full of lockers, at the front door, the therapy room was rearranged so that a photo studio could be born there. The blue sofas were placed to the left, the table footballs, therapy balls and the like to the right. The floor to ceiling window illuminated very clearly the greenish background that was set against the wooden wall and the two heads of flash lights. Where once stood a simple room, you could now see a venue transformed for the day that was about to be filled with lots of personality, animation and warmth.



Making off



After being dressed in the latest clothes that you can find on our website, the new models arrived in groups of four to the room where the photographs were going to be taken in the morning. The brands they wore themselves were irrelevant. The important thing was that they matched their personalities, and each set was put together by the stylist from BZR- Street Style Culture, based on the information that Headmistress Guida Neto gave.


"These initiatives make all the difference in their day-to-day lives", Guida Neto began by saying. With enthusiasm evident in her voice, the Headmistress explained that the activity may seem simple to an outsider, but for the users it is synonymous with experience, encouragement and pride that they can take home at the end of the day. "Normal people do it with their studies and good grades, but for them this is it. That is why it is so important to provide these moments," she confessed.


That was why Ricardo joined the photo shoot. "My parents are going to cry because it's so beautiful," he told anyone who would listen. He took a deep breath, got ready and headed for the set, determined to do his best. And he did, together with his friends, Mafalda, Elisabete and Hélder, the second group of the day. Loose names, but full of history.



Hélder, Mafalda, Elisabete and Ricardo



"We are all a family", Guida Neto used to say, and in this case the expression can be taken literally when talking about Mafalda. Daughter of the Headmistress, Mafalda is one of the few Portuguese with Cohen's Syndrome, a rare genetic anomaly. "Can I choose the music myself?" she asked enthusiastically. At first still undecided, she ended up choosing 'Nesta Noite Branca', by Anjos and Susana. It was with a Christmas atmosphere in the air, and Ricardo humming, that Elisabete came on stage like a true professional. She was already used to taking pictures with so many lights, she said. A real sympathy that leaned her face against Helder's shoulder, in a way of shyness, every time they joked around with her.


Whether she is used to the lights or not, we don't know, but the truth is that Elisabete appears in the oldest photographs of CAID, which are spread throughout the long corridor and trace the history of the cooperative. It all began in 1992, when the first efforts were made. Only six years later the institution would officially open its doors, thanks to the effort of Santo Tirso's City Council and other entities and entrepreneurs of the municipality, such as Santo Tirso’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia (House of Mercy), Sol-do-Ave and ACIST. With more than 60 users, at this moment, CAID promotes the social, professional and occupational inclusion of people with disabilities.



Édgar, Alícia, Bruno and Paula



Back to the session, it was time to photograph Paula, Edgar, Alícia and Bruno. It's funny that this was the first group to enter because Paula is the first face you'll meet if you go to CAID. Like other examples, she is part of the users who are currently also employees of the cooperative. This is one of the ways CAID helps to integrate people with disabilities into society, by giving them jobs and a salary. For this reason, it has already been distinguished as an inclusive employer for six consecutive years.


At the same time, at the entrance of the institution you will also find the works of art created by Edgar, who is an expert in clay. During our visit, he was working on a new statuette, this time an upset Leonardo DiCaprio. For her part, Alícia was a real princess during the whole session, who didn't refuse a smile when asked, and who kept her pose, holding the bag like a real influencer. Then, Bruno arrived and surprised everyone, with his poses and his ease.


"They can really embody a model. Such a normal action for the common person, but not for them", said Guida Neto, reinforcing that we are not all the same. Quite the opposite. "Equality is usually seen as the idea that we are all the same. This is not true. Equality is the individuality of each one," she reiterated. And that is precisely how the idea for this photo shoot was born. The purpose? To get them out of their routine, boost their ego, their self-esteem and show that beauty lies in difference. It's more about the process than the end result.



Bibi, Fátima, Ricardo and Pedro



For this activity, CAID's management chose the participants in order to show the diversity of the users that the cooperative helps. It was precisely because of this difference that the third group, composed by Fátima, Pedro, Ricardo and Bibi, was marked. Not in physical or mental terms, but in terms of talent and personality. Pedro, a national team’s table tennis player, was shy. Fátima, considered the institution's fashion critic, an easy smile. She couldn't stop smiling the whole time she was in the room. In fact, it was even difficult when she was asked not to smile for two seconds for a photo. In his turn, Ricardo, the second of the day, was a true dancer, who felt every musical note of Billie Jean, by Michael Jackson. Bibi, who unlike everyone else cannot communicate verbally, was able to show enthusiasm in her own way. 


The morning ended with the duo Luís and Martinha. One very tall and full of energy, the other shorter and shy. The perfect combination, some say. "They are all going away happy", said Fernando Vale, member of CAID’s management.



Luís and Marta



"People think that working with disability is so heavy, but it's not. They are very cheerful and help to make everything lighter", concluded Guida Neto, while presenting the facilities to the BZR- Street Style Culture team. With rooms for various activities, such as IT, manual work, rehabilitation, well-being and the Snoozelen zone, where there are tools for stimulation and relaxation, the building is designed to make everyone feel good.


The day ended with a group photo, full of joy, which was not contagious at all by the storm outside. A different day, which deserves to be remembered, especially at this time of year, when the day of solidarity, human rights and people with disabilities are celebrated. Below, you can watch a making-of video of this day.







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