During this quarantine imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and considering all the restrictions and adaptations necessary for new routines, people from different backgrounds and regions of São Paulo capital use their time to transform into action a shared intention to support health professionals, so essential in this battle.

The Rede de Proteção Solidária (company’s name translation to Solidarity Protection Network) was born from the partnership of professionals from the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hospital das Clínicas, USP (IOT - https://www.iothcfmusp.com.br/) with four educational institutions that opened their makers spaces to production and assembly of individual protection accessories. 

Makerspaces make available material, tools and knowledge - mixing digital techniques and traditional knowledge - that can get an idea out of paper and make (almost) anything. All information designed in these spaces is shared freely, for the entire community.

Schools around the world have invested in makerspaces, because they make it possible to learn about creativity and learn to learn (learn by doing) and as pedagogical strategies geared towards the context of the 21st century.

In just a few weeks, the network has taken shape with the voluntary participation of the school community and the adherence of professionals from different areas, such as doctors, engineers, educators, journalists, designers, in addition to the indispensable donation of materials and financial resources to enable solidary production.

Face shields - Researcher and occupational therapist Maria Cândida de Miranda Luzo and technologist César Martins, both from Rehab Lab - Research and Assistive Technology Laboratory, linked to IOT - started working on the design of a face shield made by cutting laser printer. 

The material defined by an HC medical board and approved by Anvisa was the starting point for the production of these more durable, sterilisable and safe masks for use by the medical staff during the pandemic. 

For the project to get off the ground, HC professionals had the support of Eduardo Lopes, founder of Garagem Fab Lab, linked to the worldwide network initiated by MIT (https://web.mit.edu) - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the United States. After the first prototype, printed in the maker space of Escola Projeto Vida (www.projetovida.com.br), Pedro Setubal, responsible for HackLab of Escola Nossa Senhora das Graças (http://www.gracinha.g12.br - Gracinha), who had also started voluntary production of face shields, joined the group through his friend Eduardo. 

The initiative grew with the involvement of the Gracinha community, a school maintained by the Associação Pela Família (ASPF – Family Association) that has social actions as part of its DNA, and other makerspaces: Escola da Vila (http://www.escoladavila.com .br), Vera Cruz (www.veracruz.edu.br), Projeto Vida (http://www.projetovida.com.br) and Oficina Lab (http://www.oficinalab.com.br). 

Excited by the well-being that the solidarity initiative provides, the group continues in this tone with the intention of expanding the achievement capacity, impacting more people and companies to contribute financially with the production of the face shields and sharing all the technical information necessary for other groups to organize and replicate the production model. 

Make your donation! It makes a difference in fighting the coronoavirus. 

(all donations in this site are made in US$ dolar currency)