Social isolation: Caixa bank employees reinvent ways to integrate through cultural, artistic, and literary activities.

The challenges of quarantine spurred Caixa Econômica bank employees to find ways to maintain social integration and access to culture. Using technology, the National Federation of Caixa Employees' Associations (Fenae) developed platforms to offer employees a range of literary, educational, artistic, and cultural content. All virtual; including "Talentos," a cultural competition that values ​​what bank employees have to offer, from a well-produced photo to a poem or musical composition.

The goal of Fenae is to minimize the social and emotional impacts of the social isolation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Promoted by the federation and its 27 associated units in the states (Apcefs), "Talentos" is the largest corporate cultural festival in the country and is open for entries until the 21st. This year, all stages of the selection process will be held online. "This way, we protect people and at the same time maintain the competition, which is already part of the tradition of Caixa employees and is becoming more representative every day," explains Fenae's sociocultural director, Nilson de Moura.

In addition to showcasing artistic skills — in the categories of Photography and Film, Visual Arts (Drawing/Painting and Children's Drawing), Literature (Short Stories/Chronicles and Poetry), and Music (Composition and Performance) — bank employees can also compete for prizes. Active and retired Caixa employees, as well as pensioners, can participate in "Talentos". 

FREE BOOKS FOR THE PUBLIC TOO — Through “Eu Faço Cultura” (I Make Culture), Fenae and Apcefs are giving the public the opportunity to expand their reading during quarantine. The program benefits segments of society and includes more than 60 book titles, as well as DVDs, Blu-rays, and CDs.

Students from public schools, beneficiaries of government social programs, low-income individuals, young people aged 15 to 29 (with a Youth Identity Card), people with disabilities (and their companions), senior citizens, and individual micro-entrepreneurs can access the "Eu Faço Cultura" products—sent free of charge by mail. Public schools have a redemption limit of two products per student, with a limit of five thousand redemptions. 

The “Eu Faço Cultura” program aims to support and democratize access to culture for the population. “In addition to valuing local writers and artists and encouraging small and medium-sized producers, the program has the social mission of assisting underprivileged populations or people with difficult access to the cultural market,” notes the president of Fenae, Sérgio Takemoto.

Registration for the program is done online. Started in 2006 — when the federation and the Apcefs mobilized around ten thousand Caixa employees to allocate their income tax to "Eu Faço Cultura" — the initiative was transformed into a digital platform with the goal of reaching all regions of the country. "The model is also a great example of the good use of the Law of Incentive to Culture. It distributed books and other products free of charge to those who need them most and also supports thousands of cultural producers," highlights Takemoto.

KNOWLEDGE AT HOME — Fenae and Apcefs are still developing the Knowledge Network, an online education platform whose contents are available to all Caixa bank employees (including non-member retirees), until this Saturday (6). The objective is to encourage learning and well-being for bank workers also during this time of pandemic and social isolation.

Through the Knowledge Network, bank employees have access to courses in areas such as marketing, leadership, languages, technology, finance, arts, photography, personal development, gastronomy, and gardening, among others. In its four years of existence, the education platform has already reached more than 100 enrollments.