The donation drive includes a 12-hour broadcast on 24 TV and radio outlets.

It aims to make basic goods baskets for the Mães da Favela project, associated with the bank; it serves 1.1 million families in more than 5,000 communities across Brazil.

More than 50 celebrities affiliated with the initiative have confirmed participation, including Gilberto Gil, Djamila Ribeiro, Alcione, Rincon Sapiência, Karol Conka, Tássia Reis, Pablo Vittar, KondZilla, Ícaro Silva, Fábio Porchat and Silvio Almeida.

São Paulo, 11 September 2020.
This week, Santander Brazil and Central Única de Favelas (CUFA) are undertaking a large social initiative to raise funds for basic goods baskets. Their ambition is to support families and communities whose finances have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

The drive is already receiving donations from employees and customers as well as the community. On 26 September, the deadline for donations, the drive will close with a never-before-seen act. It will start in the evening of the 25th, with 12 hours of airtime on affiliated TV and radio outlets that will each broadcast special programming every 30 minutes to encourage audiences to participate in the fundraiser. To donate or find out more, visit https://www.oseucanal.com.br/.

Confirmed hosts and guest stars are Gilberto Gil, Fábio Porchat, Ícaro Silva, Djamila Ribeiro, Silvio Almeida, Nega Giza (rapper e one of CUFA's founders) as well as comedians and TV hosts Maria Paula and Hélio de La Peña.

The bank has run Santander Week every year since 2007 to celebrate company pride and connecting with the community, receiving donations from its more than 40,000 employees. This year, it will take place from 21 to 26 September. Due to challenges posed by the pandemic, the bank will take the event outside its branches and corporate buildings, inviting broader society to participate.

‘We're agents in society's transformation, and it's time to make this initiative a public affair. Because of the current situation, we want society to engage in our culture of serving others and multiply the impact of our annual drive. Our combined effort will give back to CUFA's Mães da Favela project’, said Sérgio Rial, country head of Santander Brazil.

The project serves about 5,000 favelas (poor urban communities in Brazil), including 1.1 million families, across the country. Women, many of whom own small businesses forced to shut down during these difficult times, are the heads of about half the households in these communities.

‘Solidarity is part of who Brazilians are. This initiative is a great opportunity to unite people under a project that promotes dignity, run by CUFA. In matching those who can donate with those in need, we turn our abilities as financial agents to account to help people prosper’, concluded Rial.

Cash donations (of as little as R$5) will go directly to a current account for CUFA to put together basic goods baskets, each worth R$120.

"The Mães da Favela project is very important because it can do two things: donate baskets of basic goods, with donated food; or donate digital baskets of the same cash value so recipients can choose the items they need. In such tense times, people who have always been vulnerable become even more vulnerable’, said CUFA founder Celso Athayde.

The TV and radio networks committing airtime to this initiative are Band, Record, Cultura, RedeTV, SBT, Warner, TNT, TNT Series, Space, Record News, CNN Brasil, AgroMais, BandNews, Discovery, AMC, Sony (via YouTube), CBN, Antena 1, Band FM, Transamérica, Nativa FM, portal Terra, Yahoo and Jovem Pan (via YouTube).

In addition to engaging the public, Santander and CUFA also aim to garner the support of other TV and radio networks. The broadcast will also feature other artists and influencers.