Antarte launches solidarity project 'Decorate to Humanize'

The Maternal and Child Centre, part of Hospital de Santo António, in Porto, will be the target of intervention in some of its areas. Through a solidarity project 'Decorate to Humanize', by Antarte, some rooms, used by families and children who need to attend this centre, will be furnished and decorated.

As a way to contribute to the psychological well-being of children and to reduce recovery times, the intervention in these spaces aims to bring this reality closer to a real home, making them more welcoming and humane. “The humanization of spaces is crucial” said Paulo Barbosa, chairman of the Board of Directors of Centro Hospitalar do Porto.

With a great sense of social responsibility for almost two decades, Mário Rocha, administrator of Antarte, has supported several solidarity projects. Taking advantage of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the iconic Hanger-Tree, one of the most emblematic author pieces of the brand, the company launched the challenge to the hospital's managers and the idea was well received. “We wanted to use this piece not only to celebrate 15 years of existence, but also because it represents life and the future”, says Mário Rocha. “Our idea was to bring a little color and joy to these spaces, very well thought out from an architectural point of view, but not very inviting to stay. My team was tireless in making this idea a reality and we believe that we will be able to make a small difference in the lives of children and the families that accompany them”, adds the CEO of Antarte.

It is estimated that the refurbishment in question will cost around 70 thousand euros and will be fully borne by the company. As a way to make this investment lighter and taking advantage of the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Hanger-Tree, Antarte launched the challenge to 15 designers, plastic artists and public figures to work on the piece in its original form, giving it their personal imprint. Joana Vasconcelos, Paulo Neves, Pedro Guimarães, Guilherme Mampuya, Mr Dheo, Chakall and Kruella D’Enfer were the first to accept this challenge. The hangers should be ready in December, when they will be on display in Porto for approximately two months. The pieces of this solidary partnership will be auctioned and all the amount raised will be channeled to the pediatric service.

José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, and great defender of human rights sponsored this initiative. He is very modest in his approach and mentions that he is always available to embrace these causes. “Supporting projects with children is always something very rewarding. It doesn't matter if the children are from a poor country or a rich country. They are children and that has no borders,” argues the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He recalls that there are many ties that link him to Mário Rocha and Porto. “More than 20 years ago, when Timor was still fighting for independence, a group of artists from the North, essentially from Porto, got together and raised money for Timor. At the time, they handed me the equivalent of US$100,000, which I used in favor of the Timorese cause. That debt of gratitude remained forever. Timor has received a lot from Portugal and this is my small contribution” explains Ramos-Horta.