WHO ARE WE?
We are Farofa Nation. A design and T-shirt company dedicated to helping the poor and unfortunate kids of Brazil.
In 2007, designers Serge Castagna and Ana Testa Castagna founded Farofa Nation. But the seed of Farofa Nation was sown in 1998 when they first met. As their relationship grew, Ana, who is from Rio de Janeiro, brought Serge to her hometown. Having been born in Switzerland and living in the United States for many years, it was in Rio that Serge witnessed true poverty for the first time. That harsh reality made a huge impression on him.
It was at that very moment that they felt a need to help. But how? After years of working as advertising art directors, the solution was staring right at them – why not use their talents in design and advertising to help these kids. They quickly began designing T-shirts, and without even knowing it, Farofa Nation was born.
WHAT IS FAROFA NATION?
Farofa: one of the most popular and typical dishes in Brazil, farofa is toasted manioc flour that contains varying amounts of salt, smoked meat, olives, eggs and spices. It’s this blend that accentuates the flavor of any dish. But the word farofa is also used to describe a mix or an eclectic blend. Therefore anyone or anything could fit in a farofa.
Nation: a group of people united by a common interest.
SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL ADD UP TO? WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?
Our mission is to have a collective of t-shirt lovers, designers and people who simply want to contribute in helping these kids escape this desperate situation. We want to mix the creativity and goodness of people from all walks of life to help these kids get off the streets and onto the path to a better life. Together we become a great nation. Together we can become Farofa Nation.
SO HOW ARE WE HELPING?
We have partnered up with an amazing organization named TASK BRASIL. With them, we share the common belief that we must help these “street” kids become citizens of the world by showing them self-reliance and responsibility. By giving them the opportunity to make something of themselves and giving them the chance to make something of their future. By giving them a fishing pole and not just a fish.
TASK BRASIL was established in the UK in 1992 in response to the situation of the street children of Brazil. Its projects support the needs and improve the lives of children and pregnant girls living on the streets of Brazil.
TASK BRASIL was given an enormous boost in 1997 with a very generous donation by Led Zeppelin rock icon Jimmy Page, who witnessed first hand the deprivation of the children and troubles in the “favelas” while playing in Rio de Janeiro. The money donated was used to buy a plot of land with a house in the Santa Teresa district of Rio. The house is now called Casa Jimmy, the first of the homes that TASK BRASIL runs to provide a safe and happy home for abandoned and vulnerable children.
However, there is so much more that needs to be done. That’s why Farofa Nation will donate 10% of each t-shirt sold to TASK BRASIL to help them continue their amazing work.
And for every Mimushi sold, we will send $5.00 to Task Brasil.
For more information about TASK BRASIL and/or if you want to find out other ways you can help, please visit their website, www.taskbrasil.org.
Besides working with TASK BRASIL, we are finding other ways to make this world a little better. We have purposely chosen to use American Apparel as our T-shirt manufacturer since they are one of the premiere socially conscious companies.
So check out our collection and let us start to build this new nation… Farofa Nation!