Friendly Marketers: university extension for the productive inclusion of market vendors and street vendors

Abstract

Informal work is one of the main forms of subsistence for millions of Brazilians, especially street vendors and street vendors, but the lack of formalization limits access to social and labor rights and makes it difficult to include it in public policies to support entrepreneurship and socioeconomic development. Feirante Amigo project, developed by NAF/UFR, is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth, by promoting the formalization and appreciation of work as an instrument of social inclusion and sustainable development. The initiative holds meetings and conversation circles to diagnose the demands of the target audience, workshops and practical training, in addition to individualizing face-to-face and online services and strengthening technical and entrepreneurial skills. The project is also aligned with the Fiscal Citizenship Program of the Federal Revenue of Brazil and the University Extension Guidelines (CNE/CES No. 07/2018), which consider the relevance of street markets as spaces for the proximity economy and the circulation of cultural and social knowledge. The proposal is based on socioeconomic vulnerability, which is understood as the restriction of access to resources and rights that directly impact quality of life. The central objective is to transform the reality of street vendors and street vendors, promote the formalization of their activities, ensure access to legal benefits, promote productive inclusion and strengthen entrepreneurship. The project has already partially achieved results, including the formalization of  workers as MEIs, expanding social protection and access to credit lines.