9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Our world has many superheroes.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But they have the worst of all superpowers: [br]invisibility

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
For example, Catadores,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
workers who collect recyclable materials for a living

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Catadores emerge from social inequlity

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
unemployment, and the abundance of solid waste

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
from the deficiency of the waste

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
collection system

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
cat adores provide a heavy, honest and essential work

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that benefits the entire population

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but they are not acknowledged for it

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
here in brazil, they collect

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
90 percent of all the waste

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that's actually recyclced

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
most of the catadores work independentally

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
picking waste on the streets

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and selling to junk yards

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
at very low prices

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
they may collect over 300 kilos

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in their bags, shopping carts

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
bicycles, and cajosas

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
cajosas are carts built from wood or metal

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and found in several streets in brazil.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
much like graffiti and street art

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and this is how i first these marganizalised [br]superheroes

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
i am a graffiti artist and activist

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and my art is social, environmental and political

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in nature

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in 2007, i took my work beyond walls

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and onto the cajosas

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
as a new word of support for my message

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but at this time, giving voice to the catadores

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
by adding art in humor to the cause

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it became more appealing

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
which helped call attention

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to the catadores

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and improve their self esteem

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and now they are famous on the street

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
on mass media, in social

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the thing is,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
i plunged into this universe

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and have not stopped working since

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
i have painted over 200 cajosas

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
in many cities

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and have been invited to do exhibitions and trips

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
worldwide

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and then i realized that cat adores in their invisibility

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
are not exclusive to brazil

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
i met them in argentina, chile, bolivia[br]south africa, turkey

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and even developed countries such as

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
united states

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and japan

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and this was when i realized

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that i need to

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
have more people join the cause

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it's a big challenge

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
then, i created a collaborative movement

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
called pimp my carroja

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
A large crowd fund event

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
(Applause)