Questão 49 - Feevale Verão 2019/1

Trash cart superheroes

 

[1] Our world has many superheroes. But they have the worst of all superpowers: invisibility. An example, is the
catadores. They are workers who collect recyclable materials for a living. Catadores emerged from social inequality,
unemployment, and the abundance of solid waste from the deficiency of the waste collection system. They provide a
heavy, honest and essential work that benefits the entire population. But they are not acknowledged for it.
[5] Most of them work independently, picking waste from the streets and selling to junk yards at very low prices.
Carroças are carts built from wood or metal and found in several streets in Brazil, much like graffiti and street art. And
this is how I first met these marginalized superheroes.
I am a graffiti artist and activist and my art is social, environmental and political in nature. In 2007, I took my work
beyond walls and onto the carroças, as a new urban support for my message. But, at this time, giving voice to the
[10] catadores. By adding art and humor to the cause, it became more appealing, which helped to call attention to the
catadores and improve their self-esteem. And also, they are famous now on the streets, on mass media and socially.
I realized that catadores, in their invisibility, are not exclusive to Brazil. I met them in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, South
Africa, Turkey and even in developed countries such as the United States and Japan. I created a collaborative
movement called Pimp My Carroça, which is a large crowdfunded event to help them. Catadores are assisted by well-

[15] being professionals and healthcare, like physicians, dentists, podiatrists, hair stylists, massage therapists and much
more. But also, their carroças are renovated by our incredible volunteers.
Pimp My Carroça took the streets of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba. But, to meet the demand in other
cities, including outside Brazil, we have created Pimpx, which is a simplified, do-it-yourself, crowdfunded edition of Pimp
My Carroça. So, now, everybody can join. So, catadores are leaving invisibility behind and becoming increasingly
[20] respected and valued. Because of their pimped carroças, they are able to fight back prejudice, increase their income
and their interaction with society. So, try to see the world as one, without boundaries or frontiers. Believe it or not, there
are over 20 million catadores worldwide. Next time you see one, recognize them as a vital part of our society.

(Adaptado de: MUNDANO - TEDGlobal 2014. Trash cart superheroes. Disponível em: https://www.ted.com/talks/mundano_pimp_my_trash_cart/ transcript#t-307901. Acesso em: 09 set. 2018).

Choose the alternative that indicates the same verb tense as in “Pimp My Carroça took to the streets of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba” (line 17).