Olabi is launching Semeando Futuros (Sowing Futures), a free online training program aimed at managers of media organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and Quilombola people, with monthly revenues of up to R$100,000. The project is carried out in partnership with the Secretariat for Digital Policies of the Presidency’s Communications Office (Secom/PR) and supported by the UK Government.
With 21 hours of content delivered through seven live online weekly sessions, the program will address topics such as financial sustainability, revenue diversification, governance, government advertising, institutional funding, basic financial management, and the development of action plans. The goal is to provide tools that enable these organizations to identify new revenue streams, reduce financial vulnerabilities, and build sustainability strategies aligned with their editorial missions.
“Strengthening the financial sustainability of these media outlets means strengthening democracy. They produce narratives rooted in territories, experiences, and communities that are often absent from mainstream coverage. To ensure their continued existence, we must treat their sustainability as part of the country’s democratic infrastructure,” says Silvana Bahia, Co-Executive Director of Olabi.
At the end of the program, each participating organization will have developed an action plan for its financial sustainability. The project also includes the publication of a free digital handbook compiling the content and tools covered throughout the training, expanding the reach of the methodology.
Gabriela Agustini, also Co-Executive Director of Olabi, explains that Semeando Futuros combines data, practical training, and collective knowledge-building. “The idea is to support participating media outlets while also contributing to the broader field through a methodology that can be documented, shared, and replicated,” she says.
According to Gabriel Izaguirre, Director of the UK-Brazil Tech Hub, “initiatives such as Semeando Futuros are essential for strengthening Brazil’s information ecosystem. Supporting the sustainability of Black, Indigenous, and Quilombola media outlets is also an investment in a more representative, diverse, and resilient democracy.”
The training program will begin on June 10 and run through July 22. Applications are open until June 7 through this application form.
The project also includes the publication of a digital handbook on the subject and a set of public policy recommendations aimed at fostering independent Black media in Brazil.