Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama

What Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama does

Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama (CDHLG) is a non-profit university extension project of the Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo (FDUSP), founded in 2009 and headquartered at Rua Riachuelo, 194 – Sé, São Paulo. It operates as a clinical teaching initiative that combines interdisciplinary academic work with direct field engagement with the street population (população em situação de rua) of central São Paulo, targeting women, mothers, and families experiencing homelessness. The clinic is coordinated by full professors Calixto Salomão and Guilherme Almeida, with a pedagogical coordination team of three, and selects approximately 10 new student members per cycle via public editais open to undergraduate and recent graduates from any university and multiple disciplines.

The clinic's core products and outputs include two interactive educational games (História de Lurdes, launched in 2022, and Caminhando com Maria, developed under the Desafio USP: Cidades Sustentáveis program), a training manual for community ombudspersons (Cartilha: Formação de Ouvidores de Violações aos Direitos Humanos da População em Situação de Rua, 2021), community listening services (Ouvidoria Comunitária de Direitos Humanos), research reports (including a COVID-19 mortality analysis identifying 96 deaths versus 49 officially recorded), and advocacy outputs submitted to the Comitê PopRua, CIAMP-Rua, the STF (as amicus curiae in ADPF 976), and the ALESP Frente Parlamentar. The clinic has received five major awards, including the CNJ Prémio Prioridade Absoluta (2021), the 3rd place in the Prémio 19 de Agosto (2021), the 21st National Human Rights Award (2015), and an Honorable Mention from the 11th AMAERJ Patrícia Acioli Prize (2022).

The business model is non-commercial: the clinic operates as a free university extension activity with no pricing model. Funding flows from USP institutional support, project-specific grants (e.g., Desafio USP: Cidades Sustentáveis 2021, CAPES via research partnerships), and the affiliated NEIDE association (CNPJ 39.881.471/0001-91), which is composed exclusively of former CDHLG members and develops long-term sustainable projects. The customer base is the street population of São Paulo, with secondary segments including undergraduate students, professionals working with the street population, and social movement organizations (MNPR, Rede Rua, Centro Gaspar Garcia, Fórum da Cidade). As of March 24, 2025, the clinic announced the paralysis of its activities (paralisação das atividades).

Name

Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama

Legal name

Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama

Website

https://cdhluizgama.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama is a non-profit university extension project at USP's Faculty of Law, founded in 2009, providing interdisciplinary human rights education, research, and advocacy for the street population of São Paulo through clinical teaching methodology, community listening, and educational games.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. University Extension Funding: The clinic operates as a culture and extension activity (atividade de cultura e extensão) of the Faculty of Law at the University of São Paulo. It receives institutional support from USP. The NEIDE association (Núcleo de Educação e Intervenção em Direitos Humanos, CNPJ 39.881.471/0001-91) was created to develop sustainable research and intervention projects, functioning as a funding vehicle for longer-term initiatives.
2. Project Grants: Individual projects receive specific funding from programs such as the Programa USP Municípios: Desafio Cidades Sustentáveis. Additional support includes CAPES (via research partnerships), and institutional backing from partner organizations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama (CDHLG) is a culture and extension project of the Faculty of Law at the University of São Paulo (FDUSP) founded in 2009. It provides interdisciplinary human rights education to law and social science students, conducts community listening (Ouvidoria Comunitária) with the street population of São Paulo, produces research dossiers and training materials on street motherhood, social housing, and rights violations, and delivers workshops and educational games for professionals and civil society organizations.

Product overview

The Clínica de Direitos Humanos Luiz Gama is a culture and extension activity of the Law Faculty of the University of São Paulo (FDUSP), created in 2009. It operates as a unified academic extension project focused on human rights education and intervention, not a technology product platform. The clinic's offerings include two educational games (História de Lurdes and Caminhando com Maria), educational materials (handbooks on human rights violations), community listening services (Ouvidoria Comunitária), training workshops on early childhood and street maternity, and research publications. The NEIDE research center, a separate legal entity, develops long-term sustainable projects stemming from the clinic's work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• História de Lurdes: Educational game developed to sensitize players to the challenges faced by women who are pregnant and living on the streets, addressing policies for attendance and removal of children from women in street situations.
• Caminhando com Maria

Products and services

• História de Lurdes An interactive card-based educational game that allows players to experience the challenges faced by women who are pregnant and living on the streets, focusing on policies for attendance and the removal of children from mothers in street situations.
• Caminhando com Maria An educational game developed under the Desafio USP: Cidades Sustentáveis program that simulates the challenges women face when seeking institutional services such as shelters, Defensoria Pública, and other rights-access points, built on a methodology of empathy and institutional sensitization.
• Cartilha: Formação de Ouvidores de Violações aos Direitos Humanos da População em Situação de Rua A training handbook for Community Ombudspersons on human rights violations affecting the street population, developed as part of the 'Oficina com Ouvidores de Violações aos Direitos da População em Situação de Rua' project.
• Ouvidoria Comunitária de Direitos Humanos A community listening service that systematizes and forwards denunciations presented by national and state homeless movements to the extension project, helping to address difficulties in accessing public agencies for policy control and rights guarantees.
• Oficinas Primeira Infância e Maternidade nas Ruas de São Paulo A research-based workshop focused on guaranteeing family and community living for women on the streets with their newborn children, awarded the Prêmio Prioridade Absoluta from the CNJ.
• NEIDE (Núcleo de Educação e Intervenção em Direitos Humanos) An education and intervention in human rights center (CNPJ 39.881.471/0001-91) created as a result of the clinic's work, composed exclusively of former CDHLG researchers, developing long-term sustainable research and intervention projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Identified 96 COVID-19 deaths of street population in São Paulo (vs. 49 officially recorded by the municipal government), demonstrating a near-doubling of official figures through independent data analysis.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, moderate and minor.

• CIAMP-Rua (Comitê Intersetorial de Acompanhamento e Monitoramento da Política Nacional para População em Situação de Rua)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023A national-level advisory body in the structure of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, established by Decree 7.053/2009. The Forum da Cidade was elected as a member, and the clinic participates through its Forum membership, monitoring national policy discussions and bringing demands from São Paulo.
• Frente Parlamentar em Defesa da População em Situação de Rua (ALESP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023A parliamentary front at the São Paulo State Legislative Assembly. The clinic participated in the construction and launch of this front in 2023, contributing technical knowledge to legislative discussions on street population rights.
• Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) - ADPF 976coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The clinic acts as amicus curiae in ADPF 976 (Ação de Descumprimento de Preceito Fundamental) before the Supreme Federal Court, seeking declaration of an unconstitutional state of affairs for the street population. The case is under rapporteur Minister Alexandre de Moraes. The clinic compiles data, drafts petitions, and participates in public hearings, in constant dialogue with social movements.
• Comitê Intersetorial da Política Municipal para a População em Situação de Rua (Comitê PopRua)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020A municipal advisory body linked to the São Paulo Municipal Secretary of Human Rights and Citizenship, established under the National Policy for the Street Population (Decree 7.053/2009). The clinic has served as an elected civil society representative for 4 consecutive years, contributing to municipal public policy construction and monitoring.
• Alto Comissariado da ONU para os Direitos HumanosmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The clinic participated in a meeting promoted by the Chamber of Deputies' Human Rights and Minorities Commission with the UN Human Rights Office, representing Brazilian civil society perspectives on street population rights.
• Núcleo de Educação e Intervenção em Direitos Humanos (NEIDE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009NEIDE (CNPJ 39.881.471/0001-91) is an association founded by former CDHLG members. It was created to develop sustainable long-term research and intervention projects, providing institutional continuity beyond the student cycle model of the clinic. NEIDE is exclusively composed of researchers who have participated in CDHLG.
• Fórum da Cidade de São Paulo em Defesa da População em Situação de RuacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991The Forum is a historic coalition of organizations, movements, parliamentary mandates, and individuals defending street population rights since 1991. The clinic participates as a university extension project, contributing to policy advocacy and collective action. Through the Forum, the clinic connects with MNPR, parliamentary mandates, Defensoria Pública, and organizations such as Rede Rua and Centro Gaspar Garcia.
• Centro Gaspar Garcia de Direitos HumanoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA human rights organization that runs the 'Programa Reviravolta' for social reintegration of people living on the streets. The clinic delivers citizenship workshops within this program and collaborates on advocacy activities and events.
• Movimento Nacional da População em Situação de Rua (MNPR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary national social movement representing street population rights. The clinic works with MNPR on public policy advocacy, STF participation (ADPF 976), community ombudsperson services, and collective actions. MNPR's demands are central to the clinic's advocacy work.
• Rede RuacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of organizations and movements defending street population rights. The clinic maintains a fixed column in Rede Rua's newspaper 'O Trecheiro' and collaborates on the Festival PopRua and other collective advocacy initiatives.
• Colaboratório Nacional da População em Situação de Rua (Fiocruz)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fiocruz's Collaboratory on Street Population for data collection and analysis in the context of ADPF 976. The clinic and Fiocruz are jointly conducting data collection via Lei de Acesso à Informação across 4 capitals and the Federal District to assess public policies for street populations.
• LabCidade FAU USPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA research laboratory at the School of Architecture and Urbanism at USP. The clinic collaborated with LabCidade to analyze COVID-19 mortality data among the street population using the Recovida database, identifying 96 deaths nearly double the official count.
• Programa Reviravolta (Centro Gaspar Garcia)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe clinic delivers citizenship education workshops within the Reviravolta program, which supports social reintegration and return to work for people living on the streets. The workshop provides a space for discussion and reflection on citizenship concepts and human rights throughout history.
• Conselho Regional de Psicologia de São Paulo (CRP SP)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on events addressing motherhood and social protection for women living on the streets, including joint organization of seminars and public hearings at the Faculty of Law.
• CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior)minorOthersBrazil's federal agency for higher education improvement. Referenced as a supporter of research activities through academic partnerships, particularly for the educational game development project.
• Defensoria Pública do Estado de São PaulomoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Public Defender's Office of São Paulo is a key institutional partner. Current clinic members intern at the Defensoria, and the clinic collaborates on legal advocacy, legal document production for street population, and policy discussions.
• Núcleo DDD (FD USP)moderateTechnology or IntegrationA research nucleus at FDUSP that collaborated in the initial development of the 'História de Lurdes' educational game, providing methodological and conceptual inputs for its design.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rede Rua: Network of organizations and movements defending street population rights that publishes the newspaper 'O Trecheiro', where CDHLG maintains a fixed monthly column. Directly comparable in mission and beneficiary population, with active collaboration on Festival PopRua and other collective advocacy.
• Fórum da Cidade de São Paulo em Defesa da População em Situação de Rua: Historic coalition of organizations, movements, parliamentary mandates, and individuals defending street population rights since 1991. CDHLG participates as a member and contributes to collective policy advocacy, sharing overlapping scope, geography, and beneficiary base.
• Centro Gaspar Garcia de Direitos Humanos: Long-standing São Paulo human rights organization that runs Programa Reviravolta for social reintegration of street population. Directly comparable to CDHLG in mission, geography, and beneficiary population, and operates as a core delivery partner for the clinic's citizenship workshops.
• Instituto Pro Bono: Brazilian nonprofit that mobilizes volunteer lawyers to provide free legal services to low-income individuals and civil society organizations. Comparable in the pro bono / access to justice space, with a similar volunteer-driven model serving vulnerable populations in São Paulo and other states.
• Movimento Nacional da População em Situação de Rua (MNPR): National social movement representing the rights of Brazil's street population, headquartered in São Paulo. MNPR's demands are central to CDHLG's advocacy work, and the two collaborate on STF participation (ADPF 976), community ombudsperson services, and policy advocacy, making it a directly comparable advocacy entity.
• Clínica de Direitos Humanos da Faculdade de Direito da UFMG: University-based human rights legal clinic at UFMG explicitly modeled in the same clinical legal education tradition, focused on vulnerable populations. Janaína Dantas Germano Gomes, a former member of CDHLG, is documented as a representative of this clinic, indicating direct methodological and personnel overlap with the subject organization.

Regional players

• Colaboratório Nacional da População em Situação de Rua (Fiocruz): Fiocruz's research initiative on the street population, with which CDHLG partners on data collection and analysis under ADPF 976 across 4 capitals and the Federal District. Comparable as a Brazilian institutional actor focused on street population research and policy, with a public health framing rather than legal one.

Emerging players

• NEIDE (Núcleo de Educação e Intervenção em Direitos Humanos): Association (CNPJ 39.881.471/0001-91) spun off from CDHLG and composed exclusively of former clinic researchers to develop sustainable long-term projects. Functions as an adjacent operating entity with overlapping mission and personnel, representing the natural institutional successor for continuation of CDHLG's work.

Broad incumbents

• Conectas Direitos Humanos: One of Brazil's leading human rights NGOs, based in São Paulo, operating across multiple human rights themes with international advocacy capacity. Comparable as a Brazilian human rights organization with policy influence and academic partnerships, though much broader in scope than CDHLG's narrow focus.
• Defensoria Pública do Estado de São Paulo: State public defender's office providing legal services to vulnerable populations. CDHLG members intern at the Defensoria and collaborate on legal advocacy, document production, and policy discussions. While much larger and institutionally broader, it shares CDHLG's target population and legal aid function in São Paulo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLVoeBoFnezb9iAyHD_dZLjBi6xd1GDhN1
• Facebookfacebook.com/clinicaluizgama
• Instagraminstagram.com/clinica_luizgama
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cl%C3%ADnica-de-direitos-humanos-luiz-gama

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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