Oko Indumentárias Africanas

Description: Clothes with African identity

Name: Ana Passos

Favela: Penha Circular

Ana Passos’ journey is marked by strength, resilience, and reinvention. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she worked as a bank security guard for 14 years — an intense period that she overcame with courage.

Her connection with sewing began in an emotional way, making clothes for Afro-Brazilian religions. In 2017, she decided to make her business official. The turning point came when, facing body changes caused by medication for depression, she started creating clothes for herself. Over time, she realized she could transform this skill into a source of income and, more than that, into a business with cultural identity and purpose.

Today, leading Oko Indumentárias Africanas, Ana wants to better structure her workspace, hire a collaborator, and fulfil her dream of exporting her pieces, taking her art and ancestry to the world.

“I joined Projeto Hub to improve my knowledge and exchange experiences with other entrepreneurs. Each mentoring session brings a unique perspective, capable of identifying what we often don’t notice because we are emotionally involved with our business.”

With talent, authenticity, and vision for the future, Ana Passos continues to sew stories, identity, and self-esteem into every piece she creates.