Stitching a Brighter Future
Mana and The Tailors of Sundy & Terra Prometida
For Lucineide “Mana” Soares, sewing wasn’t a childhood passion or a family tradition. It was an unexpected opportunity that transformed her life.
When she first heard about a tailoring course organised by HBD Príncipe, she almost didn’t go. “I kept saying no,” she recalls with a smile. “I thought it would be too difficult and that I wouldn’t be able to do it.” It took much encouragement from Carla, a member of the HBD sustainability team, to persuade her to give it a chance.
That decision changed everything. After completing the training HBD provided, Mana received her first sewing machine and continued to refine her skills, learning alongside her sister, a professional seamstress, and teaching herself new techniques. Curious by nature, she is always experimenting with new styles and designs, constantly looking for ways to improve her craft.
The training also brought something even more valuable: independence. Before becoming a tailor, Mana relied entirely on her partner for financial support. Today, sewing provides her with her own income, allowing her to contribute to her family’s future with immense pride. As she prepares for her wedding, she smiles as she shares that she is now able to cover almost all of the expenses herself. A milestone she once never imagined possible.
Ask her which colour best represents Príncipe, and her answer comes without hesitation: green. “Our island is completely green,” she says. “Wherever you stand, nature surrounds you. Green is the colour of Príncipe.” That connection to the island is reflected in the vibrant African fabrics she loves to work with.
For Mana, the greatest reward comes when someone wears one of her creations. “I want people to feel that it fits beautifully, that it is well made, and that they feel good wearing it.”
Today, Mana is one of the talented women behind The Tailors of Sundy & Terra Prometida, a sewing collective created and funded by the CCC. The initiative empowers women to build skills beyond their traditional roles in the home, giving them the opportunity to earn an independent and sustainable livelihood. Together, they create tote bags, laundry pouches, amenity kits, napkins and clothing in vibrant African prints. Their work can be found throughout our hotels, from the patterned napkins in our restaurants to the handcrafted amenity bags at Sundy Praia, as well as in our boutiques, allowing every guest to take home a piece of Príncipe’s creativity.
During your island experiences, you can pay a visit to Terra Prometida and you’ll easily spot Mana’s house: it’s the one with vibrant African fabric creations proudly hanging on her porch.
