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Agricultural technology can change the local reality.
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Raimunda Gomes de Morais believes in education as a path to a better life. She smiles while talking about the news she has recently received about her grand daughter who has been hired to work as a nurse in her community.
“I paid for her technical nurse course. I cried tears of joy because now I can see the result of my investment. This can also allow her to afford going to university”, says the 67 years old lady.
President of São Bernardino Association, in the Moju municipality, state of Pará, Raimunda is one of the main representatives from the Quilombola communities who interact with Hydro about the issues related to the bauxite pipeline. Graduated in History at a senior age and now in a specialization course on “Education for the Country Side”, she proves endurance to achieve goals and bets on the learning at “Rural Family House” as the way for the Quilombolas to achieve a better life.
“My dream is to see this House as a university center. During four years I paid for my university course in Castanhal (a municipality four hours from Jambuaçu). Even now I spend one week, twelve days away to study, and I want this to be offered here for the Quilombolas”, affirms Raimunda.
A place to prepare the future
The Rural Family House – a kind of school for the Quilombolas teenagers that includes teaching on agriculture technical classes – was established in 2009 and today benefits 75 students. Teenagers going to theses classes are educated to run traditional small-scale agriculture, like the quilombolas have done for generations, but with a better yield, so it can be more attractive. They are alternating with school and home, so they can convert education to action. In this way there is also an opportunity to pass on some knowledge to their parents.
Hydro has been a partner of the initiative through the Paragominas mine, considering this a good strategy in order to train the local inhabitants to get more income and settle the younger generation on their land. As part or the partnership, the company recently built an area to host the teachers who come and minister the classes.
One of the topics taught at the House is the Agro-forestry Systems (SAFs, in the Portuguese), that consist of planting different species in the same area, allowing for different harvest timing, constant income throughout the year and a more productive use of the land. Some of the cultures include banana, cupuaçu (local fruit), passion fruit, beans, corn and watermelon.
“As an educator, I consider this is the right path. For 35 years I’ve seen our people working only with manioc, which is a tiring work with no results. In my community there are some people working with SAFs and I see that this is the right path to sustainability and income. This activity will bring benefits to all of us”, states the Quilombola’s leader.
In order to assure the due support to the different productive activities, Hydro signed a partnership with CAMTA (Agriculture Cooperative) and SENAR (Rural Learning National Service), two institutions that with expertise respectively on technical assistance in agriculture, and training/ social promotion for the rural population.
History of challenges
But a positive expectation was not always present in the Jambuaçu group. Many decades ago, different companies entered in the Quilombola’s land to develop productive activities and strong tension was established. At that time, Raimunda played the resistance leader role to assure their properties. “It was very sad to loose some colleagues who were killed, but we managed to get support and keep our land”, she recollects.
Some dispute also took place in connection with the construction of the bauxite pipeline on the Quilombola’s lands last decade. As a result, there’s still an ongoing legal lawsuit related to compensations filed by the Quilombola’s against the former pipeline operator, Vale.
Dialogue established
The current perspective of the Quilombolas towards the pipeline seems to achieve a different phase after Hydro took over the operation. “Since the beginning, people from Hydro seek to relate with us in a friendly, transparent way. They sought us to solve the existing problems. Hydro is presenting itself as a truly partner”, indicates Raimunda.
However, the Quilombola’s leader underlines that the good behavior needs to continue throughout time. “I always say that while the company maintain a good relationship with us there’s no reason for opposition or fight. I will be against the things I see that must be argued”, affirms.
One possible suggestion to make the relationship stronger could be more lectures on the different communities about the Rural Family House and the technical opportunities that it offers, reaching directly more families that may be less interested. “Our challenge is to bring in more families, so the gains for all will be higher”, says Raimunda.
Other actions are related to support in other ongoing activities in the community, such as setting up and maintaining some computers donated by Pará government to the Rural Familiar House. “So far we have a good relationship and good interaction. We expect this to continue and even to be perfected”, considers Raimunda.
