Project Peixes, Pessoas e Água Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest events. This newsletter, published in Portuguese, was created in September 2005. Check out our library of past newsletters to learn more about recent and upcoming Project activities, as well as to read news from professional fishers' organizations in the São Francisco River in Minas Gerais, Brazil. 

September-October 2005

November-December 2005

February-March 2006

Julh-August 2006

September-October 2006

November-December 2006

January-February 2007

Piracema Community Newsletter

Interesting Link: www.maqueteemeioambiente.blogspot.com

Technical visit to Canada on water treatment technology

In September and October of 2006, with the support of SAAE - Pirapora and the Pirapora City Hall, Emerson Alves, a SAAE - Pirapora chemical technician, spent one month in Canada learning about Canadian experiences in the areas of water and sewage treatment, environmental education and integrated environmental sanitation management.

Some of the most interesting topics during the technical visit, according to Emerson, were “the innovative models of environmental education, and the use of flooded areas to deal with sewage and sewage treatment technologies.” Emerson plans to apply what he learned during the trip to his work with SAAE - Pirapora in the area of sewage treatment techniques by optimizing the Pirapora hospital waste treatment facility and by fostering joint work with communities to fortify environmental education.

Artisanal fair in Buritizeiro

The Colony of Buritizeiro hosted the Pescarte Fair on December 8, with six tents selling products of the Rio São Francisco, including cured fish from Três Marias, São Gonçalo do Abaeté and Ibiaí, products made by members of “Graal Buritizeiro”, jewelry from São Gonçalo do Abaeté, artisan work of Barra do Guaicuí and Três Marias, and much more. Also, cultural presentations occurred, including one from the Bumba Meu Boi of Ibiaí and live music performances.

According to Segundo Geraldo Dos Reis, President of the Buritizeiro Colony, the event was a success and profited about one thousand two hundred reais for the venders, despite the heavy rain. He is thankful to the partners of PPA Project for the community economic development support for Buritizeiro and hopes that the lessons learned from this event will serve in planning the next Pescarte Fair (2007) to be held in the dry season!

Seminar "Rede Solidárias da Cadeia Produtiva da Pesca"

The Seminar was organized by the PPA project and SOLTEC, an organization linked to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The event was attended by Unimontes, IEF, Fishing colonies, WFT, ICAD - Pirapora, Graal - Buritizeiro and 13 enterprises of the fishing communities of the Upper Middle São Francisco and the city of Macaé in Rio de Janeiro. Its objective was to discuss the challenges and successes of small enterprises in the two regions to strengthen regional community economic development networks. Segundo Andrea de Narciso, teacher of Anthropology and Sociology at Unimontes said, “I believe that the objective of the seminar was reached and that the exchange of knowledge and the variety of people present made this meeting the beginning of a voyage.”

This exchange between fishing communities and support institutions will continue in March of 2007 in Macaé, RJ, with special financing from CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) directed toward the replication and dissemination of the experiences of successful projects.

Youth from the São Francisco River travel to Canada

Four young Brazilians, drafted from a pool of project collaborators, participate with over 400 youth from around the in the World Youth Forum held in Vancouver. The Forum aimed to share experiences and include the voice of the young in the World Urban Forum, an initiative of the United Nations' Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT). The Brazilian group also visited Canadian environmental restoration, community development and youth projects.

Débora Antunes of Pirapora relates: “I will share with my colleagues the information and a little of the knowledge that I acquired in Canada . I now have the idea in my head that we need to fight for the Advice of Youth in the city. This Advice will be our platform for participation in the community”. Gislâne Leite, of Beira Rio em São Gonçalo do Abaeté, comments that she can now share “new experiences and knowledge about other cultures” with her community. Daiana Da Silva, also of Beira Rio em São Gonçalo do Abaeté, comments: “I now know about some projects in Canada and other countries that can be developed in the communities of the São Francisco River ”. Danielle Ferreira, of Barra do Guaicuí in the municipality of Várzea da Palma , remembers that she saw “many similarities between the problems that we have with our rivers and the problems that other people in other countries have with their rivers”. It confirmed what she learned, that “we do not need wait for other people because we ourselves we can make it happen”.

Interesting Link: www.jaquelinebrasil.blogspot.com/

Community Economic Development

Groups formed during community development workshops conducted by the Peixes, Pessoas e Água Project in July of 2005, are actively searching opportunities to add value to fisheries and to generate alternative income for the marginal communities of Três Marias/Beira Rio, Buritizeiro, Barra do Guaicuí and Ibiaí. These projects count on the support of the colonies and other partners and include: Grupo Artesanal do Peixe Defumado - Tres Marias/Beira Rio, Lançamento da Feira Pescarte - Buritizeiro, Feira Livre de Domingo - Barra do Guaicui, Projeto Corvina - Ibiai

Beyond increasing the family income of members of marginal communities, these projects bring many other benefits to the community. These include: improving the perceived value of local culture, offering healthier and higher quality food to local communities and attracting tourism. These groups will need continued support to develop and continue these actions and to develop new initiatives.

Pescarte: Arts, Culture and Artisinal Products Fair of Fishermen and Fisherwomen in the Upper-middle São Francisco River will be held December 8th and 9th. The event is an initiative of the Community Development Group of the Buritizeiro Colony. During the fair visitors will find typical regional foods and crafts, beyond artistic and cultural representations of the region.

School and Community Environmental Education

In March Canadian teacher Janet Strauss spent a month in the project region giving workshops to teachers of Ensino Fundamental in Três Marias, Pirapora and Barra do Guaicuí. Janet has many years experience working in environmental education in a transverse way, involving the community and focusing on the internal school environment. The Municipal School Professor Johnsen was chosen by the Education Secretariat to be a pilot school, allowing the exchange of experiences between Canadian and Brazilian teachers.

Using mapping techniques and other pedagogical strategies allows the pupils to display their daily experiences in relation to city streams. The pupils also help in the initiation of restoration of the Córrego Barreiro Grande to solidify their learning in various mediums.

Social-environmental mapping techniques were introduced to the Curso Normal Superior da Unimontes-Três Marias by Barbara Johnsen and E. M. Prof. Johnsen teacher Claude Aparecida. The course also included a field visit to increase the student's knowledge of the local watershed.

A E.M. Prof. Johnsen and E.M. Olinto Gonçalves do Beira Rio, São Gonçalo do Abaeté are using watershed models to support their environmental education. The two models aim to promote debate and action to reduce impacts in the São Francisco River basin . The models were constructed by volunteers, mainly youth of Beira Rio, together with the Canadian technician Jason Lasuik. In addition to searching and constructing the models, this group offered workshops for students and presented the models to the public at a variety of events, including Environment Day celebrations in Três Marias, the community festival in Beira Rio and the Festa do Peão in Barretos, SP.

The watershed model team are thankful of the opportunity and look forward to continuing and extending their work with new partners!

Visit the website created by the youth or contact them by email.