BRAZIL FOUNDATION - [ selected projects 2004 ]

general information

selected projects 2007

selected rural education projects 2007

finalists 2007

selected projects 2006

selected projects 2005

selected projects 2004

selected projects 2003

selected projects 2002

projects that received donor-advised grants

selection process

guidelines for submitting proposals

guidelines for submitting proposals - rural education projects

We are proud to introduce the 25 new projects we have selected to share $220,000 from our 2004 Campaign. Our team analyzed more than 1,000 proposals from all over Brazil in search of initiatives that are pioneering, strategic, sustainable, and have the potential to be replicated.

From fish-farming in rural settlements in the south of Brazil to the development of marketing strategies for traditional crafts in the north, these projects bring creative answers to social problems in the areas of citizenship, education, health, culture and human rights.

AGROECOLOGIA E CULTURA (AGROECOLOGY AND CULTURE)

Organization: Associação de Moradores e Produtores da Reserva Extrativista Chico Mendes
Assis Brasil - Acre
For more than 10 years, the Residents and Producers Association of the Extractive Reserve Chico Mendes has been working to find alternative development strategies for the Acre region, which suffers from the consequences the rubber tapping industry's decline. With BrazilFoundation's support, the project, Agroecology and Culture, plans to reintroduce agricultural techniques and methods of living with the forests that existed before the exploitation of rubber trees. The association will offer around 120 residents training in agroecology (diversified agriculture in the forest region), cooking and regional crafts.

ARTESANATO RIBEIRINHO DE SANTARÉM (CRAFTS FROM THE RIVERBANK WOMEN OF SANTARÉM)

Organization: Associação das Artesãs Ribeirinhas de Santarém
Santarém - Pará
The Association of Women Artisans from the Riverbank of Santarém works with traditional crafts decorated with designs from the region. The production and marketing of traditional crafts generate work and income for families that are dependent on an environmentally and economically unsustainable extractive culture. With BrazilFoundation's support, 50 women artisans will be trained in business management skills, including the development of appropriate packaging, quality control and the creation of channels for large-scale trade with the Rio-São Paulo axis and international markets.

ASSENTAMENTO NOVA CANAÃ (NOVA CANAÃ SETTLEMENT)

Organization: Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas Josué de Castro
Tracunhaém - Pernambuco
For 25 years the Study and Research Center Josué de Castro has fought the causes of hunger and malnutrition in the communities of small fishermen and entrepreneurs. With BrazilFoundation's support, 38 families of rural workers from the settlement of Nova Canaã will be trained to build tanks and farm fish. The project will train leadership, promote self-esteem, and teach management skills and literacy.

CAFEICULTURA DE PRODUÇÃO FAMILIAR (FAMILY COFFEE PRODUCTION)

Organization: Cetcaf - Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico do Café
Anchieta - Espírito Santo
Cetcaf (Center for the Development of Achieta Coffee) supports coffee production on small family properties. These farmers do not have the ability to compete and generate income with their low-quality, high-cost production. The result is unemployment leading to a rural exodus. With BrazilFoundation's support, 30 families from Córrego da Prata will be trained to plant, harvest and market coffee. The project will encourage the use of coffee grains in other traditional products from the region, such as cakes, liquors, cookies and sweets. Women produce these items to supplement family incomes.

CAPACITAÇÃO E GERAÇÃO DE TRABALHO E RENDA EM RIZIPISCICULTURA
(JOB TRAINING AND GENERATING EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME THROUGH THE CULTIVATION OF FISH AND RICE)

Organization: Instituto Preservar
Viamão - Rio Grande do Sul
The Preserve Institute maintains an education center for the workers of Filhos de Sepé, a settlement in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, to train the local population to build cisterns and produce food. The families who settled in the region are migrants from the arid plains and do not have the agricultural skills required for Rio Grande do Sul's wet land. The project's goal is to train 200 settlers to plant rice and farm fish. BrazilFoundation's support will help expand the productive capacity of farmers with the introduction of skills for the sustainable development of local resources.

ESCOLA DE DESENVOLVIMENTO LOCAL (EDL) (SCHOOL FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT)

Organization: Instituto Sertão
Fortaleza - Ceará
Sertão Institute offers a diversity of programs directed at the promotion of sustainable development in the Northeast's semi-arid region. The project, School for Local Development, trains young leaders from inland Ceará, developing themes such as citizenship, economic solidarity, local culture and planning. The goal is to stimulate young people to develop projects and transformative ideas in their communities. BrazilFoundation, in partnership with the Kellogg Foundation and municipal governments, will support the selection and accompaniment of three of these initiatives.

PRODUÇÃO AGROECOLÓGICA DE PLANTAS MEDICINAIS
(AGROECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS)

Organization: Instituto Agroflorestal Bernardo Harkvoort - IAF
Turvo - Paraná
Since 1975, IAF (Agroflorestal Insitute Bernardo Harkvoort) has developed projects that promote the sustainable use of central Paraná's natural resources. Turvo is the town with the state's highest rates of infant mortality, school delinquency and illiteracy. This project supports the planting, drying, and marketing of medicinal plants and herbs for family use and income generation. BrazilFoundation's funds will expand the number of families benefited by 55% (a total of 120 people) and create an association of local producers.

RECICLANDO PAPÉIS E VIDAS (RECYCLING PAPER AND LIVES)

Organization: Finatec - Fundação de Empreendimentos Científicos e Tecnológicos
Brasília - Distrito Federal
The initiative Recycling Paper and Lives aims to reintegrate adults from the penitentiary system into the formal workforce. BrazilFoundation will support the training of 25 people to manufacture and purify artesian paper, notebooks, books and archives. The courses were developed to target a job market with extensive demand in Brasília. The project will also have a psychosocial element. A partnership with the University of Brasília will permit the use of laboratories for classes and internships, and the knowledge of specialists.

ALDEIA EDUCADORA (TEACHING VILLAGE)

Organization: Associação Amigos dos Índios
Dourados - Mato Grosso do Sul
Association Friends of Indians executes professional development programs to integrate indigenous people into the workforce through education, the recovery of traditional knowledge and crafts, as well as provide access to technology and information. With BrazilFoundation's support it will be possible to serve 285 children and adults from a number of regional villages. They will have access to pre-school, bilingual literacy in Guarani and Portuguese, youth leadership development and professional training in weaving with the styles characteristic of local tribes. The project will prepare 15 indigenous students for university.

BOM DE ESCOLA, BOM DE VELA
(GOOD AT SCHOOL, GOOD AT SAILING)

Organization: Fundação Alavanca
Ubatuba - São Paulo
The city of Ubatuba has a grave profile of economic inequality; a poor suburban population has few opportunities for education and professional training. Leverage Foundation, in partnership with local public schools, develops projects to increase the impact of education, diminish delinquency rates and stimulate the development of professional activities connected to the sea (preparing boats, naval mechanics, fishing). The project Good at School, Good at Sailing offers access to the sport of sailing to motivate children and youth to invest in formal education. The proposal is based on the relationship between the sport and educational content, such as math, physics and environmental awareness. BrazilFoundation's support will help train 160 young people.

GENTE É PRÁ BRILHAR (PEOPLE ARE TO SHINE)

Organization: Núcleo Especial de Atenção à Criança - NEAC
Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro
The Nucleus of Special Attention to Children (NEAC) has developed educational projects for 10 years in Rio de Janeiro's western neighborhoods of Campo Grande, Jacaré, Vila São Jorge, Vila Catiri and Croácia. BrazilFoundation will support direct assistance to 150 children and young people through workshops covering art, dance, internet access and a toybrary. NEAC's activities are planned in partnership with local schools and complement formal education. This partnership received recognition from UNICEF in 2003.

TECNOMODA NO SEMI-ÁRIDO (TECNOFASHION IN THE SEMI-ARID REGION)

Organization: Associação de Ação e Cidadania Roque de Silva Mota
Tejuçuoca - Ceará
The Association of Action and Citizenship Roque de Silva Mota has implemented for 22 years exchanges and partnerships that promote local trades and traditions, to develop the region with sustainable methods. The project Tecnofashion in the Semi-Arid Region recovers cultural values and the economic potential of Ceará's traditional embroidery. BrazilFoundation will support the professional training of 30 young people in fashion, design and crafts. In the short term, these young people will be able to generate income to support themselves in their communities, which today have an average monthly per capita income of under $10 dollars, high illiteracy and school delinquency rates.

JOVEM SALVA VIDAS (YOUNG LIFE SAVERS)

Organization: Fundação Pró Instituto de Hematologia do Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro
The project Young Life Savers, created in 1998, has an extensive network that involves 528 schools, 2031 educators and more than 30,000 young people in activities to prevent behaviors posing health risks, prevent AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and promote a culture of blood donation as an act of citizenship. With BrazilFoundation's support, the initiative will train young students from the public school system to act as health promoters, expanding the number of social activists in schools and communities.

LUA NOVA (NEW MOON)

Organization: Associação Lua Nova
Araçoiaba da Serra - São Paulo
The New Moon Association maintains a center for the recruitment and treatment of teenage mothers who are at risk, chemically dependent, street residents and victims of domestic violence. The center offers temporary refuge, psychiatric treatment and professional training. BrazilFoundation's resources will support 40 young people in various levels of treatment. The funds will also be directed to train professionals and social agents to develop three reception centers in the towns of Votorantim, Sorocaba and Araçoiaba, in São Paulo.

FOLIA CIDADÃ (CITIZENSHIP FESTIVAL)

Organization: Associação Folia de Rua
João Pessoa - Paraíba
The Street Festival Association works to preserve popular culture in the region of João Pessoa in Paraíba, coordinating 25 carnival groups in the city. The organization promotes activities that preserve traditions related to street carnivals. With BrazilFoundation's support, the project Citizenship Festival will train nearly 100 young people in jobs related to the local culture. Workshops are planned in costume design, carnival dolls (Mamulengos), percussion and social-educational activities.

A GENTE CONSTRUINDO (WE ARE BUILDING)

Organization: Associação Estação da Cultura
Arcoverde - Pernambuco
Association Culture Station occupies the old railway station of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, and promotes the value of local customs and respect for plurality and diversity. To this end, the group supports artistic and cultural activities. The organization is the only one with this focus in the region. The project, We Are Building, consists of developing the skills of 35 cultural agents, organizing 150 young people and their families from the region who will benefit from the project. The plan is to hold workshops in theatre, popular dance and culture, as well as form a local newspaper, community radio programs and a conference. The goal is to mobilize Arcoverde's society around the issue of local cultural preservation and to create a model for public policy.

GRIÔ: A TRADIÇÃO VIVA (GRIÔ: A LIVE TRADITION)

Organization: Associação Grãos de Luz
Lençóis - Bahia
Griôs are the old story tellers of African-Brazilian culture. Association Grains of Light develops social activities that include oral history and African-Brazilian values in educational content for the benefit of 750 children and young people. With BrazilFoundation's support, 30 teachers will be trained to develop pedagogical projects that value local culture. In partnership with the Lençóis Municipal Education Agency, these agents will bring schools educational material regarding the role of black people in Brazilian history and culture. UNICEF recognized the quality of this project's content and its effectiveness at acting in partnership with schools.

APOIO À FAMÍLIA DO ADOLESCENTE EM LIBERDADE ASSISTIDA - GAF
(SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF TEENAGERS IN ASSISTED FREEDOM)

Organization: Instituto de Ecocidadania Juriti
Juazeiro do Norte - Ceará
Ecocitizenship Institute Juriti promotes sustainable development to recover citizenship and preserve the environment. It acts in the area of environmental education, culture, professional and teacher training, art, employment assistance and income generation. The project, Support for Families of Teenagers in Assisted Freedom (GAF), is part of a program of action in human rights directed at the families of young people who are in conflict with the law.
BrazilFoundation's support will permit psychosocial aid and crafts workshops for around 25 young people and their families. These workshops will revitalize the local production of traditional cloth dolls and generate professional skills and income in a short time.

ESPAÇO LEGAL
(LEGAL SPACE)

Organization: Fundação de Defesa dos Direitos Humanos Margarida Maria Alves
João Pessoa - Paraíba
Maria Margarida Alves Foundation defends human rights and attempts to guarantee the low-income population's access to the judicial system and public services. Through the project Legal Space, the organization will act in two communities, Forte Velho and Mussumagro, both of which have alarming rates of poverty and lack sewage systems, schools and health centers. The goal is to raise awareness, provide training and promote political and judicial participation to legalize property rights for 186 families in the two towns. The plan involves publicity and meetings with local residents, leaders and government officials.

ÍNDIO QUER PAZ
(INDIANS WANT PEACE)

Organization: Thydêwá
Pau Brasil - Bahia
Thydêwá's goal is to recover, preserve and defend the value of indigenous culture, promote intercultural dialog and respect for differences through educational activities. In the past few years, the level of ethnic strife has increased provoking conflicts between Indians and non-Indians. The project Indians Want Peace, which also has the support of UNESCO, involves training 32 teachers and 10 indigenous leaders as agents for peace and as conflict mediators. The initiative BrazilFoundation will support also covers visits to schools and meetings to raise the awareness of local authorities. The activities promote techniques to overcome mutual suspicion, encourage peaceful coexistence and culture exchanges between indigenous people and the local population.

TEATRAÇÃO
(THEATER-ACTION)

Organization: Centro de Articulação Retome a sua Vida
Recife - Pernambuco
The mission of the Organizational Center Take Back Your Life is to guarantee the rights of children and teenagers. The center currently has 29 associated organizations that form a network of assistance to the juvenile population of Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, which has high rates of school delinquency and large numbers of young people involved in violence and crime. The project Theatre-Action consists of art and education. The goal is to train 30 young people in the penitentiary system or assisted freedom in theatre techniques for social development. They will spread information about the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol abuse and violence.

CHORA ALEGRIA DE BENEFICIAMENTO DO CAJU
(CHORA'S HAPPINESS FOR PROCESSING CASHEWS)

Organization: Associação Rural do Chora
Santana do Acaraú - Ceará
The Rural Association of Chora, which depends on the monoculture of cashew nuts, promotes local development to improve the population's working and living conditions. With BrazilFoundation's support, the association will implement an integrated local development program to directly benefit 130 families through classes, workshops and the production of educational material. Among the activities will be the expansion of a small factory for processing cashew nuts, the diversification of local agriculture, and the incorporation of cashews and their extracts into the community's deficient diet.

SANTO INÁCIO MELHOR - SIM (A BETTER SANTO INÁCIO)

Organization: Aprusi - Associação dos Pequenos Produtores Rurais da Comunidade de Santo Inácio
Catas Altas da Noruega - Minas Gerais
Catas Altas da Noruega is a city that lived on the extraction of soap-stone and charcoal production, which today are forbidden by the Brazilian Environmental Institute (IBAMA).The Association of Small Producers of the Community of Santo Inácio aims to generate new opportunities for work and income generation in the region. With BrazilFoundation's support, the association will train 25 families to cultivate local plants, as well as build a greenhouse/school, a mini-center for the production of raw cane sugar and septic tanks for the most precarious residences.

COMUNIDADE QUILOMBOLA: CIDADANIA E GERAÇÃO DE RENDA
(QUILOMBOLA COMMUNITY: CITIZENSHIP AND INCOME GENERATION)

Organization: Instituto Amora Carambola
Eldorado - São Paulo
The Institute Amora Carambola develops activities to promote food security and nutritional education. In partnership with the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), it developed the project "Quilombola Community", which will train 30 families in Sapatu to process and market products derived from bananas. With BrazilFoundation's support 20 local residents will have access to classes, and technical assistance to activate a small factory, develop packaging, form strategies for quality control, and to identify distribution channels.

MÚSICA NAS COMUNIDADES E ESCOLAS
(MUSIC IN THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES)

Organization: Instituto Reciclarte
Niterói - Rio de Janeiro
The mission of Reciclarte Institute is to develop the artistic potential, cultural identity and self-esteem of children and young people in situations of personal and social risk. The organization offers classes in music, voice, violin, viola and violincelo for around 150 people. BrazilFoundation's support will permit the expansion of the number of young people reached, the acquisition of new instruments improvements in the infrastructure of classrooms.

PORTUGUÊS