Your impact in Roraima, Brazil
08/13/2020
Strategic Area:
Wild Places -
Content Type: Blog
A piece of good news about how your generosity has helped communities struggling because of COVID-19.
Because of compassionate people like you, indigenous communities in Roraima, Brazil have received the help they so desperately needed.
Indigenous and rural communities are likely more susceptible to COVID-19 and often are the farthest from government and healthcare services. In some places, like where Nature and Culture International works in northern Brazil, the infection rate for indigenous people has been 130% higher than the general population.
Thanks to you, Nature and Culture has provided aid to indigenous Macuxi, Wapichana, Patamona, Taurepang, and Wai Wai communities in Roraima. In partnership with the Roraima Indigenous Council (CIR), we have safely delivered 100 emergency kits with food, protective and cleaning equipment, and fuel to families.
You have also supported the production and distribution of critical COVID-19 materials in the Wai Wai language. The materials will educate and help prevent the spread of the virus among the Wai Wai people, many whom does not speak Portuguese.
“Supporting indigenous communities during these rough times of the COVID-19 pandemic in Amazonia reflects the strength of our partnership,” says Reinaldo Lourival, Nature and Culture Project Coordinator in Roraima. “It reinforces the commitment of our field team to the mission of ensuring the protection of ancestral territories and their biodiversity… I am very grateful to our donors for their generosity.”
Your generosity is making a difference in the lives of these families, and helping ensure the protection of endangered ecosystems.
Indigenous communities have shaped forests and other landscapes around the world for thousands of years, accumulating unparalleled knowledge of the land and understanding of ecosystem management. Today, these communities are the last defense for many endangered ecosystems against increasing threats like logging, cattle ranching, and mining.
For four years, Nature and Culture has been working with indigenous communities in Roraima, Brazil to protect their home – the forested mountains of Raposa Serra do Sol. This unique area encompasses 1.6 million acres of Amazon forest and native savanna grasslands in northwest Brazil.
Together we have prioritized the development and implementation of Community Conservation Agreements within the area. The agreements will protect the area’s incredible biodiversity and assist indigenous people in sustainably managing their lands.
With your support, Nature and Culture continues to work with in-country partners to establish additional conservation agreements to reduce fire threats, fight climate change, and secure sustainable livelihoods for Roraima’s indigenous communities.
“[Nature and Culture has] added strength to [the Roraima Indigenous Council],” says Enock Taurepang, CIR Coordinator. “It is comforting to know that we have people on our side that support us during good and bad times, to face the challenges ahead. We will keep on fighting!”
Thank you for sending help to nature’s guardians! You are making a difference for these communities – and for the planet.
If you haven’t yet made a gift to Nature and Culture’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, you can still send help to communities in need. Visit natureandculture.org/help to make a difference today.
