Contribute to poverty reduction and the promotion of the socioeconomic development of the Quilombola’s communities (descendants of former African slaves) in Maranhão, as well as promote the increase of household’s income and the improvement of health conditions in those rural communities, by strengthening local productive activities based upon solidarity economy and social inclusion principles.

Objectives:

Overall: contribute to poverty reduction and the promotion of the socioeconomic development of the Quilombolas communities in the Maranhão state, with the aim of achieving the targets established by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Specific: promote the increase of households’ income and the improvement of health conditions of rural Quilombolas communities from Maranhão, by reinforcing the local productive activities based on the principles of solidarity economy and social inclusion.

Beneficiaries:

Direct: 300 Quilombolas (farmers, livestock farmers,and extractivists) from 4 regions in the state of Maranhão, and 20 Quilombolas that are beneficiaries of the axis on capacity building of agricultural and social technicians.

Indirect: 1.500 households and their respective communities of approximately 5.390 people

Activities | Results:

• Conclusion of the intervention in 13 of the 17 production units of solidarity economy: continued technical assistance to 7 community vegetable gardens implemented in 2015 and producing with the PAIS system (integrated agroecological sustainable production); 4 agribusinesses producing cassava flour and babassu oil ready and in continuous production; 2 fish farms ready and in production; 1 fish farm currently filling the tanks, and 3 agribusiness being concluded (São Francisco,Matões dos Moreira and Monte Alegre);

• In July, visit by the EU Ambassador in Brazil, João Cravinho, with the inauguration of the Transformation Unit for Cassava Flour in the Felipa community;

• 3 units of the Farming Techniques Course were held for 17 Quilombolas integrating Cooperquilombola and acting as cooperative multipliers;

• 7 meetings with Quilombolas, both members and non-members of Cooperquilombola with the aim of identifying means of production, available inputs and improving the production system in Itapecuru, Códó, Brejo and Buriti de Inácia Vaz;

• Promotion of daily monitoring and capacity building activities in the communities (workshops, encounters,and meetings) targeting direct and indirect project beneficiaries that integrate ACONERUQ;

• Usage of Cooperquilombola packaging in the processed agricultural products, therefore reinforcing the identity of the products sold by the communities and the cooperative;

• Trading the products from community vegetable gardens and from flour and tapioca producers in traditional local markets; fish is sold directly to the communities;

• Training sessions on the efficient management of the Quilombos’ production units, taking into account the existing natural resources: water, inputs, electric power needed for the equipment and machinery;

• Construction of 35 sanitary kits in the remaining 10 communities; whist during the first year of the project, 30 kits were installed in 7 communities.

Partner:

Associação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas do Maranhão (ACONERUQ)