WHY CHOOSE THIS TRIP
Making A Difference In Brazil
The Problem
The Solution
Past Achievements
Partner History
What Help Is Required?
Location
Making A Difference In Brazil
All of our conservation and development projects have been carefully selected to provide the maximum positive impact on the communities and environments in which we work. Long term partnerships with grassroots organisations, built to create short, medium and long term goals for each project and guarantee that every team makes a lasting difference.
Working with the coastal communities of Brazil is integral to conserving the Atlantic Rainforest. Nowhere is conservation and development more closely tied than here in the last fragments of forest. The cultural awareness and insight that can be gained here through planting trees, sourcing clean water and playing Capoeira, with the local communities is unique. This relationship is inspiring and empowering local people to achieve what they could only have dreamed of previously.
Through expert professional project managers and local co-ordinators who source food, materials and labour locally whilst adhering to strict environmental and ethical policies, we guarantee that together we will make a very positive difference. During the Brazilian Immersion and Language Phase you will be staying with the community of Candeal. The donation for the activities that you take part in provide year round support to the community associations and help to reinforce the strong cultural and musical heritage of the area. Part of your donation also goes to provide help to a family as part of our 'adopt a family' scheme.
The Problem
QUEST has joined forces with Brazilian NGO Amainan and the International conservation charity Flora and Fauna International to work with the local community of Cairu to safeguard one of the last remaining areas of primary Atlantic Rainforest on the continent. The Atlantic Rainforest of South America is lesser known than its more famous cousin, the Amazon. It is however far more threatened. The Atlantic Rainforest originally stretched uninterrupted from Northern Brazil to Argentina offering more biological diversity than even the Amazon Rainforest. Following centuries of unsustainable exploitation now less than 7% of the original forest remains. As a consequence the unique flora and fauna of the region face ever increasing threats to their survival. Equally at threat are the disadvantaged human communities whose livelihoods depend on the health of their local forest. The local population exists on the fishing industry together with the harvest of certain native materials from the forest. The population is not growing substantially but in today's changing world they are finding it increasingly difficult to earn a living.
The Solution
Quest Overseas has teamed up with Brazilian charity Amainan Brasil to help provide the support and skills necessary to establish sustainable development in the region and help rescue the Atlantic Rainforest from the brink of extinction.
Past Achievements
In 2006 our teams:
1. Planted and GPS marked over 1000 'Pau Brasil' trees. These native trees will not only provide a resource for local communities when they have developed but because they have been marked, trees can be sponsored by companies or individuals to bring a sustainable and steady income into the communities.
2. Constructed the main structure for a Floating Research Centre.
3. Organised and taught several hours of English language classes for local youth group.
4. Created and took part in two theatrical performances, 'Cinderella' for the young kids, and 'Pau Brasil' a play with an environmental message about deforestation.
5. Organised Easter Day celebration, involving theatre, chocolate eggs and ice cream for over 300 children!
6. Every member of team was given a Capoeira baptism at a local festival after learning Capoeira for one month. Every Capoeirista gained a 'cord' as their first qualification.
7. Assisted in various artisanal projects, helping to create jewellery, make mats and paint tiles.
8. Sieved and shovelled soil before filling hundreds of sacks for new seedlings at the nursery.
9. Never mind playing and losing several football matches, taking part in one large cake fight and having lots of fun in between.
For further information please visit the Quest4Change website.
Partner History
QUEST works with Amainan Brasil, a Brazilian Non-Governmental Organisation who develops environmental and social projects in communities of the Atlantic Rainforest. Amainan Brasil’s mission is to work together with Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Communities helping them to understand and conserve their environment and culture. Based on this mission, Amainan has been seeking the reduction of the local and global impacts of deforestation, assuring future generations have the opportunity to know, interact and benefit from local biodiversity, in a sustainable way.
QUEST first started working with Amainan in Cairu in June 2005 through our contacts at Flora and Fauna International. All volunteer activities are coordinated by Amainan Brasil to help foster sustainable development and are developed in partnership with local groups and the communities.
Amainan Brasil has worked in the region for six years delivering environmental education and developing sustainable livelihood initiatives to empower the local community and help protect the Atlantic Rainforest from further depletion. The hard working and committed team are working on a voluntary basis with the goal to encourage leadership amongst local people in the creation of community based cooperative businesses and the formation of a preservation area that allows partial and sustainable use of natural resources.
Rudy, the director, has an unending supply of famously bad jokes to help keep volunteers entertained.
What Help Is Required?
Primarily this is a community based project and you will be integrated into this small and friendly community. There are numerous projects needing your support but Amainan have chosen to focus QUEST teams' time into some of the following areas:
Forest regeneration - Help restore the Atlantic Rainforest by preparing seedlings in our nursery and planting native species deep in the forest. You'll be accompanied by local guides (and donkeys!) and use Global Positioning Systems to keep track on the trees you have planted.
Teaching English - Young people and adults alike are extremely keen to learn English to increase their skill base. Last year's classes proved so popular that we had to find new classrooms in the beautiful monastery just to house all the keen students.
Improving Local Living Conditions - You'll make life better for local families by repairing and improving living conditions or installing solar stoves to lessen the impact of fuel wood on the forest. We also plan to renovate a local community centre.
Floating Research Centre Construction - You'll help to complete the building of a floating field research centre. Working with sustainable materials you'll learn basic carpentry, construction and thatching skills in the completion of a floating house. This will be used by visiting academic researchers carrying out much needed scientific and survey work in the region.
Capoeira - You'll help support a local initiative offering Capoeira lessons to local kids. You'll get super fit with daily classes in the famous Brazilian dance-like martial art. A qualified Master and his troupe of gravity-defying assistants will provide you with expert training in the art of Capoeira and teach you how to play traditional Capoeira musical instruments such as the berimbau and djembe drums.
Community Theatre - You'll collaborate with a local youth theatre group to devise a play with an environmental message, to be performed for children in the community. Involvement can range from a starring role in the play to set or costume design, script development and direction.
You'll tour the islands on our cine-theatre boat showing films to the children of surrounding islands.
Location
Cairu "land of the sun" is an island paradise located off the Bahian coast of Brazil. It lies within one of the few remaining fragments of Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest.