The meeting, held in the municipality of Correntina, was attended by more than 38 beneficiaries of the PPP-ECOS public notice.
Between July 20th and 21st, ISPN held an Initial Workshop on Planning and Management of Eco-social Projects in Correntina, in western Bahia, a region known for land grabbing and invasion of lands belonging to traditional communities of enclosed pastures and peasant farmers.
Representatives from 12 initiatives in western Bahia, selected through the 36th PPP-ECOS Call for Proposals, were present, along with the strategic partner, the Community Association of Small Breeders of Fecho de Pasto de Clemente (ACCFC), selected through the 34th Call for Proposals. A total of 38 people, including 28 women, participated in the workshop.
“We took the risk of writing the project for this call for proposals because we have dreams to fulfill and also to strengthen the daily fight against the violation of our rights,” explains Aliene Barbosa e Silva, 43, from the village of Aparecida do Oeste, in the rural area of Correntina, and a member of the Environmental Preservation Association of Small Breeders of Fecho de Pasto de Tarto – one of the beneficiaries of the call for proposals.
The activity was conducted by technical advisors from the Cerrado and Caatinga Program of ISPN, and included training on Community Communication, offered by the Communication team, and on Accountability, with the administrative and financial advisory team.
“The workshop provided guidance on best practices to the coordinators and technicians of the selected projects, aiming to improve the development of the proposed activities and facilitate project accountability,” comments advisor Lívia Moura Carvalho. According to her, the interest and active participation of the more than 35 people present was “essential for the success of the meeting.”
Training in Communication is a strategic skill constantly in demand by community organizations, as it serves to strengthen their public presence in the surrounding area and as a tool for reporting issues and building relationships with other partners. Accountability, on the other hand, is the moment when beneficiaries learn about the management rules and have their questions answered about how to proceed with the correct accounting process.
Elizete Carvalho Fagundes Barreto, 38 years old, a resident of the Praia Community and member of ACCFC, explains that her expectation for the project is that "the landscape will be strengthened in terms of organization and quality of life for the territory."
As a strategic partner of ISPN in the Western Bahia landscape, ACCFC is responsible for a project that will benefit more than 1.500 families in the region and for providing support to other organizations in the execution of their projects.
Elizete also says that the workshop was an important learning experience to enrich the knowledge of those involved and exchange experiences. She also argues that the project can help strengthen communities and encourage people to stay longer in their territories.
At 17 years old, Maria Helloyza Magalhães, a resident of the Jatobá community, understands the importance of bringing young people and women closer to the tasks of the region. Therefore, activities are planned to strengthen the participation of women and youth, such as exchanges and training, within the project of the Community Association for the Defense of the Environment of the Breeders of Fecho Morrinhos between Morros Ribeirão and Gado Bravo.
The organization also wants to fence off the source and the 15 km stretch of the Ribeirão stream, which belongs to the 12-hectare area of Fecho do Entre Morros. Maria Helloyza emphasizes that the project's objective is fulfilled in the totality of its activities and aligns with "the defense of the Cerrado and the environment."
In the municipality, more than 18 inhabitants – out of 31 – live in rural areas, although approximately three out of four parts of the municipality are in the hands of 409 landowners, according to a survey conducted by the study. "Education, Struggles and Resistance: The MAB's Perspective on Capital's Strategies for the Appropriation of Water in the Corrente River Basin", from the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia.
The research, by Andréia Neiva, who participated in the meeting and is also a beneficiary of this PPP-ECOS grant, was published in booklet format entitled "The Thirst of Capital: land and water grabbing in the territory of the Corrente River basin" and received support from ISPN.
Cerrativistas
Aliene Barbosa, from the Tarto Pasture Enclosure Association, is a Cerrado activist. She was trained in the Cerrado Activism course in Western Bahia. In 2019, the city of Correntina hosted the first edition of the Cerrativistas Project, an initiative to strengthen activism for the Cerrado and enhance the performance of community leaders and organized civil society.
The publication "Cerrativism: an inspiring experience for training change agents" It was a product of the meeting. Check out the material. here.
About the notice
O 36th PPP-ECOS Call for Proposals It was published on February 3 of this year as part of the Seventh Operational Phase of the Small Grants Program (SGP) in Brazil, supported by resources from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Through this program, 22 Cerrado conservation initiatives were selected, 10 in the Upper Jequitinhonha Valley in Minas Gerais, and 12 in Western Bahia. The 2 strategic partners, one in each region, were selected through call for proposals 34.
To see the list of selected projects, click here. here.