For some time now, and I maintain Dilan often, in our finite week outputs as well as evening events, visit the neighboring village of Palmares. A little break from the quiet paradise garden Terra Mirim can have two 20 year old not hurt, yes, we thought.
has the youth group camping a few weeks ago we integrated into the German community, (drinking glass with garlic soap, toothpaste ....) no later than the entrance exam, we have become part of the family. They learned to know each other and what my time here has enriched significantly since then, becomes friends with local young people with no fixed terms of Terra Mirim. We learned little by little, that this youth group under the direction of some end-20s (at least according to ID) is still in its infancy and the desire grow is to link to adolescent interests with social motives, and while the boys and girls to get from the street where the road is paved on the straight and narrow. Was then placed together in October a great Halloween party on the legs: a party room, with nearby rain water tank or pool, was organized as delicious food genauo African recipe. 250 people should the "hall" fill and a DJ playing chart hits from the Beatles to Bush (!). And the best part of the Thing: the entrance fee - either a kilo of rice, sugar, beans, or similar - Was achieved by all, then collected and distributed the following day to needy families. Thus took advantage of it the whole village: Sales for the completely overrun the corner store, a great masked ball, at which the back remember while most dark, but at the same time with joy, and full bellies in Palmares.
course, the group should not ausseinanderdiffundieren for this type opening ceremony again and so it was decided to convene regular weekly group meetings to discuss current events and ideas. This has been recently that plans for building a house for the family of a girl of our Group started. Their current dwelling can be described well with "danger of a collapse, crooked mud hut," which really only gets the furniture on the walls a little maintenance. The groundbreaking ceremony was already set and ready to dig the floor plan in the soil. The problem now is to maintain the participation of the group until the house is really finished. Due to time problems can only carry out the construction on Sundays and that makes it difficult to motivate one or the other, to tackle. But there is hope!
About our new friends we were integrated over time into the life of this village. So you know now the Bahian cook from the corner, the barber for 1.50 €, the supermarket (Wine is cheaper than water), the Playstation area, not to mention the five different churches in the 5000 inhabitants little place. But the obvious problems come to us in the eye and of course as I see it as my job as Weltwaertsentsendeter understand open the door to other realities to Germany, I would like to explain this a little closer. Actually, the whole village has no real water supply. Many residents get their water by using buckets from a river or off (sometimes dirty) Well, only some roads are connected to a public drinking water system that indulges in the rest, sometimes weeks of downtime. The hygienic and thus health risks from this are obvious. In addition, this is exacerbated by the fact that a sewer does not exist. Liquid waste of all kinds are as yet unknown in the surrounding waters derived. Waters to be bathed in them. Waters, which is drunk from.
Let's waste management. A little anecdote to this: One day I allowed myself a water in Palmares. Of course it is this here ONLY packaged in plastic bottles, moreover ONLY in 500ml bottles - have been completed with the plastics industry, which contract the Getraenkehersteller, I do not want to know first. In any event, the Brazilian politics at this point even more upside potential, or are some bribery case in some ministries of the environment to work in some states. Now I enjoy so noble that drops almost 40 degrees in the shade, and before I knew it, my elixir of life was already gone low. As exemplary, environmentally conscious citizen I looked now on the busiest street of the village for a (plastic) for trash. Unfortunately I did not find it. My drawn face of helplessness said, a boy's youth group, on top of that a member of the Conservation Youth by Terra Mirim, I should just throw the garbage on the floor. A quick glance to the side made me realize that this practice in the village is probably long-running, but I wanted to at least the basic experience of my counterpart, which reads as follows: "if we are to trash the floor, throw our friends a job and can make money, where they pick it up again. "Were it not for the many mosquitoes and stray dogs that feed on the waste and spread as diseases, not to mention the stench and not just the aesthetic . vision, you get on many postcards from Brazil to face
Another fact is Palmares, unfortunately, often fatal: the village lies on a major highway and is this divided into two parts because there is a traffic light does not exist and the road. executed perfectly straight through the town in the past did not come to a small population in trying to cross the street in their village, no wonder -.. at the time as continuous Traffic stream pace in 70th Even a senior member of the youth group is querschnittgelaehmt - he was hit by a car in Palmares. For these reasons it was one morning in Palmares, a large protest with full closure of the road and half the village gathered on it. This has sought at least to hinder that at Ortsein and output small Betonhuegel the unhindered by traffic. This event took place prior to the time when Dilan and I arrived here. But the fact that the eight year old son of our beloved youth group leader in mid-November, on the pavement running, run over and injured received life shows us that the issue is not solved a long time. Luckily it's the boy well again and he can be the beginning of January is released from the hospital!
is another source of annoyance in addition to the close proximity of the road: the passage of unwelcome figures from other parts of Bahia. Especially during the festive season - everyone needs a gift - right on the big street several cars and motorcycles were stolen, and attacked a supermarket. Due to the distance between the seat the next police station in Simoes Filho Palmares and the outer district police arrived the called regularly to one hour after events at the site, which may of course be no permanent solution. Two weeks ago, was now working with the major of the police in Simoes Filho, and about 50 representatives of on the outskirts of the city living (Envoy of Terra Mirim - Max S.) a safety conference convened to go to the problems on the ground. Since the police have to only 150 emergency services a huge area to control a length in the drawn 150,000 people city, there are unfortunately on their part is absolutely not to expect much. An anonymous hotline was set up and a good thing, a Security Council of committed citizens founded. This will now meet weekly, with the police are in contact, share information and while in the surrounding villages all events subordinate document.
a very interesting process here is set in motion in my opinion, because, Similar to the past is far from street protests, and recently the solidarity of the people on the other is stimulated. The dialogue among the residents is encouraged and developed a public awareness of what is to be reflected in the near future, politically. Apart from a more successful roadblock in the village as a sign of protest against an illegal Chemikalienverkippung in the adjacent forest, and finally there are initiatives to mobilize for a common voice for a sound water supply. Dilan and I try to follow as much as possible from these processes and a kind of dialogue interface over to fill the specialized civil rights and environmental experts in Terra Mirim with the inhabitants of Palmares. Since we are finally in the project with another youth group work, there is a lively exchange of information.
A German buyer will through us, only a few days old, protest initiative has about 30 young people from the region and Terra Mirimvertreter before the doors of City Hall led the city. There, we prepared a protest against a shady new environmental law - the first "demonstration" here in living memory! With the necessary calm and organized talks between the Environment Minister and five representatives from among us were able to Schluesselforderungen about citizen participation in environmental issues in the new law be included. A great success, even if, to the annoyance of some protesters, the painted "No democracy" - posters were rolled once. Those who read this may want more, like once OVER HERE LOOK .
How do you see, a lot of the Vale do Itamboata and Palmares! I am personally of the opinion that especially the last section of this report reflects exactly what I mean by "Weltwaerts. to have democracy in frustration citizen initiatives drain, realities, compare active to distribute leaflets to address together the problems - that is a voluntary service for the purpose of international understanding. guess is precisely why I use this newly acquired portfolio includes so much more than almost anything else here.
is precisely why Palmares for me a wonderful and charming place where there are also wonderful people. Palmares gives us all something back, rather than how we Germans had to listen to, unfortunately, frequently in excess to sink into his problems!
Part 1 - Insights into the health system
Part 2 - Palmares, a town struggles
Part 3 - Salvador da Bahia
Part 4 - The Christian Church in Brazil - a blessing?
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