As you can tell, it was a looong trip to the interior of Pernambuco. We went to the city of Afogados da Ingazeira, which is about a four hour bus ride inland from Recife. We met with Marcio, a representative with Diaconia, the NGO we've been working with on our internship. During our meeting, Marcio told us a little bit about some of the sustainability projects they do with the local farmers, such as water storage and biodigestors. What stood out to me the most was that he said that Diaconia's intention is to help people "
aprender a fazer, fazendo." Which means learning how to do something by doing it. So when Diaconia goes and helps a farmer dig a well, they teach him how to do it. This works really well because most Brazilians, especially those in the rural areas, are not selfish, but have a strong sense of community. So, when a farmer who knows how to dig a well finds out his neighbor needs one, he will go and help his neighbor to dig one, teaching him that new skill. This way, that new skill begins to spread itself throughout the community, helping all the families who live there. This hands-on method of teaching helpful skills seems like it has huge potential to help the families in Afogados to make a living off their farms.
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