Welcome to Brazil where Tearfund is transforming lives through the provision of clean, fresh water.
You've arrived in Brazil, which is so large it borders every country in South America except Chile and Ecuador.
Come with us and see a World of Difference in the State of Paraíba, where Tearfund's partners are transforming lives through the provision of clean, fresh water.
Brazil is a country located on the east coast of South America that borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
Slide 1 of 3: 20 Million people live in extreme poverty
Slide 2 of 3: 4 million don’t have access to safe water
Slide 3 of 3: 61,000 signed a Tearfund youth petition to stop the exploitation of indigenous lands
20 Million people live in extreme poverty
4 million don’t have access to safe water
61,000 signed a Tearfund youth petition to stop the exploitation of indigenous lands
Tearfund mainly works in the semi-arid region in northern Brazil, where half of families live in poverty and lack of water is a huge concern. This area has just had its first rains after seven years of drought and there is little government support.
Our partner Ação Evangélica/Evangelical Action Brazil (ACEV) is providing rural communities with fresh water sources. These are even more essential for handwashing because of the current coronavirus pandemic.
Rita watering the community garden in Sítio Glória, Paraíba State, Brazil
Pipes and parties
Edna Maria da Silva at the top of Fonseca community by the community well.
Edna Maria da Silva, 33, can trace her ancestry back to the Quilombola people. That means she is descended from Afro-Brazilian slaves who escaped from plantations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
But her family was still trapped in bondage because of a lack of water in her home village, Comunidade Quilombola Fonseca. Fetching water for her three children used to take Edna the whole day.
‘We would wake up early,’ she says, ‘and take our donkey to Catole [the nearest water source 7km away]’. In Catole they would eat and wash a bundle of clothes before heading home to sleep. ‘We only came back at night. Those were suffering times.’
As a result, Edna's children would miss out on school. It was a tough life. ‘But the church came up with a solution,’ she says. ‘It was a blessing...’
Edna's life has been transformed thanks to the provision of a water tank, and consistent running water at home
The transformation started when we faced a very difficult time,’ says Edna. It began when a pastor from nearby, Francinaldo, visited the community. ‘He saw our struggles and had many conversations with our local church.’
With ACEV's help, Pastor Francinaldo launched a programme to bring water to the village. But first there was a lot of ground to prepare...
‘It's not about drilling a well, but developing a community,’ says Lindon Carlos from ACEV. ‘It takes time to bring everyone together. There is much work to be done before drilling can start.’ Lindon explained that while building a well is the result, building the community is the hardest part. ‘That takes time, but lasts for an eternity.’
After the community had been brought together, they identified the best place to drill a well. It was a kilometre outside Edna's neighbourhood. But ACEV's work uniting the community paid off...
‘It was the best celebration ever. There was singing and dancing. It was freedom!’
‘Everyone came together,’ Edna remembers. ‘It was very far, and hard work to dig and lay the pipes. But it was our handiwork that made it happen. It took around a month to complete.’
Now, every home in the community (around 30) has a nearby water source. Children are able to go to school, and villagers can use the water to irrigate the land, grow crops and rear animals to sell.
The whole community united for a day of celebration. ‘It was a party,’ says Edna. ‘It was the best celebration ever. There was singing and dancing. It was freedom!’
Antônio works and lives in the Arara community, Tavares, Paraíba state, Brazil.
Antônio loved his home – a remote rural community in Arara. He started farming alongside his father when he was seven. Lack of income forced Antônio to move to the nearby city of São Paulo. When he had enough money, he came home and bought land. But a lack of water made growing crops difficult.
Antônio's local church and ACEV helped to improve the pipes to better irrigate his land, and has a biodigester to produce natural fertiliser. As a result it is much more fertile, producing a bountiful crop of fruit and vegetables to sell. Antônio has written a poem in celebration of his life and home.
Left: Antônio draws water from his well. Right: Antônio tending to fruit and vegetables.
Here in this place
Where friendship is plentiful
And so many things are beautiful
There are roads to the city
Where outsiders come to visit
For generous is our welcome and hospitality
Gloriel Otília da Silva carries on the tradition of clay figurine making in the artisan town of Caruaru.
The town of Caruaru continues a tradition of making small statues with very long arms, made out of clay from the local river. They are offered as gifts to people who are far away to show that they care, and would love to give them a big cuddle. We're all missing hugs from friends and family, so why not send a gift or card to a loved one to show you miss them?
While you wait for your next destination, you can find more encouraging stories of transformation by taking a look back at all the other fantastic places we’ve visited with World of Difference here.
See destinationsWe hope you enjoyed your time in Brazil. Where will you be visiting next? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see…
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