The I.C.B.I.E. Blog

(English translation below)

Palafitas:  Erradicação em contagem regressiva.

O artigo postado em 24 de março deste, sob o título “The Engineers Visit Alagados” do estudante Aaron Johnson Benjamim, da Howard University Washington D.C., sobre os problemas sociais presenciados por ele durante visita as Palafitas e a área da favela, fez-me refletir e fazer algumas considerações a respeito desse assunto emblemático.
A verdade é que qualquer cidadão ao ter contato com a realidade local fica triste com o quadro desolador. Eu por exemplo, fiquei estarrecido! Neste ano, já estive por três vezes, duas acompanhado dos grafiteiros Xluts e Prisk, fazendo registros de grafites nas barracas e outra com os estudantes americanos.

Quando se fala em Alagados, vem imediatamente as “Palafitas”, existente há décadas. Alagados não é uma favela. Alagados se tornou uma designação. Muitos moradores da região evitam esse nome. Preferem dizer que moram no Uruguai, Jardim Cruzeiro ou Massaranduba. As palafitas são barracas de madeira muito frágeis, apoiadas por estacas fincadas na enseada dos Cabritos, que desemboca na Baía de Todos os Santos. Os acessos pelas pontes estreitas que conduz as barracas são um perigo. Quem não conhece bem está sujeito a pisar no buraco e cair na água. O cheiro forte que exala das fezes é insuportável, além do lixo, entulhos e garrafas plásticas que são jogados nas margens da enseada, tornando o ambiente degradante.

Os moradores das Palafitas são considerados de segunda classe até pelos que residem na favela em terra firme. Os problemas são muitos: extrema pobreza, falta de higiene e alimentação adequada (às vezes se alimentam de mariscos colhidos no lodo perto das palafitas), verminoses, diaréias, entre outros.

As ONGs, instituições e grupos culturais, voluntários e a própria comunidade se mobilizam para modificar esse panorama. Essa situação já tem prazo para as mudanças. O Governo do Estado da Bahia, através da Companhia de Desenvolvimento Urbano (Conder), com verbas do Banco Mundial e contra-partida do próprio Estado, está executando obras de urbanização integrada na área para construção de moradias populares (villages, apartamentos geminados e casas em terra) para transferência dos moradores das Palafitas. O prazo de conclusão da Etapa Alagados 4 é de 18 meses. Com a implantação das Etapas Alagados 5 e 6, o Governo pretende erradicar defitivamente as Palafitas. Vamos aguardar!

Txt e fotos: JFParanaguá.

Stilt Houses: Countdown to Demolition
The article posted by the student Aaron Johnson of Howard University in Washington DC on the 24th of this month under the title “The Engineers Visit Alagados,” regarding the social problems that he saw during the visit to the Alagados and the surrounding favelas, caused me to reflect and make a few observations regarding this emblematic assumption.

The truth is that anybody who comes in contact with the local reality is saddened by the decrepit state of things.  I, for example, was petrified!  This year I was there three times, twice while accompanying the graffiti artists Xluts e Prisk, taking pictures of their artworks in the shacks, together with some American students.

When you speak of Alagados, stilt houses immediately come to mind.  They have been there for decades.  Alagados is not a favela.  Alagados is something worse.  Many inhabitants avoid using that name.  They prefer to say that they live in Uruguai, Jardim Cruzeiro or Massaranduba. The stilt houses are shacks made of flimsy wood, resting on poles driven into the Inlet “dos Cabritos” that leads into the Bay of All Saints.  The access along the narrow plankways that lead to the shacks is dangerous.  Anyone who is unfamiliar with walking on them could slip in a crack and fall in the water.  The strong stench that arises from the sewage is unbearable, along with the garbage, debris and plastic bottles that are dumped on the edge of the inlet, completing the degraded environment.

The inhabitants of the stilt houses are considered to be second class citizens, compared to those who reside in the favelas on land.  The problems are many: extreme poverty, lack of hygiene and adequate diet (sometimes they eat shellfish that they catch under their houses), worms, diarrhea, and so forth.

NGOs, institutions and cultural associations, volunteers and members of the community are mobilized to modify this panorama.  This situation already has a deadline for change.  The government of the State of Bahia, through the Company for Urban Development (Conder), with funds from the World Bank and a matching sum from the state, is executing integrated urbanization works in the area, for the construction of popular housing (villages, bi-familiar dwellings, and houses on the land), where the inhabitants of the stilt houses will be relocated. The time limit for completion of the fourth stage of the Alagados is set for 18 months.  With the introduction of stages 5 and 6, the government intends to definitively erradicate the stilt houses.  We’ll be watching!

Text and photos: JFParanaguá.

This morning, Mestre Pedro’s son announced the welcome news.  The Children of the Rising Sun Association has opened its own website!

It contains information regarding their projects, events and music.

Here is the link; it will also appear on this blog’s sidebar, for future reference.

www.filhosdosolnascente.com
Mestre Pedro, through his inspiring work, proudly transmitting the purest traditions of Afro-Brazilian culture, offers precious opportunities to some of Salvador’s poorest kids, and the ICBIE supports him in every way possible!

Our great new friends from the Howard University chapter of Engineers Without Borders returned to Washington on Sunday, after their intense week in Salvador.  Aaron Johnson was kind enough to send these terrific pictures and this touching description of their visit to the Alagados.

I’d like to share with you a few pics and thoughts about our walk and art activity in the palafitas near ICBIE on the morning of March 18th 2009. It was one of the most gripping experiences I’ve ever had. Internet research about this location prior to our trip provided my eyes with only a minuscule amount of preparation for what my heart was left to confront in reality.

After a brief ride in the bed of Paranagua’s pick-up truck through a near by favela, Julio, Marcos, Bigod, Paranagua, and Richard vigilantly escorted us through a labyrinth of cramped dry-land homes and crudely constructed stilt habitations elevated over a significantly polluted estuary. Dozens of people milled about, taking little notice of our group until we began dispensing our meager supply of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and sanitary napkins donated to us for this purpose. The gracious gratitude each person expressed for these tokens, and the overall benevolence of every resident passer-by and those who gazed at us while we assisted the grafiteiros in decorating the exterior walls of several homes with spray paint, soothed any trepidation of calamity, and allowed us to become fully engrossed in the moment. The spray paint supply was at a minimum, consequently, several requests made by resident children for the grafiteiros to adorn their families homes with art pieces alas, had to be relinquished.

The trip was resounding success by all accounts, and much more activity packed than any of us could have ever anticipated. We’ve all gained a greater compassion for humanity because of you and Pietro, and I know the experience will never be forgotten by anyone in our group. Thank you!

(English translation below)

A matéria publicada abaixo é do meu amigo jornalista Carlos Alberto Reis, e colega da assessoria de Comunicação Social da Empresa Baiana de Águas e Saneamento S/A – Embasa.  Fiquei muito contente ao saber através da sua ligação telefônica que já estava nos aguardando no auditório da Universidade Corporativa no Parque Deputado Paulo Jackson, para fazer a cobertura da palestra dos técnicos da empresa, durante a visita dos estudantes da Howard University de Washington DC (USA), para conhecer detalhes do Programa de Esgotamento Sanitário Bahia Azul  e o funcionamento da Estação de Condicionamento Prévio – ECP.

Foi muito importante a sua presença, tendo em vista ter sido ele na época da implantação do programa, o responsável pela comunicação na Embasa, atendendo a mídia, gerando matérias e, às vezes - usando um jargão jornalístico -, sendo um verdadeiro bombeiro apagando fogo. Por isso, sugeri que fizesse uma explanação em inglês. Contando ainda com ajuda de Pietro Gallina, seus esclarecimentos sobre o assunto foram bem assimilados pelo grupo. Ele deu conta do recado!
JFParanaguá.

Estudantes de engenharia norte-americanos visitam o Parque Deputado Paulo Jackson
Um grupo de estudantes de engenharia norte-americanos visitou na terça feira, 17, o Parque Deputado Paulo Jackson para conhecer de perto o funcionamento da estação de condicionamento prévio, localizada no bairro do Rio Vermelho. Todos fazem parte da instituição EWB (Engenheiros sem Fronteiras) e vieram a Salvador com o objetivo de ter contato com a comunidade e observar projetos de infra-estrutura desenvolvidos na cidade. O foco, na formação destes estudantes, é a preservação dos recursos naturais e das fontes de energia. Por esta razão, havia um grande interesse do grupo em questões como re-uso da água, destinação de resíduos e consumo de energia elétrica em sistemas de esgotamento sanitário.
Acompanhados por Pietro Gallina (presidente do Instituto Cultural Brasil Itália Europa - ICBIE), o grupo formado pelo engenheiro e professor Brian Stephenson e Paige Piggott, Helen O´Connor, Aaron Johnson, Alanna Wallace, estudantes de Engenharia de Estruturas na Howard University, de Washington D.C., ouviram a exposição sobre o funcionamento da ECP feita pelos técnicos da Empresa Baiana de Águas e Saneamento S/A – Embasa, José Lins Vilella, José Luis Costa e Alfredo Tourinho.

O grupo da Howard University deve permanecer em Salvador, com o patrocínio da Engenheiros sem Fronteiras, até a conclusão do projeto que estão desenvolvendo para a construção de um teatro social No ICBIE, na Ribeira. A Embasa, através do seu Museu Arqueológico, coordenado por José Francisco Paranaguá, mantém contato com o Instituto Cultural Brasil Itália Europa, visando o desenvolvimento de atividades sócio-culturais em áreas carentes da Ribeira.
Txt: Carlos Alberto Reis
Fotos: JFParanaguá

The article published below is by my journalist friend Carlos Alberto Reis, who is in the Department of Social Communications for the Bahian Water and Sanitation Company  – Embasa.  After conferming the appointment by phone, I was really happy to know that he was already waiting for us in the auditorium of the Corporative University, located in the Deputy Paulo Jackson Park, to install a roof over the gym used by the company technicians, and where he received the visit by the students from Howard University in Washington, DC.  The students wanted to understand the details of the Bahia Azul Sanitary Sewage Program and the operation of the Primary Sewage Treatment Plant – ECP.

His presence was very important, because he had been following the program since its inception, responsible for EMBASA public relations, meeting the media, producing publicity releases and, at times, using journalistic jargon, being like a real arsonist lighting fires.  And for that reason, I suggested that he make his explanations in English.  Counting on the assistence of Pietro Gallina, his descriptions of the functions were clearly understood by the group.  Here is his version of the story!

JFParanaguá

American Engineering Students vist the Deputy Paulo Jackson Park
On Tuesday the 17th, a group of American engineering students visited the Deputy Paulo Jackson Park in the Rio Vermelho district of Salvador, to understand up close how the primary sewage treatment station works.   All of them were members of the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) and they came to Salvador in order to make contacts in the community and observe infrastructure projects under construction in the city.  These students have focused upon the conservation of natural resources and energy sources in their studies.  For this reason, questions of how to recycle water and waste products while conserving electricity in sanitary sewage systems was the focus of their interest.

Accompanied by ICBIE President Pietro Gallina, the group, including the engineer and professor Brian Stephenson and Howard University Structural Engineering students Paige Piggott, Helen O’Connor, Aaron Johnson and Alanna Wallace, heard a presentation regarding the operation of the ECP from EMBASA technicians José Lins Vilella, José Luis Costa e Alfredo Tourinho.

The Howard University group will continue to work in Salvador, under the patronage of the Engineers Without Borders, until the completion of their project to build a social theater at the ICBIE in Ribeira.  EMBASA, through its Archeological Museum, coordinated by José Francisco Paranaguá, maintains contacts with the Institute of Culture Brazil Italy Europe, observing the development of socio-cultural activities in the needy areas of Ribeira.

Txt: Carlos Alberto Reis
Fotos: JFParanaguá

(English translation below)

Fora da agenda
No último sábado (14) a presença de público visitando a expo foi constante.  Na manhã desse dia, precisamente não me lembro o horário, mas creio ter sido às 7 horas, recepcionei os meus amigos Pietro Gallina e Bogus (ICBIE), e depois acompanhados pelo grupo de professores e alunos da Howard University Washington DC (USA), recém chegados dos Estados Unidos.

Considero essa visita um privilegio. Faço essa ressalva, levando-se em conta o cansaço, aproximadamente 13 horas de viagem, a burocracia no check out, atualmente mais rigorosa, além da necessidade de um banho para refrescar ou deitar para descansar. Mesmo assim, eles tiveram disposição e a consideração de conhecer o meu trabalho e observar detalhadamente cada peça exposta. Despertou a atenção do grupo, quando Aaron Johnson pediu-me um canetão (material usado pelos grafiteiros) para desenhar as letras da Howard University, interagindo com a sigla do ICBIE e, no final, assinado pelo autor, Paige Piggott, Helen O’Connor, Tiffany Smith, Alanna Wallace, Danielle Stephenson, Margot Stephenson, Samantha Scott, Arielle Maria Benjamin e Brian Stephenson.

No período da tarde, cerca de 30 alunos, entre nove e 12 anos, da Escolinha de Futebol Nelson Leal da cidade de Mata de São João (BA),  acompanhados pela professora Sandra Virginia e do coordenador Cacau, tiveram a oportunidade de vivenciar novas experiências.  Através do programa elaborado pelos responsáveis da Escolinha, as atividades extra classe, tem proporcionado aos alunos  conhecer espaços culturais, exposições e locais como o Aeroporto Internacional de Salvador Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhães.

JFParanaguá.

Overtime
Last Saturday (the 14th) a constant flow of people visited the exposition.  In the morning, I don’t remember the exact hour, but I think it was about 7 o’clock, I received my friends Pietro Gallina and Bogus (ICBIE), and then we accompanied the group of professors and students from Howard University in Washington, DC, who had just arrived from the United States.

I consider this visit to be a real privilege.  I have to give them credit, they came despite the fatigue of approximately 13 hours of travel, the bureaucracy at customs, which is more rigid these days, without asking to take a bath to freshen up or to collapse into a bed.  Instead, they were willing and considerate, eager to discover my work and to closely observe in detail every piece in the exposition.  Their attention rivived when Aaron Johnson asked me for a marker pern (the kind used by the graffiti writers) to design the letters of Howard University, including the logo of the ICBIE and, finally, the signatures of the authors, Paige Piggott, Helen O’Connor, Tiffany Smith, Alanna Wallace, Danielle Stephenson, Margot Stephenson, Samantha Scott, Arielle Maria Benjamin e Brian Stephenson.

In the afternoon, about 30 students between the ages of nine and twelve from the Nelson Leal Soccer School of Mata de São João (BA),  accompanied by their professor Sandra Virginia and the coordinator Cacau, seized the opportunity for new experiences.  Through the program put together by the directors of the school, the extra-curricular activities intend to introduce the students to cultural spaces, expositions and structures such as the Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhães International Airport of Salvador.

JFParanaguá.

On Saturday, March 13, a group of ten people arrived at ICBIE from the United States to begin their first phase of helping to develop and construct the ICBIE theater! There are seven students: Arielle Benjamin, Aaron Johnson, Helen O’Connor, Paige Piggott, Samantha Scott, Tiffany Smith, and Alanna Wallace, along with their mentors, Brian Stephenson and Margot Stephenson-Threatt with her daughter, Danielle Stephenson-Threatt.  They are very excited to be here, and will continue to blog about their time spent here for the week in Brasil.

Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Pietro Gallina and were almost immediately exposed to the works of ICBIE in the airport through the exhibit by Paranaguá, and were introduced to the works of the grafitti artists from ICBIE.  Then, taking the drive from the airport to Ribeira, the team was able to see the community, and once arriving at ICBIE, and after finally seeing the space that will be used for construction, they immediately saw the potential for great work to be done.

On Sunday, the team traveled to the city of Castro Alvez, and met with some members of the city council.  They visited the museum in the city, learning about the history of Castro Alvez and some Brasilian culture.  The team also helped the graffiti artists design two murals in the city and speak to many people to get an idea of what living in Brasil is like.

Yesterday, the team had its first meeting with one of the architects in Salvador to learn about the current laws to help with our design for the new space for ICBIE.  The team also asked questions about water supply for the new space, the needs for the new classrooms and space for capoeira and hapkido classes.  They also introduced their basic plans for the space, and will continue during the week to complete the plans for construction.

But it hasn’t been all work, because the team has really enjoyed going to the beach, or even just walking to the sorveteria for a late snack!  It’s safe to say that our 10 hour trip here so far has been worth it and more than we’ve asked for, and we look forward to building our relationship with ICBIE for years to come.  We are very excited and ready to get to work to helping this dream of a theater become a reality!

Ciao!

While waiting for the first report from the Engineers Without Borders,  there is still plenty of news.  The new Street Lab Project, which kicked off in January with the big “happening” in Massaranduba, is now in full swing and the excitement is palpable, with a rich series of ICBIE courses that began on Thursday.

Finally, these courses benefit from solid public support, coming from the City of Salvador and the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna, together with our most faithful supporters from ARCI Solidarietà.  The program was established during an important meeting that was held at the ICBIE between Christmas and New Year’s, with Salvador City Superintendent Edvando Luis Castro Pinto (Tucunaré), the Secretary of the Salvador Graffita Project Ms. Amine and the two representatives from ARCI Solidarietà in Reggio Emilia Riccardo Faietti and Giulia Bassi, along with the ICBIE’s Pietro Gallina and Marlene De Souza and the newly appointed coordinator of the Oficina di Rua Project Júlio Pereira Costa.

The curriculum has been enriched with a new course in Citizenship and Group Leadership, taught by our fabulous hapkido instructor, Augusto Carvalho, in order to prepare the graffiti artists and other interested young adults for the important work with the street children of the most difficult Salvador neighborhoods.

The rest of the curriculum (which is restored to its former glory thanks to the generous contributions from all of our friends) contains the typical ICBIE offerings, with a novelty or two;  besides the regular computer science classes, Marlene’s Italian and Mary Overby’s English courses, Pietro is teaching a course in Art History, appropriately complimenting Júlio’s courses in drawing and graffiti wall painting.

In order to adequately document the many phases of this innovative socio-cultural project, Júlio has opened an Oficina de Rua blog!  He has already posted many wonderful pictures, a video and written descriptions (in Portuguese).  Bookmark this right now!

http://oficinaderua.blogspot.com/

As part of the institutional support, funding has also been provided to improve our physical facilities, and during the past couple weeks, a beautiful new roof has been built in the hostel area, covering a big area outside the kitchen and providing a usable space even when it rains.

Today is a really big day in the history of the ICBIE.  At this very moment, a crew of Engineers Without Borders from Howard University in Washington, DC are climbing on a plane to fly to Salvador, where they will begin their big project to build a community theater at the ICBIE! This is a real dream come true!

Thanks to our friend Phillip Wagner at Rhythm of Hope, we filled out the big application to Engineers Without Borders in the fall of 2007; they accepted our application in December of that year, but then it took another ten months for a local EWB chapter to take on the project, until the people at Howard University signed on for it last October (see old ICBIE blog post).  Here is a chart showing the procedure that we followed:

The United States division of EWB has 12,000 idealistic engineers, architects, medical professionals, teachers, and students in 300 chapters around the country, now working in 47 countries around the world.  The Howard University chapter is very active, already working on projects in Panama and Kenya, and they have solid support, with a number of big corporations who help with their funding.   On the Howard University website, they describe their programs (including ours) in their latest newsletter.

The EWB crew will work continuously for years, until the theater is fully equipped, to provide a model installation, ecologically friendly, built of local materials (they are planning a roof made of bamboo!) and suited to the particular needs of the community.  The ICBIE is honored to have been chosen by these wonderful people, and we’re anxious to get going on the actual construction.

Check back with us often during the coming days… there’s going to be a lot of news!

Veronique na expo

Ontem pela tarde (dia 9), a minha amiga Veronique Gob, durante a sua permanência no Aeroporto Internacional de Salvador, enquanto aguardava o embarque para Lisboa (Portugal) com destino final em Barcelona, visitou a exposição fotográfica que se encontra em cartaz até o dia 19 deste. Na foto, ela escreve uma mensagem de carinho para mim, além da sua tag vinculada com a marca da Nova10ordem.

Verô, muito obrigado!

JFParanaguá.

Late in the afternoon on the day of March 9th, my friend Veronique Gob, while passing through the International Airport of Salvador, waiting to board her plane for Lisbon, Portugal, with a final destination of Barcelona, visited my photographic exposition that is being held through the 19th of the month.  In the photo, she is writing a sweet message for me, with her tag that is tied with that of Nova10ordem.

Many thanks, Verô!

JF Paranaguá

After the big splash in The International Educator, the same story about the Bridge to Bahia project has now been published in the other principal periodical read in all the English-speaking international schools.  NewsLinks is published by a company called International Schools Services,  which runs the big recruiting fairs where aspiring teachers get hired to teach overseas.  Once again, the model partnership between the American Overseas School of Rome and the ICBIE is described, offering inspiration to other schools, in the hope that they, too, will initiate effective grassroots programs for helping communities in the third world.

The ICBIE is attracting more and more attention, thanks to the innovative program that it has developed.  But the support network of schools, associations, companies and even governments that keep the ICBIE going is also a remarkable creature, and one that can be reproduced by other deserving NGOs.