Eco group

Translated by Juan Silva

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Eco Group is an organization that acts in Favela Santa Marta since 1976. It is a non-profit organization with a cultural and educational nature, meant to promote and support activities and initiatives that aims the full humane development of people. With special attention to children and adolescents in, and eventually out, of the Favela Santa Marta, always seeking human dignity; the full exercise of citizenship; strengthen community solidarity; contributing therefore to the construction of a fair, free and participatory society.

Eco group presentation

The group has its place of origin in Santa Marta, Favela located in the Botafogo Neighborhood. This community has been here since 1930 and today it has a population of approximately seven thousand residents. Among them, 22% is in the age group of 5 to 14 years old.

The organization is one of the oldest institutions of this place, along with the Catholic church, the Residents ‘association and the soccer team. After the 2000s, other important organizations also appeared in this Favela.

Eco Group was born from the initiative of young residents of Santa Marta who decide to value the cultural manifestations of the favela and strengthen their internal organization, in search of improvements and rights. In late 1976, the ECO newspaper was created and started to be consumed within the favela. This activity brought visibility to the group, which made they earn the residents ‘s respect.  Communication, social formation and community organization are guidelines for this group from the beginning.  During this period of hard struggle, losses and victories, the Group built a solid history of respect and trust, both inside and outside the Favela.

In these almost 50 years of actions in the Favela Santa Marta, the Eco Group has been directly or indirectly linked to the struggle for the rights of residents and consolidation of the Favela as a place worth living.

Ways of Helping Santa Marta

The Covid-19 pandemic is already spread throw the city of Rio de Janeiro. It threatens mainly the 2 million residents of the Favelas, because of the local difficulties to keep up with the crucial guidelines for fighting the virus. Social isolation and strict hygiene habits can be both very challenging in these areas. 

The Protection All project was created by a group of liberal professionals and teachers with ties to the community.
About seven Thousand people live in this place, with a large amount of children and adolescents. But also, a great part, and increasing, of elderlies and women heads of household.

The economically active population works, most of them, at civil construction, sales, housekeeping and informal activities. 

That initiative started based on a simple and evident observation that the only way to hold back the covid-19 pandemic and to avoid an apocalyptical situation in our city, more than individual care, is to propose collective and solidarity activities.

We choose to financially support, on a small scale, 50 families of Santa Marta, donating a basic necessity kit for 3 months and paying local delivery workers to hand those kits to the families. Furthermore, we are offering a voucher in cash, to those workers for emergency.

Our commitment is to those 50 families, for 3 months.

The community leader Itamar Silva, president of School Without Walls Association – Eco group, will be the project ‘s coordinator. He will be responsible for choosing and delivering the donations to the benefited families, with the support of others local organizations. Itamar Silva graduated in Social Communications and is known by the members of this group for almost 40 decades. His work is recognized by the residents and organizations of the Favela Santa Marta.

BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION

Associação Escola Sem Muros – Grupo ECO
( School Without Walls Association – Eco group)

Banco/Bank: Banco do Brasil

CNPJ: 32.436.458/0001-84

Agência/Agency: 1569-5

Conta/Account: 32.373-X

PS1: We ask to identify the bank deposit with the expression “Take Care” and send the receipt, by whatsapp, to the person of the project who made contact with you.

So, we can keep track of donations and identify those who are collaborating with the project. Any amount donated is helpful.

PS2: Every fifteen days, will be sent a small report to our collaborators with informations about the development of the project Proteção para Todos/Protection to All.

We count on the contribution and mobilization of friends!

More than ever, it’s time for union and solidarity!

Thank You Very Much!

Other Actions against the coronavirus in Santa Marta

Dear friends and members of Eco Group,

We would like to share with you all our pride of all the protection and support initiatives that are happening for the families in Favela Santa Marta. Congratulations to the community leaders and thanks to all friends. It’s true that people need to stay at home and avoid agglomeration. Otherwise, any of this effort would not matter. Santa Marta is a blessed Favela. Lots of people have been contributing with the food collection campaign and hygiene initiatives that are so needed to prevent against Coronavirus. The initiative of Thiago Firmino and Tandy, that brought sanitization to Santa Marta, is setting an example for other Favelas and demonstrates what the government should be doing.

The protagonist role of residents‘ association, under the leadership of Zé Mário, has been reference to external donations and, fortunately, has reached a significant number of families in Santa Marta.  We, from Eco Group, are also doing our part and complementing the support for the residents of Santa Marta. We took the responsibility to deliver 50 basic necessities kit, for 3 months (April, May and June). This Initiative is only being possible because of the support of Eco‘s friends group that is giving away their own money and mobilizing other friends to raise necessary resources.

On this campaign, we decided to look closer to the local delivery workers that will receive necessary basic kit but will also deliver kits to the families in need. We know that the absolute majority of residents in Santa Marta need some kind of help. That is why we have to put pressure on our governments to guarantee our rights as citizens. However, in the meantime, we expand solidarity between us and help each other. We are in this together!

PS: Residents’ association and Eco Group are working together in one single families ‘list, so the names will not repeat. That way, more people will have the benefit.

Itamar Silva

Representing Eco group