Youth organize in times of crisis

Ferreira Lima
Young Multiplier of Agroecology

Since 2020, the world has suffered from the crisis, hunger, unemployment and the plague of the new coronavirus. In the countryside and in the city, they are different factors, the crisis is just one, but to different degrees, in the countryside everyone has housing, most are their own housing, everyone plant crops and this makes the hunger crisis not as heavy as in the city. In the Zona da Mata Sul of Pernambuco, in the municipality of Catende, in the rural area of Engenho Rochedo, residents received several donations of basic food baskets. The deliveries were made by the SAEC youth group, together with the Pernambuco Youth Forum (Fojupe), Fase and Fetape.

A good part of the population did not receive emergency aid in the amount of R$ 1,200.00 because their parents are heads of the family and they are the holders of the Bolsa Família. In addition, there was an uncontrolled increase in the value of food and the lack of employment, contributing greatly to the increase in hunger in this locality. Many of these produce, but do not consume what they plant, making the situation even worse. People often have to choose between paying their bills or buying food, a reality that affects a large part of the community. As a result, the number of beggars increased.

To help this situation, Fojupe, together with World Vision, wrote a project and managed to help the community with basic food baskets, hygiene material and an allowance of R$ 50 for young people between 15 and 27 years old. During the period of this action, the value of the emergency aid had already decreased to R$ 300. More donations were essential to help fight hunger, this time, the help came from the Quilombo dos Palmares Training School (Equip) together with Fetape, the Sabiá Center and the Bank Workers Union. Amid so many bad things happening, good news: no one in the community has contracted the Covid-19 virus, even with so much misinformation and neglect.

The situation is not easy, with a further decrease in the value of aid and an increase in the value of food and gas, the population is looking for ways to survive. Breeding, fishing and hunting are increasingly difficult, as fires are out of control in the region due to the sugarcane burning period. But hope remains in the hearts of each and every one, fighting for equality and food on everyone’s plate.