Our valuable partnership with the Brazilian organization Doutores da Águas continues successfully.

Tirelessly, the Water Doctors bring medical examinations, free treatments, dental prostheses, and health screenings to the populations of the Amazon rainforest.

The initiative provides specialist medical assistance and health education through a hospital ship, specifically adapted to reach the most remote riverine communities. The ship is equipped with high-quality medical and dental infrastructures and a qualified team of volunteer professionals from all over Brazil.

The expeditions on board the hospital ship last for weeks and cover a route of nearly 3,000 kilometers by water, in the basins of the Negro and Madeira rivers, reaching 35 riverine communities in extremely remote regions of the states of Roraima and Amazonas.

Extraordinary Results:

• 16,721 medical examinations conducted between 2011 and 2023.
• 12,613 dental checks carried out in the same period.
• 1,000 dental prostheses delivered between 2017 and 2023.

Along the route, the main villages become true centers of reception, accommodation, and treatment for the natives who need healthcare. On board, a team of volunteers composed of educators, nurses, doctors, pediatricians, dentists, dental technicians, gynecologists, and infectious disease specialists offers specialist consultations, treatments, and free medications. Dental prostheses are also provided, and health education campaigns are organized, with particular attention to children, women, and food security.

This commendable mission represents a source of hope and health for the most remote communities of the Amazon, demonstrating how dedication and commitment can make a real difference in the lives of many.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the Italian doctor Alberto Vaona who, along with two other collaborators, conceived the initiative “Io Sono Amazzonia” (“I Am Amazonia”). During this adventure, the three protagonists crossed the Transamazonian Highway by bicycle with the aim of documenting the dire condition of the Amazon rainforest and its native inhabitants. Throughout the sporting endeavor, the cycling travelers promoted fundraising for the “Dottori delle Acque” (“Doctors of the Waters”) project through their social channels and among their contacts and followers.

We are pleased to share the latest results of the Strengthening Education project in the Jauaperi Reserve, which apart from providing environmental education, also focuses on rebuilding and renovating the reserve’s schools.

This mission, driven by the urgency following the devastating floods of 2021-2022, is carried out by the local cooperative CoopXixuaú with the support of Amazônia and Amazon Charitable Trust, in partnership with the Rorainopolis Department of School Education and the reserve authority Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio).

Schools are not just places of learning but the beating heart of local communities, the link to education for young people. Improving their conditions is crucial to support learning within unique forest contexts while preserving precious natural resources and traditional ways of life which rooted in the Amazonian culture.

Some schools, like the one in the Bela Vista village, required more than just renovation; they needed complete reconstruction. Thanks to the joint effort of CoopXixuaú and local residents, the reconstruction is now almost complete, and the inauguration of the new school is scheduled for next June!

Schools in the communities of the Jauaperi Reserve need to be rebuilt and teaching improved after the long interruption caused by Covid-19, worsened by the record floods of 2021 and 2022, and the latest extreme drought – phenomena that have caused significant structural damage to the schools. It is necessary to repair the water and sanitation systems and rehabilitate the kitchens to support municipal and national school meal programs, such as the National School Meals Program (PNAE). Some schools are inadequate for teaching and need materials to provide a safe and suitable learning environment for students and teachers, as well as conditions to ensure adequate food and water security in the schools. Therefore, the project is essential to complement the educational strategy of local governments, which struggle to provide basic materials and renew schools in the reserve’s villages.

The project’s purpose is to strengthen the basic education of children and youngsters by improving the school environment to allow better learning conditions and contribute to the development of the students. To achieve this goal, it focuses on two more specific objectives:

1. School Reconstruction: renew and rebuild, when necessary, the kindergartens and elementary schools in the reserve’s communities, providing construction materials according to their structural needs, as well as furniture and teaching equipment for the classrooms and kitchens;
2. Environmental Awareness: develop environmental awareness workshops with students and teachers, focused on nature conservation, including the proper disposal of solid waste and other care for the rivers and forests in the reserve region. 

We thank the partners Fosit, Rothoblas, Trentino Insieme, Riccio Giramondo, Fondazione Quarta de Matteis e Torchiani Servizi Ecologici for the valuable support.

Great joy in the Amazon for the recent visit of our vice president!

After a long absence, Tiziana Faraoni came back to visit the Jauaperi Reserve, where Amazônia has been working for many years.

“It was nice to see the many improvements, the tangible results achieved over the years. CoopXixuaú is a doing fantastic work with its community-based ecotourism, bringing income and better living conditions to many families of the park.

We reached several villages and visited the works carried out with the support of Amazônia, such as the community center of the indigenous village Gaspar and that of the Itaquera community. In the Bela Vista community, we verified the progress of the education project we are carrying out together with the English partner ACT, with whom we are rebuilding the schools of the reserve.

It was beautiful to come back and spend time with friends, seeing those who once were children become fathers. One emotion after another!”

Tiziana is the picture editor in charge of the important Italian news magazine “L’Espresso” and the TOFM – The Official Ferrari Magazine. During her stay, the vice president and the team of our partner VisionAir filmed and took photographs that will enrich the local cooperative’s image archive, our partner for the creation of projects in the reserve.

“Having participated as an educator in the Rio de Luz Project was a process that illuminated my professional and personal trajectory.”
Thus, in a note, educator Renata Almeida describes her two-month experience in the Baixo Rio Branco and Jauaperi Extractive Reserve.

“I learned a lot about being a child, living connected with nature, about rural education, about simplicity, skills, being in a community, and above all, I learned many ways to respect the forest and its charms. I understood that education is happening and being built all the time: in the collective preparation of flour, in fishing, in the balance that the canoe requires, in working the fields, in games and in socializing.
In each of the ten communities I passed through, I could feel the strength of the forest, the river and the people who live there and take care of the territories. I had the privilege of meeting incredible, inspiring people and learning about caring for nature, the spirits of the forest and many ways of living simply, nourishing oneself with what the Earth and water provide. In fact, I was able to taste different fish, prepared in different ways, always very tasty, which nourished my body and filled me with indescribable riverine energy.
Still filled with joy and teachings, I feel the power that activities such as the environmental education workshops of the Rio de Luz Project have in the communities and, therefore, long life to the Project, so that it continues to illuminate and flow in the lives of many people, allowing people and communities to share more and more experiences and knowledge.
I thank each and every one who crossed my path in this immensity of the Amazon, especially the children, teachers and professors! I take this experience with affection, in my mind and in my heart! Thank you very much to CoopXixuaú, the NGO Amazônia and the Amazon Charitable Trust, for the opportunity and trust!”

We at Amazônia would like to thank Renata, the coordinators of rural schools Alzilete and Oscar, all the teachers and parents and community leaders who made the project a success!

The project is the result of collaboration between the education departments of Amazonas and Roraima, ICMBio, CoopXixuaú, Amazônia and Amazon Charitable Trust, with the support of Rothoblaas, Trentino Insieme, Fosit, Riccio Giramondo, Fondazione Quarta de Matteis and Torchiani Servizi Ecologici.

A big thank you to Projeto BioClimAmazônia – INPA and FAPEAM, Laboratório de Psicologia e Educação Ambiental – INPA for the teaching material.

This collaborative effort is a shining example of what can be achieved when diverse entities come together with a shared purpose.