7/9/12
Packed a few clothes, sunscreen, snacks and our ipods and off we went to the Sertão, to a place called Afogados da Ingazeira. Our almost 6 hour bus ride was bumpy but cool thanks to AC, one of those wonderful commodities in life...We saw isolated houses in the middle of the desert and even churches!
After lunch we met with the Diaconia representative, who gave us a general view of what Diaconia had done for the farmers in Sertão. Being the driest area of Brazil, the Sertão has obviously brought a lot of challenges to the people there. I was reminded of the words of Graciliano Ramos, the author of Vidas Secas, and how the lack of water dehumanized the people as they searched for water to survive in the wilderness and grow their food. The Diaconia rep gave an optimistic and hopeful view for the families in the Sertão that have received help from them; they become self-sufficient and are able to survive the droughts. Water is the main concern around here, and the people of the Sertão do anything in their power to collect water, to conserve it and put it to best use. One of the things that Diaconia helps the people with, is to provide them with a cistern and teach them how to build them. I am looking forward to tomorrow to visit some farms that have been helped by Diaconia.
We ended the day with a pool party in cold water, but we still had lots of fun:)
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