Lagoa das Emas quilombola community
Lagoa das Emas is a small quilombola (descendants from African and Afro-Brazilian enslaved people) community in São Raimundo Nonato (PI). Its past of fighting against slavery and celebrating African roots still influences its culture, which cultivates historical traditions such as the capoeira and typical dances.
The people in Lagoa das Emas suffer from the lack of economic resources, face challenges to keep its culture alive, and has no access to high-quality education. The village's K-5 school was abandoned by the government.
Acknowledging this reality, Veredas planned, together with voluntary architects and local leaders, a space to improve the community's access to educational resources, generate new sources of income, and support the local culture.
The community center
The community center, still under construction, was designed to improve the village's access to education and generate new sources of income.
The project was done voluntarily by architects from São Paulo. The use of sustainable and regional materials, which integrate well with the community's way of life and landscape, has been a priority. The space was build by the village's population, with the support of an engineer.
The center will have a library, giving children access to a well-equipped study environment and supporting the development of reading habits in both children and adults. There will also be a communal kitchen, where people can produce local specialties to be sold, providing alternative sources of income to the families. Besides, the center will have deposits to store items used in traditional dances and documents from the community's residents' association. Finally, the center will have bathrooms and a covered multipurpose area for socializing, which can be used on a daily basis and in traditional festivals promoted by the community.
The work started in late 2019 and has progressed satisfactorily.
