The bimonthly report produced by the Fraternity – International HumanitarianFederation (FIHF) provides information on activities carried out at the Indigenous Cultural and Training Centre (CCFI) headquartered in the city of Boa Vista, Roraima, during the months of May and June, in partnership with Operation Welcome
Focussed on promoting livelihoods and lasting solutions for the indigenous population, the activities developed take care of indigenous refugees and immigrants coming from Venezuela and Guiana, and the Brazilian communities, and contribute to interactions between the different ethnicities and the preservation of their cultural identities, strengthening their skills and encouraging the development of new knowledge through workshops and trainings.
The courses, workshops and trainings are offered through a continuing education program, according to the demand and interest of the beneficiaries, through partnerships and joint activities with various institutions, with the aim of bringing about an improvement in the quality of life, social emancipation, and generating income through micro-enterprises, access to the job market, cooperatives and associations.
The organizations that joined efforts with the Humanitarian Fraternity (FIHF) in carrying out these activities are: Roraima Federal Institute (IFRR), SENAI, SENAC, IEL, World Vision, Insikiran Institute, Refúgio 343 (Shelter 343), Doctors Without Borders, Setrabes/RR, Inspire Rebecca, Passarela Alternativa (Alternative Walkway), the Salvation Army, FUPAD, Roraima Indigenous Immigrant Association (AMIR), and the Roraima Federal University (UFRR).
Among the various activities developed there are: workshops (sewing, shoemaking, handicrafts, traditional medicine), trainings (Portuguese language, IT, entrepreneurship, customer care, sales, marketing), vocational courses (bakery, dressmaking, haircuts), and carrying out events (fairs and exhibitions).
Examples of some of the activities:
Libras Course: promoted by Refúgio 343, it provided a first contact between deaf Venezuelan refugees and the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), fostering their inclusion in the deaf community and consequently, in Brazilian society.
Labor Workshops: in partnership with World Vision, labor workshops were held on labor rights and duties for employed and in-process beneficiaries, as well as meetings to prepare candidates for vacancies for job interviews, who were later successfully employed. Job preparation services continue to be provided to beneficiaries. They cover the writing of and updating of a resume, issuance of a digital job card, creation of an email, digital account, etc.
Mental Health Promotion and Community Base Strengthening: recreational activities and targeted conversations were the keynote of the work carried out by the mental health team and psychologists of Doctors Without Borders for the benefit of representative groups of Venezuelan indigenous refugees who live in the shelters of Boa Vista – RR.
Course, Future Planning and Female Independence: Together with World Vision and Passarela Alternativa, a course was done on dressmaking, to learn to not only make clothes and accessories, but to do so in a conscious and ecological manner, looking at the reuse and recycling of materials with the primary objective of training indigenous Venezuelan women, with a vision for them to develop into independent women, both professionally and personally, given that the course is permeated by targeted psychosocial, recreational and group activities.
To consolidate the course, a meeting was done with the 15 students who finished the dressmaking course. The meeting included an evaluation of the course, planning of entrepreneurship ideas for each participant, and referrals for continuing the process. The business ideas mentioned were the following: ecological sanitary napkins, bags and necessaries, children’s clothing, clothes recycling, leggings and women’s clothing (skirts and dresses).
Permanent Setup of Indigenous Art: On May 10, a permanent art gallery was inaugurated in the CCFI, to exhibit indigenous paintings, publicizing the work, and facilitate commercialization. Currently, there are five works of the artist Nancy Flores and one of the artist Daniel Ramos being displayed.
Customer Care and Sales Workshops: Three empowerment meetings were held with the members of the Tida Warao enterprise, in which knowledge was expanded on the characteristics, advantages and strengths of ecological absorbents in relation to disposable ones. A customer service and sales promotion workshop was also developed, involving seven participants from the Kawarao (canvas shoes) and Tida Warao ventures, with the objective of working on the necessary skills for direct sales to the public.
In the Media: The Rede Amazónica, a TV station, a subsidiary of Rede Globo, visited the CCFI on May 31st and did an article on the Venezuelan crisis and how, through reception, education and training of refugees, the Humanitarian Fraternity (FIHF) leverages their growth as human beings and as professionals.
Inclusion: New opportunities of inclusion were consolidated with Setrabes/RR, which encourages participation of people with disabilities (DPs) and the LGBTQIA+ population (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transvestites, transsexuals and transgenders, queers, intersexuals, asexuals, other acronyms and identities) in the job market, as well as through Senac’s Opportunities Bank.
Psychosocial Support: Psychosocial care, in partnership with professionals from the Salvation Army, for beneficiaries of the CCFI and indigenous communities.
Brazilian Indigenous Community Visit: A visit was made to the Truaru da Cabeceira indigenous community, in Roraima, predominantly of the Wapixana tribe, when invited by the local leaders.
Number of Participants x Activities:
- Alpargatas (canvas shoes) Manufacture Workshop: 6
- Indigenous Intercultural Meeting – Traditional Medicine: 23
- Customer Service Workshop: 20
- Continuing Education Program for Development (CEPD): 30
- Sales Promotion Workshop: 10
- Insikiran Indigenous Fair: 7
- Handicraft Fair and June Celebration: 9
- IT Course: 50
- Basic and Intermediary Portuguese: 40
Work Preparation
Services for work preparation continue to be provided to beneficiaries, and address the preparation and updating of resumes, digital work card, creation of emails, etc. Below is Table 1 with an accounting of services rendered:
Vagas de Empregos
Nos meses de maio e junho, o Setor de Inclusão Socioeconômica realizou mais um movimento de sensibilização junto ao setor privado e Setrabes/RR, a fim de manter parceira com possibilidade de indicação de beneficiários selecionados para vagas de emprego. Foi assim que, após participarem com aproveitamento dos cursos de capacitação do PFCD e da Preparação Laboral que inclui educação financeira, treinamento para entrevistas de emprego etc., mais três beneficiários indicados foram empregados por uma grande rede de supermercados da cidade. Esse é o segundo grupo de beneficiários indicados pela Fraternidade – Humanitária (FFHI) que, em um espaço de dois meses, assume postos nessa mesma rede de supermercados. De cinco indicados, quatro adquiriram vagas e um figura em lista de espera, como mostra o gráfico abaixo:
