Young people from the Quebrada Agroecógica collective received the ImaGen Ventures award during COP-27, the world's largest climate change summit, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The collective brings low-cost mini-cisterns to informal settlements and low-income communities.
The initiative is part of a global UNICEF program that offers young people access to green and social entrepreneurial skills and brings together partners to nurture a critical mass of young changemakers dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
In Brazil, the initiative, titled #ChamaNaSolução, was implemented in partnership with the organization Viração Educomunicação. Among the participating projects, Quebrada Agroecológica was selected to represent Brazil at the global stage.
The Quebrada Agroecológica collective works to democratize an alternative, sustainable, and low-cost mini-cistern model, designed to reduce expenses and maintain sustainable water capacity in settlements and underserved communities.
The award ceremony took place at the Youth Pavilion during COP-27, where 12 projects were recognized, including Quebrada Agroecológica. The other 11 selected projects came from countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Syria, Armenia, Nicaragua, and Lebanon.
Access to Water
The young group installed four sustainable mini-cisterns, each with a capacity of 500 liters, in the Maria da Penha settlement in Guarulhos, in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. The collective received "seed capital" funding to launch the idea and implement the project within a set timeframe.
The settlement is among those suffering from a lack of basic services, and many residents struggle to make a decent living. Access to safe drinking water and sanitation, in particular, remains a challenge for the community—residents are forced to spend a significant portion of their already low incomes to buy water, and many struggle to afford it.
“Two thousand families will benefit directly from the cisterns at the Maria da Penha occupation,” the team said. “We plan to expand this project to other communities and occupations in São Paulo and throughout Brazil, potentially impacting thousands more families through rainwater harvesting and its direct and indirect benefits,” the group said.
The objective of the team, which is part of the Homeless Workers' Movement (MTST), is to utilize rainwater to address water scarcity and its impacts on the lives of community residents.
“We are already facing a catastrophic scenario caused by climate change (...) whether through the lack of drinking water or frequent flooding caused by rains, which result in material losses for residents and the spread of diseases,” the team stated. “We feel compelled to change this situation and create alternatives to mitigate these effects. Today, we are in the most crucial stage of this process, which is building the cisterns.”
Positive Impact
With mentorship and initial funding, the twelve winning ventures will have the necessary resources to take their ideas to the next level and generate an even greater impact in their communities.
ImaGen Ventures is an initiative by Generation Unlimited. The 2022 edition was implemented in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, USAID, Scouts, and Plan International.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by Mayra Rosa. The translation is powered by AI.
