In the Amazon
Title:Supporting communities along one of the world’s longest rivers
Subtitle:
Water World
Title:Amazon River
Subtitle:
Winding its way through the top of South America, the Amazon River is well-known for its incredible length (4,225 miles) and its importance to biodiversity and natural resources. 20% of the world’s fresh water comes from this impressive river, and its banks and waters are home to countless animal and fish species. Local and Indigenous communities rely on the river as a daily source of food, water, income, and transportation.
Unfortunately, the world, and the people living along the Amazon River basin, are at risk of losing this vital resource as the river succumbs to the effects of climate change and deforestation. If the Amazon were to dry up, the impact on the water cycle would be felt worldwide.
Swarovski Waterschool Brazil
Since 2016, Swarovski Waterschool Brazil has been working to transform and protect the Amazon River and its riverine communities. During the first two years, the project designed and tested an educational methodology to change the attitudes and practices of proper water treatment along the river. This included 45 different experiential activities focused on the themes of hygiene, hydration, sanitation, and water consumption and pollution.
The project currently works with 28 rural communities, which are home to around 3,715 people. Within these communities, the Swarovski Waterschool is involved with 20 different schools. Each community is located by a river or a lake and can only be accessed by boat. In many of these communities, it is common to drink water directly from the river. If the water is not treated properly, this can lead to dangerous diseases.
At the start of the program, 14 of the schools had no access to running or stored water; 16 lacked handwashing structures; 13 had no toilets; and six were without a school building. To tackle these challenges, the project began by either improving or building anew the infrastructure of these schools. This included building bathrooms, creating a filtering system that used rainwater collection and pumps, and renovating the schools’ water systems. In nearly all cases, the improvements to the school benefitted the surrounding village as well, as community members adopted the same water treatment practices in their own homes.
Currently, the project has trained 454 teachers in the Amazonas state. The long-term goal is to promote a large swathe of water-wise communities that implement sustainable water management practices that will improve the health and livelihood of the riverine communities, as well as the vitality of the Amazon River.
Unfortunately, the world, and the people living along the Amazon River basin, are at risk of losing this vital resource as the river succumbs to the effects of climate change and deforestation. If the Amazon were to dry up, the impact on the water cycle would be felt worldwide.
Swarovski Waterschool Brazil
Since 2016, Swarovski Waterschool Brazil has been working to transform and protect the Amazon River and its riverine communities. During the first two years, the project designed and tested an educational methodology to change the attitudes and practices of proper water treatment along the river. This included 45 different experiential activities focused on the themes of hygiene, hydration, sanitation, and water consumption and pollution.
The project currently works with 28 rural communities, which are home to around 3,715 people. Within these communities, the Swarovski Waterschool is involved with 20 different schools. Each community is located by a river or a lake and can only be accessed by boat. In many of these communities, it is common to drink water directly from the river. If the water is not treated properly, this can lead to dangerous diseases.
At the start of the program, 14 of the schools had no access to running or stored water; 16 lacked handwashing structures; 13 had no toilets; and six were without a school building. To tackle these challenges, the project began by either improving or building anew the infrastructure of these schools. This included building bathrooms, creating a filtering system that used rainwater collection and pumps, and renovating the schools’ water systems. In nearly all cases, the improvements to the school benefitted the surrounding village as well, as community members adopted the same water treatment practices in their own homes.
Currently, the project has trained 454 teachers in the Amazonas state. The long-term goal is to promote a large swathe of water-wise communities that implement sustainable water management practices that will improve the health and livelihood of the riverine communities, as well as the vitality of the Amazon River.
Some schools in Amazonas state received their first-ever bathrooms and handwashing stations.
Title:
São Raimundo: de la nada a agua potable
Title:
A veces, sin una solución que se adapte a la realidad local, Swarovski Waterschool tiene que encontrarla. En São Raimundo, la primera solución que se necesitaba era la recogida y la distribución del agua.
Hasta noviembre del 2020, la población indígena de São Raimundo se abastecía de agua que provenía directamente del lago, y eran las mujeres y los niños quienes la llevaban en cubos por empinados caminos de tierra. No solo era una tarea ardua, sino que una que también creaba desigualdad de género.
La Swarovski Waterschool, inspirada en las ideas del jefe de la tribu, instaló grifos de agua potable en cada casa para paliar este problema. Sin embargo, estos grifos acarrearon un nuevo dilema: la bomba de los grifos dependía del diésel, cuyo mantenimiento resultaba caro para la tribu. Además, el agua se seguía consumiendo sin una depuración adecuada.
Al año siguiente, el proyecto colaboró con un grupo de ingenieros con el fin de desarrollar un sistema que utilizara la energía solar para bombear, filtrar y depurar el agua y así hacerla potable.
Hasta noviembre del 2020, la población indígena de São Raimundo se abastecía de agua que provenía directamente del lago, y eran las mujeres y los niños quienes la llevaban en cubos por empinados caminos de tierra. No solo era una tarea ardua, sino que una que también creaba desigualdad de género.
La Swarovski Waterschool, inspirada en las ideas del jefe de la tribu, instaló grifos de agua potable en cada casa para paliar este problema. Sin embargo, estos grifos acarrearon un nuevo dilema: la bomba de los grifos dependía del diésel, cuyo mantenimiento resultaba caro para la tribu. Además, el agua se seguía consumiendo sin una depuración adecuada.
Al año siguiente, el proyecto colaboró con un grupo de ingenieros con el fin de desarrollar un sistema que utilizara la energía solar para bombear, filtrar y depurar el agua y así hacerla potable.
Alumnos disfrutando del agua proveniente del sistema de depuración con energía solar.
Title:
Uixi community – opportunities for the younger generation
Title:
In Amazonas state, the youth of the Uixi community is a particularly vulnerable group due to their lack of local job opportunities. Because of this, many young people are forced to move great distances to urban areas to study or seek employment.
In 2018, the Swarovski Waterschool project began focusing its efforts on strengthening leadership skills among the Uixi youth and investing in initiatives brought forth by youth groups. After taking part in Swarovski Waterschool training programs, youth leaders formed action groups that implemented water initiatives within their communities and brought water education to surrounding areas.
“[We taught] them about garbage and water, and during our travels we could see that they were putting what they learned into practice. They built a dump, which made the community cleaner.”
– Jorlaine, Uixi community youth group member/leader
In 2018, the Swarovski Waterschool project began focusing its efforts on strengthening leadership skills among the Uixi youth and investing in initiatives brought forth by youth groups. After taking part in Swarovski Waterschool training programs, youth leaders formed action groups that implemented water initiatives within their communities and brought water education to surrounding areas.
“[We taught] them about garbage and water, and during our travels we could see that they were putting what they learned into practice. They built a dump, which made the community cleaner.”
– Jorlaine, Uixi community youth group member/leader
Uixi youth leadership programs teach about the importance of water treatment and sustainability.
Title:
エリアナ・ダ・シルバ – 生徒から教師へ
Title:
エリアナ・ダ・シルバは、ブラジルのSwarovski Waterschoolプロジェクトの開始当初から参加しています。彼女は自分の学校のワークショップに生徒として参加したり、ユース・リーダーシップ・トレーニングに参加したりして、コミュニティの青年グループのコーディネートを手伝いました。2021年、彼女と青年グループの6人のメンバーは、アマゾン川流域にある他の3つのコミュニティで水に関する教育と廃棄物管理のキャンペーンを行いました。
ダ・シルバはSwarovski Waterschoolプロジェクトでの経験から、教育者を志すようになりました。彼女は、自分のコミュニティで初めて教員として採用され、地元の学校で働くようになりました。
「このプロジェクトは、私だけでなく参加した人たち全員の人生においてまたとない体験でした。決して忘れることはないでしょう。このプロジェクトのおかげで、私は教師という一生の仕事を見つけることができました。」
– エリアナ・ダ・シルバ
Swarovskiの取り組みについて詳しく見る
または、Swarovski Waterschoolプログラムのサイトをご覧ください。
ダ・シルバはSwarovski Waterschoolプロジェクトでの経験から、教育者を志すようになりました。彼女は、自分のコミュニティで初めて教員として採用され、地元の学校で働くようになりました。
「このプロジェクトは、私だけでなく参加した人たち全員の人生においてまたとない体験でした。決して忘れることはないでしょう。このプロジェクトのおかげで、私は教師という一生の仕事を見つけることができました。」
– エリアナ・ダ・シルバ
Swarovskiの取り組みについて詳しく見る
または、Swarovski Waterschoolプログラムのサイトをご覧ください。
エリアナ・ダ・シルバは、コミュニティの人々に専門的な知識や技術を教えています。
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