On August 31st, Fiotec was present in the event which incorporated 36 new projects to the Health Integration Plan in Favelas of RJ, which took place in the auditorium of Museu da Vida at Fiocruz. Now 90 social organizations from the whole state are part of the initiative, in a new phase that expects a transfer of R$ 13.6 million staggered up to 2025. Fiotec is in charge of the financial management of those resources, resulting from a 2020 Call for Submissions initially aiming to combat the Covid-19 emergency in the communities of Rio de Janeiro. Now, the selected projects receive between R$ 150 thousand and R$ 500 thousand to enable activities to promote food safety, education, employability, mental health, sustainability and communication in the favelas.
Cristiane Sendim, executive director of Fiotec, was part of the event opening, beside the president of Fiocruz, Mario Moreira; Richarlls Martins, executive coordinator of the Plan; and representatives from the communities and institutions involved in the initiative. “We will advance much further in the health agenda for favela territories. I very gladly see that it is no longer 54x favela, but 90x. At this rate, the next one is going to be 270x. Our concern is the national scale, to be able to count on the articulation ability of those social organizations,” celebrated Mario, who ensured the funding would continue through new notices.
Igor Araújo, Fiotec’s Project analyst that is directly involved in the shared management of the Plan, was also present in the event and highlighted the incentive given to the protagonism of favelas and their representatives. “The ‘Dialogue - For an Integral Health Agenda in Favelas’ will promote an intergenerational gathering between historical activists who have been acting on movements of the favelas since the 1970’s and young leaders from communities, who protagonize innovative agendas in which health becomes increasingly more relevant”. Besides Igor, Fiotec’s Project manager, Maria Aparecida Ferreira, and coordinator of the institution’s office in Brasília, Yonara Silva, also participated in the event.
Still according to the analyst, “the event was very important to introduce the guidelines to be taken from the start to the new projects, especially showing the achieved results and the impacts generated throughout those two years from ongoing projects”. For this new phase of the Plan, the expected proposals are community kitchens, distribution of food staples, school tutoring activities, professional training, forming therapy groups, projects to develop agroecology and communication actions. The projects will be implemented in favelas in the municipalities of Angra dos Reis, Campos dos Goytacazes, Duque de Caxias, Itaperuna, Magé, Mangaratiba, Maricá, Mesquita, Niterói, Nova Iguaçu, Paraty, Petrópolis, Queimados, Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, São Gonçalo, São João de Meriti and Volta Redonda.
Information from the Fiocruz News Agency (AFN).
