Networking initiative, in partnership with Fundo Vale, has already benefited around 81,000 people
The Forest Peoples Connection project has reached the milestone of 1,000 connected communities of indigenous people, quilombos [settlements composed of descendants of runaway slaves], extractive producers and riverside groups. The project is being carried out in partnership with more than 30 civil society organizations, institutions and companies, and Fundo Vale is one of the funders. The aim is to connect more than 5,000 communities in protected territories in the Amazon region in a network using broadband internet. The initiative combines connectivity with programs for inclusion, security and empowerment in the beneficiary communities.
The project began its pilot phase in March 2023, in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, and reached 1,000 networked communities by August 22, thanks to the installation of a satellite broadband internet connection kit in the community of Serafina in Curralinho, Pará, in the Terra Grande-Pracuúba Extractive Reserve. There are already more than 27,000 registered users and a directly benefited population of around 81,000 people.
“This milestone of 1,000 connected communities shows the potential of the project, which began just over a year ago. Forest Peoples Connection is not just an initiative to give people access to the internet. It is also empowering people in the Amazon to improve their lives, offering opportunities to access healthcare and education, for example, as well as offering other benefits, such as income generation,” says Márcia Soares, Fundo Vale’s Amazon and partnerships manager.
By the end of 2025, the goal is to connect 1 million people living in protected areas of the Amazon region, which are responsible for conserving 120 million hectares of forest.
“This project promises to transform people’s lives. It will improve the lives of students and people will be able to book medical tests in the city from here, without having to travel 12 hours to do so, for example,” says Silvio Tavares de Souza, a community member and president of the Mother Association of Terra-Grande Pracuúba Extractive Reserve.
This networking initiative is led by three grassroots organizations – the National Association of Rural Quilombo Communities (CONAQ), the Association of Indigenous Organizations in the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the National Council of Extractive Groups (CNS) – with support from Fundo Vale.