Instituto Amora Carambola

Cidadania em Comunidade Quilombola

The Amora Carambola Institute received the Incentive Award from BrazilFoundation in 2004 to develop a project for the vocational qualification of young residents of the Sapatu Quilombo in the town of Eldorado. The idea was to train them in techniques for processing and commercializing their banana products. With the capabilities of BrazilFoundation and in partnership with State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the Institute trained 30 young people and offered technical assistance to start operating a small production plant.

The BrazilFoundation grant made it possible to buy supplies and fund the costs of the project in its initial phase. Today, the plant is operating and already sells banana-based sweets. Youth and community mobilization were key factors in establishing a sustainable model of development in the region.