A month since the disaster that killed over 880 people in the state of Rio, Viva Rio has sent 800 tons of donations to the affect ed areas, and raised more than BRL$ 584,000. Now Viva Rio began planning the second phase of The SOS Rio de Janeiro Campaign: the reconstruction phase.
During the campaign’s emergency phase, the main activities were made via two emergency bases that Viva Rio manages in the region – one in Nova Friburgo and another in Teresopolis. Through these locations Viva Rio distributed donations and offered medical consultations. Supplied with water and energy with the aid of generators and water trucks, the bases count on the work of volunteer healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and community health workers, besides firefighters and other volunteers.
The goals for the second phase are to assess the current situation and to adapt to new necessities in order to provid e the best service possible to the victims so their lives can get back to normalcy. This way, Viva Rio has focused its actions in two areas: the 2nd District of Teresopolis and the Conselheiro Paulino County, in Friburgo.
The long-term actions will focus on three main vectors:
Health: The formation of health teams to assist the local population (including dental and psychosocial care);
Resettlement and reforestation: Promotion o f dialogue between the government and the local community with a focus on the relocation of families living in at-risk areas. On a second stage, coordinate reforestation efforts in affected areas;
Disaster Prevention and Response: Organization and Training of Community Brigades (formed by people from the communities) to monitor, warn, evacuate and rescue in the case of natural disasters. These agents will also support the work of health teams. Secondly, we will promote the training of “local multipliers” to support the work of the preventive and reactive community brigades with the communities.
The Viva Rio Staff
