Instituto Joazeiro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável
- Location
- Fortaleza, Ceará
- Backed in
- 2009
- Covered areas
- Health
Saúde que se Planta
This project was developed in a community on the periphery of Fortaleza, where most families live precariously. The poor conditions are largely associated with the lack of public health and sanitation programs, which have led to a high rate of dermatological illnesses within the community. Through the project, low-income Afro-Brazilian women were taught to use and cultivate medicinal plants in order to prevent and reduce the prevalence of these diseases in children.
The program was able to mitigate the vulnerabilities of community members and significantly reduce the incidence of skin diseases by promoting health and prevention tactics. Effective management, visibility, and recognition came naturally, and community participation grew steadily. The organization received the “Prêmio Fundação do Brasil de Tecnologia Social” (Fundação do Brasil Award for Social Technology) in 2009 in recognition of their work, which allowed them to establish nutrition centers in several of Fortaleza’s impoverished communities.