The following are key development objectives the communities have identified which as top priorities. Acumen International is working with the communities to help them uncover potential solutions to achieve these objectives. We would value potential leads for resources, ideas, expertise and partners. We would also greatly value donations of your time or resources for helping the communities develop programs for achieving the objectives. If you are interested, please contact us:

GENERAL INFRASTUCTURE

·         Increased source of energy. All three communities already have some photo-voltaics (solar-energy) but require more. We are looking at micro-hydro for one community, as well as bio-gas and bio-diesel. In each community, we are looking for a minimum of additional 12-30 KW of power to be used for street lighting, micro-enterprise development and in some case to power the health center and school.

 

·         Expansion of the water system in Suruacá. They were the first community in the area to install a community water system however the population has grown considerable and it is now inadequate. We are considering ways in which the expansion might be integrated into improved sanitation system (they currently have pit toilets) and bio-gas generation

EDUCATION  

Teachers

 

·         Biggest needs are spelling, grammar, mathematics educational games. Spelling has proven a problem for doing web searches. Some interest in math and physics for middle school. English. Also more about local region and local data for research. The data they have now is old.

 

·         Learn English and Spanish. We are currently developing an integrated language study program which will use computer instruction, combined with live pen pals and chat. The primary objective of learning foreign languages is so they can access more pages on the Internet, as well as work more effectively with potential worldwide development partners – without requiring outside mediation

 

·         Very much like idea of link with other Amazon schools and organizations

 

·          There is a big worry among teachers that they will end up having to pay for paper and supplies out of their own pockets. They need to find creative and dependable ways to cover the cost of supplies used by education without requiring teachers to pay for them

 

·         The teacher in Xixuau is entirely on his own to teach four/five years of curriculum to an overcrowded classroom. They receive very little assistance from the government and he has very little experience himself.  We would like to bring periodic volunteers to the community to help him out, as well as to introduce additional training methodologies (project-based learning and computer-assisted instruction, for example).

 

Project-based learning

 

·         Develop an integrated methodology for delivering scholastic and non-scholastic curricula using project-based learning. It is critical that this methodology be delivered in remote locations for a low cost. The goal of PBL would be not as a tool to teach specific topics, such as computer or science to students using the increased use of projects, but also as a way to introduce lifelong learning to all residents and to help residents understand that they CAN find solutions to problems themselves.

 

HEALTH

·         They would like for their community Postos de Saude attend to needs in neighboring communities, as well.

 

·         Increase the utilization of alternative medicines

 

·         Anti alcohols and smoking campaigns

 

·         AIDS and STD awareness campaigns, as well as increasing the role of men in the reproductive health of the family. All communities also require more condoms for distribution within the communities.

 

·         Vision (Exams, glasses and help people with nutrition since there is a link. They find that large families tend to have poorer vision.

 

·         Snake venom kits (Suruacá only) - need a freezer for this, which they don't have. Ironically the health post has solar power but no equipment!

 

·          Some nutrition. They have plenty to eat but the diet is not particularly well-balanced. Perhaps related to this is to promote the increase of sustainable gardening of vegetables. Xixuau has a model project

 

·         E-mail or even web-cam access to remote medical doctors who could assist with medical questions. Ideally this relationship would be established with doctors in Brazil (especially within the region), however we have had great difficulty overcoming organizational obstacles (i.e bureaucracy and turf fighting) within Brazilian hospitals) and so would also be interested in such a relationship with doctors/hospitals in other countries. The lack of English skills will complicate things for Suruacá and Maguari but not render a relationship impossible. Today Xixuau does have some contact with some nurses in Italy but we would also like to expand access to even more trained resources.