The original version of this story was published in Portuguese on July 17 by Greenpeace Brazil Since COVID-19 arrived in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, AM, Brazil, many Indigenous leaders have been working to keep the situation from worsening and bringing devastating consequences for the 23 Indigenous Peoples of the region Among the people who put their daily lives aside to help save the lives of others are Elizângela da Silva (of the Baré People) and Janete Alves (of the Desana People). They are both coordinators of the Women’s Department of the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (FOIRN) The two are leading an initiative in which women who were previously dedicated to handicrafts such as bags earrings and necklaces began to produce the newest essentials for the pandemic: protective masks “We saw on television that everyone wore a mask to prevent [the disease] and we were concerned with how to fight to avoid catching this virus here,” said Janete “We ran a women’s campaign that started to collect hygiene kits To kick off production, they first identified the artisans who knew how to sew and asked them to join the project. Then, they used fabric masks they had received from women of the Sateré-Mawé Indigenous People as a pattern they found tutorials for different types of masks on the internet.  To date approximately 16,000 masks have been produced and delivered to every Indigenous territory in the region sewing machines shared a spot with the handicrafts they used to produce A woven-straw hand sanitizer holder is found hanging on the wall a symbol of the “new normal” in the times of the pandemic Seventy-two-year-old Maria Martins (Baniwa people) was one of the artisans called to work for the cause Elizângela’s aunt said that although she never imagined she’d need to wear a mask Seeing the young women join in solidarity was another reason for her to beam with pride The satisfaction of being able to help thrills Elizângela and Janete. However, fear of getting sick persists. Both have three children and each live with the worry of bringing the virus home. Both have family members who have already been infected. Thankfully, all of their family members have recovered from the virus.  They say that “homemade medicines”, including teas prepared with traditional medicinal herbs have been essential for caring for the sick in their communities. “I worry most about losing our relatives, not only from within my region but the entire Rio Negro,” says Janete, whose youngest daughter is ten months old. “We lost several leaders, and they were our living books, they told of history, and that history is a blessing,” she said. While delivering food to a family, she came across the service of a well-known Indigenous man who had been taken to the capital for treatment. “He died in Manaus (capital of the state of Amazonas, Brazil), and we couldn’t even pay our respects over his body because he was cremated in Manaus. We were deeply saddened. Our relative went away and came back as ashes in a box. This is so unreal for us,” she says. Despite all the loss, they continue their work, courageously and confidently. “We are warriors and very hard workers. Despite everything that is happening, we are fighting to save lives. We will not give up,” said Elizângela. Janete agrees, “We hope to use our knowledge and wisdom, to value our culture. Losing our relatives hurts and not getting to say goodbye to them makes it even worse. We are fighting so it does not happen anymore,” she said while drying her tears. Luana Lila is the Head of Storytelling at Greenpeace Brazil. With the SystemShift podcast, we explore how to move from a world that serves the economy to an economy that serves people and the planet. Of the many risks related to plastic pollution, policymakers express most concern about the human health impacts, and are calling for measures to reduce production. 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All rights reserved Articulations for indigenous rights gain strength in the triple border Brazil telegram Join our Telegram channel! telegram Building paths for access to justice in the Amazon was the motto of the Public Defender of the State of Amazonas in the celebration of its 33 years of activity celebrated on April 17 at Maloca Casa do Saber in the most indigenous municipality in Brazil the Ombudsman highlighted the importance of inter-institutional work and the partnership with civil society organizations that work for indigenous rights in the triple border and awarded the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) and the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (Foirn) an honorable mention for promoting access to justice in the Northwest Amazon “Without the partnership of institutions that know the reality of indigenous peoples the local culture and the social problems that exist in the region it would be impossible to carry out our work in this first year of operation of the Alto Rio Negro Pole we thank the partners for joining efforts with us in improving access to justice in the region" emphasized defender Isabela do Amaral Sales during a ceremony with the presence of the general defender of the State of Amazonas Joint initiatives to promote better access to Justice and to the services provided by the Ombudsman's Office were carried out by the institutions among them the service in indigenous languages member of the Wayuri Network of Communicators Indigenous Peoples supported and articulated by ISA together with Foirn “Most of my Hupd'äh people come to the city to get documents and they don't know how to speak Portuguese well and don't know how to do these jobs The Ombudsman's communication with the communities has been strengthened since defenders Isabela Sales and Danielle Mascarenhas have been closer to the indigenous media that bring information to the communities such as the Papo da Maloca program and the Wayuri podcast information and events carried out by the Ombudsman judicial and extrajudicial assistance to those who cannot afford a lawyer the Ombudsman also provides services related to separation The agenda of articulations with State institutions that have strategic action in the Alto Rio Negro region also included the visit of the new general in São Gabriel da Cachoeira Rodrigues assumed command of the Second Jungle Infantry Brigade on April 17 replacing General Ricardo Augusto do Amaral Peixoto The meeting was attended by members of ISA's Rio Negro Program team who work in the region in areas such as socio-biodiversity economics articulation of socio-environmental policies it was possible to convey to General Diniz some of the challenges of working in the Alto Rio Negro and a sociocultural overview of one of the most diverse and extensive regions in Brazil live in the largest hydrographic basin of black waters in the world – considered the most preserved region of the Brazilian Amazon Institutional collaborations and partnerships for the benefit of indigenous communities such as logistical support for more remote regions where the Army's six border platoons (Pefs) are located were also articulated during the conversation who was a military attache in diplomatic relations with Norway and the United Kingdom commented on the extreme importance of preserving the Amazon and indigenous cultural diversity for Brazil and the world He also emphasized that the work of civil society organizations together with national and international public opinion is fundamental for effective efforts towards valuing preserving and sustainably developing the Amazon Focusing on the defense of indigenous rights a meeting was also held on April 18 with the justice inspector of the State of Amazonas who was in São Gabriel da Cachoeira to accompany the first visit of the National Corregedoria to the municipality The mission was attended by the Minister of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) who is also a member of the National Council of Justice (CNJ) “We were in the Comarca of São Gabriel da Cachoeira for another phase of the extraordinary correction work in the municipality which aims to verify the judicial performance and notary and registration services in actions involving the rights of indigenous peoples public agencies and institutions in the municipality that have a direct or indirect relationship with indigenous peoples to learn about the work and projects aimed at this population” During the meeting at ISA, Saunders learned about the work carried out by the Institute in partnership with Foirn, with emphasis on the defense of rights, protection and territorial management, as well as aspects related to cultural appreciation and access to public policies. The inspector received the territorial and environmental management plans for the Indigenous Lands of Rio Negro (PGTAs) carried out based on the technical cooperation agreement between ISA which aims to implement a series of actions projects and public policies aimed at indigenous well-being.  The most relevant news for you to form your opinion on the socio-environmental agenda LAST ISSUE Wayuri Network participates in the coverage of Elections 2022 with a focus on indigenous rights The polls began to be sent to the indigenous territory by the Registry of the 19th Electoral Zone in São Gabriel da Cachoeira The communities that have received the equipment by Friday (30/9) are Juiviteira The original version of this story was published in Portuguese on July 13 by Greenpeace Brazil Since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit Brazil an alarm has been ringing for the country’s Indigenous Peoples Already with a history of destruction caused by epidemics transmitted by non-Indigenous People COVID-19 brought a frightening reminder of a past that must not be repeated According to data from the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) there are 19,893 confirmed cases of Indigenous People infected by COVID-19 and 125 affected ethnicities in the Amazon Amazonas was the first state to confirm cases of infected Indigenous people and has the highest concentrated number of deaths among them.   the city in Brazil with the highest number of Indigenous Peoples (approximately 90% of the population) a multi-institutional effort has been mitigating the impacts of the pandemic.  The effort is aiming to stop the disease from advancing further through the forest and avoid catastrophic consequences.  The Coping with COVID-19 Committee was created by São Gabriel da Cachoeira’s City Hall on March 18th, and a group of organizations and civil society, such as the Federation of Indigenous Organizations of Rio Negro (FOIRN), Brazil’s National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI), the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) and the Army The group began implementing actions to fight COVID-19 before the disease reached the town.  Sanitary barriers were also installed as another preventive measure to control the water and air traffic “This held us over for 37 days [until the virus arrived],” says Marivelton Barroso a lot of people didn’t like these barriers saw it as a hassle and started to come through the back door Today we don’t know where the virus began to spread health professionals and with a low supply of oxygen The hospital does not have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and had only seven respirators for treating COVID-19 patients the city government ordered a lockdown from May 9th to June 8th and made the use of masks mandatory São Gabriel da Cachoeira had 3,749 confirmed cases the effort that brought together such diverse institutions was vital in dealing with this enormous and logistically challenging situation—about 750 communities of 23 Indigenous ethnicities “Interinstitutional work is crucial and regionally strategic This model has to continue even after the pandemic,” he said Greenpeace Brazil joined forces with the Committee as time moved along by enabling donated materials to be transported both by the organization itself and by partner organizations “We really need to understand the challenges faced by those who live in the Amazon Those who live in São Gabriel da Cachoeira are 850km from the Manaus the only city in the entire state that has an ICU,” explains Carol Marçal “So the formation of this solidarity network is essential to face this crisis.”  Greenpeace and other partners delivered thousands of COVID-19 rapid tests power generators and electrical equipment to assemble field hospitals food and sewing machines for people to make masks Healthcare professionals were also taken to the city to run tests assess the status of the municipality’s healthcare infrastructure and train healthcare workers.  The field hospitals set up to treat Indigenous People during the pandemic are an example of the efforts being made by the Coping with COVID-19 Committee and many supporting organizations Called Indigenous Primary Care Units (UAPI) they are coordinated by the Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) and treat low and medium risk patients providing an environment adapted to their needs.  12 field hospitals have been set up in the Rio Negro region to offer assistance within communities and keep Indigenous People with lower-risk cases from having to be treated in the city helped make these units viable and explained they are simple operations the idea is to take medication and treatment to the community,” he says The units also facilitate treatment for the at-risk group as many elderly people resist going to the cities for treatment for fear of never coming back “Many people will not want to leave their communities This is a way of giving them another chance at treatment,” explains Guilherme. The loss of elders is one of the Indigenous Peoples’ utmost concerns the region has already experienced the irreversible loss of elders who held the entire history and knowledge of territories and cultural issues with them The elders are the main doctors and teachers the holders of traditional knowledge,” he says The intention is to decentralize treatment and help reduce the flow of Indigenous patients seeking help in the cities Luana Lila is the Head of Storytelling at Greenpeace Brazil we explore how to move from a world that serves the economy to an economy that serves people and the planet Of the many risks related to plastic pollution policymakers express most concern about the human health impacts and are calling for measures to reduce production or putting food on the table are at the top of your concerns climate change seems to be something for somebody else to solve Please select which cookies you are willing to store These cookies are required for technical reasons so that you can visit our website and use the functions we offer These cookies are used to recognise you between successive visits and thus provide you with a better experience storing your consent preferences and the last Greenpeace.org website visited We use tracking and analysis tools to ensure continuous optimisation and demand-oriented design of our website These cookies will allow us to collect statistical and anonymised data such as how visitors use our website or which pages are accessed most frequently to ultimately improve Greenpeace.org and provide you with a better experience of our website In addition to the Performance cookies mentioned above we may also place in your browser cookies from third-party services (e.g Facebook or Google) to track the effectiveness of our online marketing strategies and to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests These cookies may also be used to serve advertising to you after you have left our site (retargeting cookies) This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Manchester City striker has risen from the favelas thanks to two guiding lights who have kept his feet firmly on the ground Gabriel Jesus’s childhood football coach, José Francisco Mamede, was the least surprised of anyone when the boy‑faced wonder exploded on to the Premier League scene with Manchester City in February against West Ham United “I always knew he would turn out to be a top professional. When we had him as a boy I predicted he would turn pro, play for Brazil and get a big overseas transfer It all happened exactly as I knew it would it looks like I need to make another prediction now: Gabriel Jesus will win the Ballon d’Or within three years.” Jesus has barely stopped scoring or impressing in the matches he has played since that February night although a foot injury last season did sideline him for two and a half months and if City have the look of serious title contenders that is in no small part down to the 20‑year‑old forward Read moreA journey back to where it all began for Jesus reinforces the scope of his talent and the speed of his rise Through a combination of dedication and the right guidance Jesus went from playing on dirt pitches with no referee at 15 to being Brazil’s first‑choice centre‑forward four years later the director of sports and one of the founders of Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente the junior club where Jesus played his first competitive games almost wells up with emotion when he tells the Guardian about his former charge “It seems as though the ball looks for him when it’s in the area He is always in the right place at the right time About as far north as it is possible to go within the sprawling city limits of Brazil’s biggest metropolis lies the pitch used by the youth football club Saturday morning training is a romantic scene the sun is forcing parents and spectators to take refuge in the shade of the tall pine trees that surround the dry As the young boys and girls aged between seven and 14 turn the baked-earth clouds that billow up are highlighted by shafts of light piercing through the foliage Youngsters train on Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente’s training pitch at the Romão Gomes military prison on the edge of a forested State Park in Tremembé São Paulo.Top image: The Brazil shirt given who is now Director of Sports at Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente Both Photographs: Fernando Martinho for the GuardianThis is where Jesus’s football education started; dodging defenders double his size in the dust To play on these pitches you need to develop a great first touch and speed of thought “It’s on dirt pitches like this that boys will learn how to control the ball,” Mamede says I train the boys a lot like this: control and pass These bare-earth pitches develop a boy to become quick-thinking; he needs to be able to predict where the ball is going to arrive and where it’s going after he makes the pass So he’s going to develop much better control than if he just plays on artificial turf By all accounts the young Jesus did not need much coaching he has always been guided by people with his best interests at heart Mamede wistfully recalls the first time he saw Jesus in action: “He arrived here and in the first game of the first training that he attended he scored a goal by dribbling around three much bigger boys and slotted the ball home with ease I said to myself: ‘This kid is something special.’” The coaches voluntarily give up their weekends to coach dozens of youngsters from the surrounding area Mamede says he used to drive the boys to away games in his knackered old Beetle often fitting up to 11 little footballers in the back Inside the car he kept boots and kit to lend to players who would otherwise play barefoot José Francisco Mamede with his Beetle and the team’s kit in the boot Photograph: Fernando Martinho for the GuardianIt is not an affluent part of the city and many of the kids come as much for the free ham sandwich and juice as for the chance of playing in the team used to receive a box of basic food provisions from the club to take home to his family Mamede is rightfully proud of the work he and his small team do here “This club exists to take children off the street,” he says “That’s why we love playing at the military base We often arrive at away games to find there’s also samba and alcohol I even get angry when I see dads smoking on the touchline he recalls attending the funerals of boys caught up with robberies and drug dealing Jesus was never involved in this side of life and Mamede remembers him as a singularly focused individual “Gabriel used to say that he never missed training He was always first in line for exercises and drills – he wasn’t one of those who loitered at the back pretending to do the drill like so many are … I’ve had at least 10 young players here who were as good but they didn’t make it because they were lazy Jesus’s old membership cards Photograph: Fernando Martinho for the GuardianThe young player receives a trophy at Pequeninos do Meio Ambiente Photograph: Collect imageThis application is combined with a quiet self-confidence that earned Jesus the nickname Tetinha By all accounts he was like this on and off the pitch and everyone in the neighbourhood where he grew up knows him by that word The only thing that seemed to visibly trouble the young Jesus was losing a game of football Imagine when we lost the final of the local championship we arrived in the semi-finals to play a team who were four years unbeaten We then played Portuguesa [a professional football club] in the final Gabriel scored for us but we lost because they were so much better prepared whereas our boys were slipping on the grass; we didn’t even have studs.” This particular defeat stuck in the young player’s head Toward the end of his final season at Palmeiras Jesus returned to Pequeninos to deliver 250 pairs of new boots “I’m the same as them,” he told O Globo Sport last October I think it’s really important for them to hold on to the dream they may one day realise.” He was the youngest of four children in a single-parent family who left his mother for another woman when Jesus was in the womb died in a motorbike accident and had no part in the boy’s upbringing His mum used to scream and shout for him to come in at night but he just stayed in the street with his ballMaria Rosimar da SilvaDespite or perhaps because of these hardships Jesus never wavered in his pursuit of becoming a professional athlete His neighbour in the community where his family lived “His mum used to scream and shout for him to come in at night but he wouldn’t respond,” she says “He just stayed in the street with his ball He’d run out of the house with both hands clutching it “I’d call him over to wipe it for him – he never let go of that ball.” is without doubt the single most important figure in his life and he has two tattoos to commemorate this who was always very persistent in achieving her goals” Those goals were to raise four children to be hard-working and respectful you need to study hard,” she would tell her kids and she made sure their school work was done on time The building where Gabriel Jesus lived as a young boy Photograph: Fernando Martinho for the GuardianJesus has joked in interviews that his mum is the “toughest centre-back he’s ever had to face” and that she was a mum and a dad for him putting a loving arm around him or chastising him as needed Vera put her first three children to work from the age of 12 to augment the income she received as a cleaner in the city but she recognised Jesus’s talent and desire from an early age and spared him to concentrate on his football She lived with her son in Manchester as he settled in controlling his press commitments and making sure he is careful with money and girls The Guardian had lined up a meeting with Jesus’s cousin but was told that “Auntie Vera has forbidden it” She still calls the shots and is not to be messed with It is this kind of treatment that will keep the new darling of Brazilian football’s feet firmly on terra firma as more and more people clamour for a piece of the action Jesus is adored by the people who knew him growing up and he retains a strong connection to the area, where there is a mural with his image José Cesaro Neto with Jesus’s Palmeiras shirt Photograph: Fernando Martinho for fhe GuardianEven after becoming a local hero at Palmeiras Jesus would often return to see friends after games and have a kickabout in the street He also spent a lot of time there during the summer break this year seeing old friends and playing football with the youngsters who now see him as a role model showed us his “Jesus” Palmeiras shirt and describes him as “the same guy today as he was as a kid Jesus’s profile is in stark contrast to that of his good friend and Brazil strike partner Neymar The two young forwards have the same tattoo which they got before winning gold for Brazil at Rio 2016 Neymar is generally viewed as a bit too obsessed with the showbiz side of his life Jesus is understood to be the opposite: humble honest and focused on nothing but his game Whether Mamede’s prediction comes true will depend on many variables working in Jesus’s favour: team-mates’ form and not least being able to get free of defenders who will now be doubling up on him there will not be too many surprised faces in the north of São Paulo if Brazil’s next Ballon d’Or winner turns out not to be the big-money man playing in Paris after all Champions League and World Cup in his sights over the next 10 months and no one who witnessed his rise would doubt his potential to be the oustanding player in all three Jesus acrobatically controls the ball during Manchester City’s 4-0 Champions League win over Feyenoord Thanks to his dedication and two important “salt of the earth” guiding lights Jesus has made his journey from the street kickabouts of Jardim Peri to the pressure cooker of the Premier League title race look easy Brazil’s No9 is the perfect combination of nature and nurture he has a dedicated group of family and friends making sure his feet stay firmly on the ground Parece que a página que você está procurando não está disponível GABRIEL JESUS has played a key part in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City masterpiece - and now he has one of his own The Brazilian international posed in front of a huge mural of himself in his old Sao Paulo neighbourhood is pictured doing his trademark celebration on the buildings - with a cheeky grin And he was clearly thrilled with the results as he said thank you on Instagram Jesus wrote: "So proud to see this happening back where it all began in my hometown "Alo Mae!! Thank you @adidasfootball and my neighborhood." Last year, Jesus posted a picture of himself as a kid painting kerbs in his neighbourhood. His countrymen must now hope he can shoulder the huge weight of expectation that comes with playing for the Samba Stars in Russia he beamed about being able to buy his own Panini sticker He said: “You get your own and you see everyone talking about it you see everyone wanting to get your sticker.” And Jesus may be one of the lucky few who can complete an album with Cardiff University maths whiz Paul Harper claiming finishing the collection would cost £773 on average Germany - 9/2 Brazil - 9/2 Spain - 5/1 France - 11/2 Argentina - 9/1 Belgium - 10/1 England - 16/1 Full list of candidates - HERE Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/