Mariana Madureira- Director, Raízes Sustainable Development

Tap into the collective power of influential business and NGO pioneers to create new strategies and

 tactics to build a more socially and environmentally conscious world.

The U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce is excited to bring you our newest Q&A series, Global Sustainability Leaders.

We’ve traveled the globe searching for the best and brightest sustainability leaders and we’ve found them. In our series, you will meet the

people who are creating a healthier and happier planet for you, your business and your community. Click here to view all of our Global Leaders

1. What is the mission of your company/ngo? 

Raízes is a Brazilian social business that works to reduce social inequalities and gender imbalance with sustainable solutions in tourism and its associated production: gastronomy, crafts, culture and agroecology. The company co-creates community solutions together with companies, governments and NGOs interested in strengthening social capital and enhancing the cultural assets of the territories in which they operate.

2. What is the most innovative or environmentally/socially impactful project/practice your company/NGO has implemented?

Among the more than 60 projects implemented by Raízes, it is worth mentioning the development of community-based tourism in the Jequitinhonha Valley, a very poor region in the state of Minas Gerais. The project consisted of creating a travel itinerary with accommodation at the home of women potters, immersing visitors in the lives of these artisans with activities such as pulling out the clay, punching, sculpting and painting it. The project brought positive results to the community and was awarded the Braztoa Sustainability Award and a finalist in the ToDo contest, an international sustainable tourism award. The script created was also highlighted in the magazines and newspapers and the Canadian TV program Partir Autrement.

 

3. How have those projects positively impacted the local community and/ or your country?

Since its foundation in 2006, the company has developed projects in all regions of Brazil and in Cape Verde, Africa, directly impacting more than 220 thousand people and indirectly more than 3 million, in more than 60 projects, most of them focused on the public of traditional communities, vulnerable populations and women.

4. Please share any new projects you will be implementing in the near future.

The female empowerment project with women in vulnerable situations Dona do Meu Fluxo is suspended during the pandemic, but with the expectation of resumption and expansion as soon as possible. The 4-hour workshops take relevant information about women’s health, self-care, self-esteem and support networks, in addition to the donation of menstrual collectors that are healthy, economical and ecological alternatives (a collector lasts 10 years without generating waste, costs or allergies). The project has been developed by Raízes and Korui since 2017 and has already benefited more than 1,000 women in Minas Gerais and Pará.

 

 

 

To learn more, please visit Raízes Sustainable Development on their website and social media:

Website: https://raizesds.com.br/pt/

FacebooK: https://www.facebook.com/RaizesDS/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raizesds/

LinkedIn: https://br.linkedin.com/company/ra-zes-turismo-e-desenvolvimento-local