“In the name of Jesus! We’re going to spend Christmas and New Year the happiest in the world. Our plate is full, the cupboard is full and the fridge is too. We didn’t have any of that and now we have it.”
Holding her cell phone in Senador Elói de Souza, a municipality in Rio Grande do Norte in a state of public calamity due to drought, farmer Sebastiana Nunes describes, via audio message, how she saw the shortage turn into tens of kilos of food in her own kitchen. house and neighbors.
Report from leaf it showed that residents of the region, which is suffering from the advance of the drought and the crisis caused by the pandemic, were hungry. Many even hunted tegu –a kind of lizard– and chameleons, as well as pebas (an armadillo) and birds to cheat hunger.
In some areas, reptiles are still an option for meals such as lunch.
After the article was published, residents from different parts of Brazil — and even the United Kingdom — sought out the region’s residents for donations.
Sebastiana says that the packages with food started arriving two weeks ago and, according to her, should last until January.
“There’s rice, beans, pasta, sugar, coffee, flour and biscuits in the cupboard. In the fridge, eggs, mortadella, sausage and chicken.”
Her husband and farmer, Adailton Oliveira, repeats “amen” with her to confirm the abundance.
Days before, he had helped to skin a hungry cow that ended up being sacrificed by the owner and given as an option for food to the families.
Adailton and Sebastiana fit a forepaw, the only meat in the house for 20 days. “But now we don’t need that anymore. The basic food basket is enough and when the animals are dying of weakness, we can let them go,” says the farmer.
The president of the association of residents of the settlement where they live, Áurea Silva, says that there are donations arriving in food and money, “transformed into a mixture for the families or into food for the animals”.
The support network receives photos, videos and other proof of delivery. Donations also contribute to the installation of a well that will provide water for the animals.
Adailton appears in videos celebrating the work, during a test with a hose. “O citizen of the report taking a bath”. He smiled.
In another recording, he wets his hands and says: “With water like that, sent by Jesus Christ, there aren’t any cattle that die of thirst”.
It is precisely in the water that the farmer finds a solution to live life. “Our objective is rain, for us to plant and harvest, or, in a drought like this, a well drilled to give water to animals. Because water is blood and blood is life. If there is no water, we are nothing”.
Áurea, from the residents’ association, emphasizes that “hope is winter”. “Because it’s raining, the people can work, plant and sustain themselves.”
Half of Rio Grande do Norte faces severe drought. The number of people in extreme poverty reached, in 2021, the highest level in a decade.
With the increase in unemployment, high prices and the end of emergency aid from the federal government added together, more people, as in several states in Brazil, ended up being pushed to “eat what you have, when you have it”.
In a scenario marked by empty refrigerators and cabinets, food baskets or unthinkable alternatives for many have entered the pots of families in the northeastern state most affected by drought.
Data and statements about the extreme reached by residents of Senador Elói de Souza were reflected in radio and TV programs, opinion articles, tweets and Instagram comments. Not everyone liked it, and even accused the couple of defaming the municipality.
“One person said: ‘For God’s sake, don’t even leave the house because the city is against you, from what you said. They’re saying you ended up with Eloi de Souza,'” recalls Adailton. “I was scared.”
“Because I didn’t say anything wrong. I didn’t mention anyone’s name. I just said the situation we live in and if I could do it for the whole world, because the farmer has to be seen, because he is not able to support himself, especially in this period of weak winter, with so many losses”, he says.
Visits and calls to find out about the status of the settlement became routine. They came in with questions about what they’re eating. “An impactful business”, says Sebastiana. “A difficult moment because some did not understand and criticized. But thanks to God through this situation, the settlement and other areas received many basic food baskets.”
Áurea, from the residents’ association, says that political opponents and others “took advantage of the situation” generating criticism of the settlers. “They came out saying that the families had shamed the municipality. But other people applauded them for showing the blunt truth.”
Meanwhile, Sebastiana prepares to make the first wood fire of the day – a routine for cooking, given the lack of resources for a gas cylinder.
She plans her Christmas dinner. “It’s going to be beans, chicken, rice and juice. Very special, for people who wouldn’t have it all.”
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I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
