From the 29th to the 30th of June 2023, in Mandirituba/PR, the Quilombos of Porto Velho and Sete Barras - Municipality of Adrianópolis/PR, participated in the Meeting of the Guardian Families of Creole Seeds. It was attended by a good number of young people.
Here is the testimony of Ana Flávia, Coordinator of the Quilombola Association of Porto Velho:
“I want to say on behalf of everyone that it was a wonderful experience, that we all had good knowledge that we will take with us for life. The ABAI group from Mandirituba treated us very well, with the greatest affection, we don't even have words to thank them. The people of Mandirituba are simple people, very cheerful, loving, hardworking and, above all, welcoming. We got to know every corner there, they showed us their seed house, which is incredible, how it's done, from the beginning and all the procedures, to the end. Their agriculture is very beautiful, the work they do is admirable. Everyone participates, from children, young people, women, men and the elderly. We realized that it is a very close-knit community. We also took advantage and brought seeds and bought some, and other things like bracelets and chains. One of the final moments that called attention was the moment of exchanges, which was very special and fun, all the people of each culture were together and mixed. And that was really good, we had a lot of happy moments, exchanges and conversations, getting to know the culture and reality of other peoples. Anyway, everything went well, the young people behaved and are very happy for the meeting. Our world is big and full of news.”
There were many manifestations of satisfaction for participating in this Meeting of the Guardian Families of Creole Seeds. How important it is to keep the original seeds and spread them to other cultures. The people of the Quilombos of Sete Barras and Porto Velho are to be congratulated, because they shared their knowledge and seeds and acquired new wisdom.
Thanks to CPT: Comissão Pastoral da Terra/PR and Rede de Sementes/PR, which provided the participation of the Quilombolas.
Sr. Ângela Biagioni, sjbp
