In June, the quilombo community of Quilombo Aroeira, in Palmas de Monte Alto (Bahia), held a Culture, Education and Family Farming Fair, set up by the Mãos Aroeira Women’s Group. The event celebrated ancestral knowledge, strengthened quilombola identity and emphasised local production and family farming. The programme included themed workshops, dance competitions, children’s parades, film debates and cultural presentations, focusing on participation by black women and young people, the protagonists of the present and the future.
The group’s Coordinator, Nelci Conceição dos Santos, pointed out that, ‘CESE’s support… was pioneering, it was what opened doors and expanded horizons.’ The group is now preparing to hold the Alforria Fair in October, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the death of Vitor Brito’s daughter, who was a significant figure in the quilombo’s history. They will also continue to extend the reach of both the movement and of quilombo communities through culture, the solidarity economy, and ancestry.