Association of Residents of the Kalunga Quilombo of Monte Alegre
Monte Alegre, GO
Phone:
+55 62 9 9813 3692
Email:
kalungamontealegre(at)gmail.com
Project type:
COMMERCE
Discover the Channels of the Monte Alegre Kalunga Association.
About us
Located in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, northeastern Goiás state, the Kalunga territory extends across three municipalities: Cavalcante, Monte Alegre de Goiás, and Teresina de Goiás. It has been recognized as a Historical Site and Cultural Heritage of the Kalunga. Comprising five main groups (Engenho II, Kalunga de Cavalcante, Kalunga de Monte Alegre, Historical and Cultural Site of Kalunga, Kalunga de Teresina de Goiás), the Kalunga people live in four areas known as Vão das Almas, Contenda, Vão do Muleque, and Rio dos Bois, which are further divided into other locations where the remaining quilombola communities from the 18th century were formed. The Kalunga people have a population of approximately 6,000 individuals, mostly of African descent. The majority practice subsistence agriculture and earn income by selling cassava flour in nearby cities, and occasionally calves and cattle raised in their areas. The current recognition of cultural identity and related rights is the result of a long historical process and is due to the many struggles and conflicts faced by the Kalunga people. An egregious example of the unjust dynamics to which traditional populations are subjected and the resistance of these people is that not all communities in the Kalunga territory have obtained land regularization, despite being the largest and oldest quilombola community in the country. In Monte Alegre, especially, resides the ancestral knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs of the cerrado and their processing into teas, tinctures, and other natural pharmacy products, a great treasure that the community preserves through its elder women.
Objectives
We are part of the oldest Quilombo in Brazil, recognized by the UN as the "first territory in Brazil preserved by the community." Our territory has been conserved and protected through our customs for over 300 years. With NOSSO, we want to bring the Quilombo closer to the outside world in a healthy way, developing impactful businesses with cause and income generation within the Quilombo, including mainly young people and women. This will improve our quality of life and enable our ancestral knowledge to contribute to society as a whole and generate income for our Residents' Association through the KALUNGA brand.
1st Phase
2nd Phase
3rd Phase
- Social mapping and business plan;
- Implementation of an agroecological demonstrative unit;
- Training in agroforestry;
- Construction of a production space;
- Acquisition of equipment for processing local raw materials.
- Training in enhanced processing of cosmetics, oils, and various herbal remedies;
- Permanent installation of an ethnographic exhibition showcasing local narratives that depict the ancestry and origins of our production methods.
- Training in digital media, sales, communication, logistics, programming, and audiovisual production;
- Creation of the KALUNGA brand;
- Digital inclusion through website and online stores;
- Access to external markets;
- Strengthening consumer networks.