What We Do
The foundation brings sustainable assistance by restoring lands and reviving local rural communities.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, GGREF's efforts have become increasingly vital to vulnerable rural communities.
GGREF's assistance approach is built following a 3 phase plan to minimize major hardships (in both short and long terms) encountered by local families in need:
Phase 1: Fighting Hunger
Farmers affected by irregular granite extractions often see a significant decrease in their productions (crops and cattle). To bring immediate relief to those farmers, GGREF assists with basic food donations which allow them to feed their family on average for a month.
Basic food bags cost 250 Brazilian reais, the equivalent of roughly $65.
Each item is carefully chosen for proper nutrition and to ensure bag distribution serves the purpose intended by GGREF.
Phase 2: Providing Access to Water
The drought season has long been a challenge for farmers in this region. Granite extraction has worsened the water shortage by damaging water resources and restricting access to water.
With the help of local farmers receiving basic food baskets, GGREF collectively organizes and implements the construction of water cisterns to rural households with no access to water.
Water cisterns collect rainwater and allow farmers to be productive again mainly by growing crops and raising animals all year round.
Phase 3: Restoring the Environment
GGREF's focus is also to build partnerships with local initiatives such as "Caçadores de Nascentes" (Spring Hunters), a local and state government organization whose mission is to find and protect new springs in the region.
Rehabilitating water springs consist in isolating the area from destruction and planting local species to form buffer zones along the banks of rivers and streams.
We protect water springs so rural communities can have access to clean drinking water and animals can survive in their natural ecosystems. Protect a water spring!
