So first off, my apologies for taking such a long break from updating this blog. I had been meaning to update for a while, but it got a bit lost in the shuffle as I became busier with work and everything I was learning. I'm going to try and start updating on a weekly basis now, and use this as a way for me to reflect on my experience here. I'm going to make a few quick posts in a row to try and catch up on some of the most important events/lessons I have experienced over the last two months.
A few weeks ago, I accompanied Guilherme (an INSEA technician) and Gilberto (a leader of the Cataunidos network of cooperatives here in BH) on a trip to Southern Minas, to a town called Três Corações. We spent the weekend here wrapping up a training program sponsored by INSEA called "CATAFORTE - Strengthening of Associativity and Cooperativeness among Recycling Collectors." Sponsored by the Bank of Brazil, CATAFORTE is a six-month program designed to build a foundation among catadores so that they can build or strengthen cooperatives and eventually integrate into the National Movement of Catadores.
CATAFORTE consists of 6 modules, each taking place over one weekend each month. The modules are as follows:
Module 1: Initial participatory diagnostics - Identity of the catador;challenges and opportunities; history of the profession, including organization and creation of the MNCR.
Module 2: Diagnostic of the principal challenges facing organizations of catadores; Recycling within the context of urban development, environmentalism and sustainability.
Module 3: Recycling technology and logistics; Public policies regarding solid waste management; The supply chain of recyclable materials.
Module 4: Management and logistics of productive enterprises; Formalizing productive enterprises; Strategic planning and democratic decision-making.
Module 5: The concept of the "solidarity economy"; Building networks to commercialize goods; Democracy, power and society.
Module 6: The history of social movements in Brazil; Development and social transformation; Public policies and local power; Final evaluation.
Since I only got to sit in on the final weekend class (Module 6, with a little bit of catching up from Module 5), I can't really comment fully on the entire process. That being said, I did leave the weekend with plenty of impressions.
The first thing that really struck me was just how difficult the training process is. While CATAFORTE comes with a detailed curriculum and lesson plans (prepared by INSEA's pedagogical coordinator, Aline), it is hard to make instruction completely effective in practice given the precarious situation of many of the participants. A good number of them are illiterate, have no formal education, or even suffer from learning disabilities. It is really difficult to build an effective training course when your students do not have a strong base to use for their learning. At times, it seemed hard to tell what was really sinking in, and the disparities between the students were striking (as is the case in many classroom settings). Looking over the lesson plans in detail and comparing them with my practical observations, it was pretty clear to me that most of the students did not "master" the material.
However, I don't think that is necessarily even the goal of CATFORTE. The principal effect seemed to me to be bringing all of the catadores together to discuss building cooperatives and associations and getting them used to working together and thinking about their profession in the context of the big picture. CATAFORTE is simply the first step in a long, difficult process of building a cooperative spirit and skill development to enable these organizations to grow and thrive. By itself, the course does not count for much, and will not change these people's lives in a significant way. But it does get them to think a bit, helps them to network with their peers, and builds the pride and self-confidence (especially through our presentation of graduation certificates) that will help the catadores to take the next step. Everything seems to depend on the follow-up.
Yet, the follow-up is much easier said than done. I haven't looked into this issue in detail, but it seems to me that the expansion of the CATAFORTE program has not yet been matched by the expansion of detailed organizational strategies where INSEA and its partners send technicians to these municipalities to work with the newly-trained catadores and their municipal government partners to begin the long and grueling work of building a functioning cooperative. The danger, obviously, is that CATAFORTE creates a big expectation among the catadores and then the follow-up is delayed for so long that it leaves a huge sense of disappointment and ultimately results in a wasted effort. But again, this is just my initial impression. One issue that INSEA seems to face is a lack of funds to contract capable technicians to accompany these cooperatives and associations over the long term to guarantee that they move past the initial stages of organizing and planning into actually executing the projects. (Much more on this later.)
One aspect of CATAFORTE that I really appreciated was that it was not just taught by INSEA technicians. In fact, the training team consisted of one technician (Guilherme) and two catadores who were active leaders in the MNCR - Gilberto and Luenia (a local leader from Southern Minas). Having Gilberto and Luenia there really made the course more accessible I think, and they were able to show by example just how far catadores are able to come through this movement if they stick with it. Guilherme did a great job leading the course, but as he himself admitted, Gilberto and Luenia are the ones who are really able to drive the messages home because they can relate on a much more personal level to the students. I have found that this is not only the case during our training programs. In general when working with the catadores it is so essential for us to have MNCR leaders working with us who can help facilitate dialogue and build trust and cooperation.
On a more personal note, this experience was absolutely great for me. It wasn't only about seeing how the CATAFORTE program works in practice. It was a great opportunity for me to have more direct, personal interactions with the catadores. Going into the weekend, I was a bit nervous because I wasn't sure how they would look at me. I feared that I wouldn't be useful at all and that the whole time would just feel really awkward. I couldn't have been more wrong. The catadores were fascinated to see a gringo there, and the fact that I was coming all the way from the US to study their movement really helped make them feel more proud of what they could accomplish. They loved talking with me, and I was able to interact with them much more easily than I expected, although I did have some difficulty understanding their accents. I also helped lead some of the focus groups, and it was really the first time here that I began to feel that I really can play a productive role and that the gap between me and the catadores isn't as wide as I can imagine.
There were plenty of lighthearted moments as well. One day some of the catadores pulled a prank on me - they sent me out into the town to look for a "glass-cutting hammer" that they said they needed for some reason. I was a bit confused as to what this meant (I figured I was just translating the words wrong) or why they would need this tool, but I just decided to go with it. After getting a bunch of blank looks from various shopkeepers, I returned to the center empty-handed. The entire room burst out laughing. Of course, there is no such thing as a glass-cutting hammer and they all just thought it would be funny to send the gringo out on a wild goose chase around town looking for one. It became a constant joke for the rest of the weekend, and definitely helped me get closer with everyone. We also went out on Saturday night to a local bar where we played pool, drank, and danced to sertaneja (Brazilian country music). I can't say I'm much of a natural, but everyone got a kick out of taking turns trying to teach me.
Some pictures from the weekend:
Group discussion with MNCR flag in the middle
Guilherme giving a speech on the "solidarity economy"
Our MNCR representatives: Luenia and Gilberto
(Note: Luenia's pink shirt was from a conference of female MNCR leaders in Curitiba)
Focus group discussion: MNCR in context of social movements in Brazil
Group with certificates after graduation
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