51吃瓜

Terrible floods have engulfed the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Record rainfall in late April and concluded in early May 2024. The data are superlative; flood water has killed over 100 people and affected 90% of the state鈥檚 municipalities. Of the over two million inhabitants impacted, one in every 20 has had to move. Experts estimate that Brazil鈥檚 recovery bill will cost tens of billions of dollars and last for years. Additionally, the water has not yet fully receded. This is the country鈥檚 largest territorial disaster.

But a huge positive development has occurred: A network of spontaneous solidarity has arisen in Brazil鈥檚 other 25 states and the Federal District. They have formed the largest mobilization of donations and volunteerism in the country鈥檚 history. In the month since the floods began, the Civil Defense has 2,000 tons of donations. The Services for the Underserved (S:US) volunteer bank has registered 70,000 records. These numbers showcase the virtuous circle of aid that has united the country.

Brazilians have proven to be generous in serious situations before. In the world solidarity ranking, the World Giving Index (2022), the country 18th out of 119 nations for their contributions to helping strangers, donating money and volunteering. The figure reflected a time when the world was emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, a calamity that severely impacted Brazil. In the next year, 2023, political uncertainty and the population鈥檚 impoverishment majorly reduced the country鈥檚 giving; it to 89th place in the index.

鈥淭his contributed to a decrease in the population鈥檚 participation in donations,鈥� said Paula Iabiani, CEO of Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS). Her company represents the ranking. At the current rate of collaboration in recent days, it is likely that the country will return to the top positions in 2024.

鈥淲e are being profoundly impacted by the experiences of other human beings. Cognitive and also emotional impact, linked to our ability to let ourselves be sensitized by what others experience. It touches on our affections and unconscious identifications. This is the primordial impulse for solidarity action,鈥� psychoanalyst Maria Homem said.

As Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva on X, this is the 鈥渓argest movement of donations recorded in the history鈥� of Brazil. Further, the chain that formed is multidisciplinary and goes beyond the expected crisis professionals: doctors, firefighters, social workers and health professionals.

NGOs and volunteers show solidarity

One unexpected resource is SOS Rio Grande do Sul. This connects and updates the needs and availability of over 400 shelters across the state. A total of 1,300 volunteers work to meet the flood victims鈥� demands. They update the day-to-day life of the shelters, provide care for the children and collect and distribute supplies.

鈥淭he first few days were focused on rescues. But everything changes very quickly,鈥� said Pedro Schanzer, a founder of the Porto Alegre-based operation. 鈥淚 was putting donations in trucks, rescuing people in the floods, until I noticed that at each point I arrived, the desperation was so great that there was no single coordination. We set up a team that has adapted our actions according to the needs of each day.鈥�

For the roughly 100,000 children displaced by the floods, the treatment must be different. Many have not only lost their homes, but cherished belongings as well, like toys and pets. World Vision Brazil, a child care non-governmental (NGO) based in S茫o Paulo, has helped by putting together 15,000 鈥渢enderness kits.鈥� These kits aim to restore children鈥檚 emotional well-being by stimulating them with activities. They include a toy, coloring books, colored pencils and crayons, educational games, modeling clay, and snacks. The organization has also assembled food baskets, hygiene kits and basic necessities.

鈥淐hildren are one of the most vulnerable groups in the midst of crises, and often have no idea of the magnitude of the events they are experiencing. They find themselves away from home, family and friends, and are likely to be psychologically impacted by this crisis,鈥� Thiago Crucciti, director of World Vision Brazil. 鈥淲ithout an appropriate intervention, these events could leave lasting scars. We must respond now to ensure that they get the support they desperately need.鈥�

Brazilians created another group to provide care for a specific minority. In the Cristo Redentor neighborhood of Rio Grande do Sul, the Solidarity Kitchen prepares meals in a shelter for pregnant and postpartum women. The volunteers receive donations, buy supplies, assemble menus and organize the space. 鈥淲e work with donations of food or by Pix [],鈥� said founder and publicist Kak谩 Cerutti.

In the city of Porto Alegre, the Homeless Workers Movement (), the Movement of People Affected by Dams () and Popular Youth collaboratively run the Azenha Solidarity Kitchen. Every day, 60 volunteers use 22 stoves to prepare and distribute around 3,000 meals.

Solidarity transcends geographical boundaries and socioeconomic conditions. The Rio-founded Central 脷nica das Favelas () organization proves it; it promotes integration and social inclusion in Brazilian communities, as well as 15 other countries. It mobilized a humanitarian operation that in two weeks 20,000 cleaning kits; 25,000 personal hygiene kits; 20,000 liters of water; five carts of food; 30,000 bath kits and 30,000 mattresses.

Individuals can make a difference, too. Firefighter Robinson Luiz Jobim Rosa did an extraordinary service; while his own house was flooded in S茫o Leopoldo, he evacuated 200 people stranded at the Canoas Emergency Hospital. 鈥淪aving people in their time of need and distress is part of our routine. I keep working because that鈥檚 our mission,鈥� he said.

Jobim Rosa still doesn鈥檛 know how he鈥檒l recover from the floods. Fortunately, his three children and their mother were elsewhere when the water reached their home. 鈥淭he only one at home at the time was my dog, who was rescued by a neighbor,鈥� he mentioned.

A similar story involved police officer Roberto Kaminski in Lajeado. When he saw the water rushing into his apartment on the second floor, he went to rescue an elderly couple on the third floor. With the help of a neighbor, he took what he could carry to two empty apartments on the fourth floor. 鈥淚 must have climbed about 150 times. By the end, I was exhausted. I didn鈥檛 manage to rescue everything I wanted in time,鈥� he explained.

In Santa Cruz do Sul, police officer Everton Toillier prioritized saving items belonging to his one-year-old daughter. When he heard a neighbor鈥檚 call for help, he immediately swam out and rescued a lady who was clinging to a tree, and saved her dog as well. 鈥淚 managed to get them both to a boat and went back home to try and rescue my daughter鈥檚 belongings,鈥� he stated.

Many helpful volunteers started out with one mission and ended up on another, like Edu Leporo, founder of the NGO Moradores de Rua e Seus C茫es (). Based in S茫o Paulo, the photographer and activist traveled to the South to assist animals in the floods. 鈥淵ou see whole families on the streets, not knowing where to go. The problem will get worse when the water recedes and people want to go back to their homes and start again,鈥� he stated. 鈥淲e went ahead: We bought a trailer, a truck, squeegees, brooms, shovels, detergent, disinfectant and floor cloths to help.鈥�

In Porto Alegre, Leporo relies on the NGO鈥檚 volunteer veterinarian Audrei de Oliveira Souza. The assistance forces rescued 11,500 animals by midweek, including the symbol of the resistance: a horse named . 鈥淭he rescue team is exhausted, tired and cold. Some are getting sick. But they remain tireless in their search for human and animal survivors,鈥� Leporo described.

Christian Kristensen, the coordinator of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS) Center for Studies and Research into Trauma and Stress, helped the rescuers. He identified several cases of burnout 鈥� the physical and emotional exhaustion caused by work 鈥� among them. 鈥淪ome because they鈥檝e been overworked, even physically, others because of the emotional overload in the face of so much suffering. Even compassion fatigue, a term we use for this moment,鈥� he explained.

Artists unite to help

Technological resources have helped mitigate the catastrophe. 鈥淗ow can the hyperconnection of mobility and communication be used favorably? How can we solve global problems with specific regional effects?鈥� Homem asked. 鈥淭he awareness that we are one people and one species mobilizes us in an unprecedented way.鈥�

Artists and public figures are some of the most adept at navigating networks and platforms. In the disaster鈥檚 first days, Lucas Silveira, lead singer of the Brazilian band Fresno, led his colleagues in a solidarity concert. He was born in Cear谩 but raised in Porto Alegre, so this tragedy is personal to him. He raised 2.5 million reais ($460,000) in just a few hours.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening is something of unprecedented proportions. I saw my neighborhood on TV and a guy passing in front of my house in a boat. It鈥檚 mind-boggling,鈥� Silveira stated, considering the next steps. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a task force that鈥檚 going to get thousands of volunteers to clean the houses. We鈥檝e bought more than a hundred pressure washers at cost, which will be very useful for cleaning up when the water recedes.鈥�

Other big names in music have announced plans to help. On July 7 and 9, Chit茫ozinho & Xoror贸, Zez茅 Di Camargo & Luciano and Leonardo & Lu铆sa Sonza will host their classes at Allianz Parque in S茫o Paulo. The proceeds will be put toward flood damage repair. 鈥淗elping is urgent and meeting basic needs is the least we need right now. Today, regardless of where we are, we want to save the South,鈥� Sonza said.

Another benefit was held on May 22 at the Vivo Rio venue in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It brought together singers Paula Toller, Ney Matogrosso, Rog茅rio Flausino, Milton Guedes, Fernanda Abreu, L茅o Jaime and Kleiton & Kledir, as well as the rock band Bar茫o Vermelho.

During the first week of rain, comedian and presenter F谩bio Porchat started a collection campaign. He gathered tons of drinking water, bed and bath linen and warm clothes to distribute in the South. 鈥淒onating should be the norm, not the exception,鈥� he told . 鈥淚t鈥檚 worth donating time, money, image, whatever. If we want a functioning community, we need to do our bit to help others.鈥�

The mobilization to help the Brazilian South has crossed borders and reached some of the world鈥檚 lead artists. Beyonc茅鈥檚 foundation BeyGOOD, which some Brazilian initiatives, has stepped up its work to encourage collaboration. The band Metallica $100,000 (about 514,000 reais) to the victims. The band Guns N鈥� Roses has been Brazil Found鈥檚 Light Alliance Emergency Fund for donations.

The Brazilian government plans a solution聽

During the floods鈥� second week, the people of Rio Grande do Sul received good news from the Brazilian capital of Bras铆lia. On his third visit to Porto Alegre, Lula announced the of the Ministry to Support the Reconstruction of Rio Grande do Sul. It will be headed by Paulo Pimenta, who was the Minister of the Social Communication Secretariat. The ministry鈥檚 mission will be to define the state鈥檚 reconstruction plan, distribute tasks to other ministries and demand results.

The minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, explained that the Brazilian government will expand the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (鈥淢y Home, My Life鈥�) 鈥� which provides a swath of affordable housing units to Brazilians 鈥� in the affected cities with the purchase of properties. The government will also direct properties that were set to be auctioned by the Caixa and Banco do Brasil banks to replace those that the floods destroy.

The National Confederation of Municipalities () estimates that 102,000 homes were affected by the floods: 93,000 damaged and 9,000 destroyed. Many families will need help to buy basic goods, such as a stove, fridge and bed. To this end, the government proposes financial aid of 5,000 reais ($920) for 100,000 families. The homeless who lost their income in the floods are to be included in the income transfer program, with average monthly aid of 672 reais ($123).

The state鈥檚 debt to the federal government has been suspended for three years, which will generate savings of 23 billion reais ($4.2 billion), including monthly payments and interest for the period. The Porto Alegre city government plans to build a temporary city for homeless families close to the city center. Located in the Porto Seco neighborhood, it will have capacity for 10,000 people. It will include accommodations, a communal kitchen, toilets, garbage collection and a leisure area to receive people assisted in the current shelters. Canoas, Gua铆ba and S茫o Leopoldo will receive similar facilities.

The initiative draws inspiration from a recovery that helped the US state of Louisiana recover from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. After the hurricane, the project managers hired consulting Alvarez & Marsal, which specializes in the reconstruction of damage caused by extreme events, to draw up an assistance plan. Former president Dilma Rousseff, who is from Minas Gerais but built her political career in Rio Grande do Sul, is currently in charge of the New Development Bank, known as the . She opened a 5.75-billion-real (over $1.1 billion) funding line for the state鈥檚 reconstruction work.

Throughout the week, the plenary of the Federal Senate fast-tracked the approval of a bill that creates guidelines for forming climate change adaptation plans. The goal is to adopt measures to reduce environmental, social and economic vulnerability in episodes of climate upheaval. 鈥淚n addition to actions and public policies that affect real life, we need to improve the mental health support network, because we are discovering that psychic life is just as important and can have just as many effects on reality as concrete life,鈥� Homem recalled. 鈥淪olidarity is the most important good at this time and should be deepened if we want a fairer, more developed and interesting country.鈥�

[ edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.