{"id":84152,"date":"2026-09-22T08:36:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=84152"},"modified":"2026-09-22T08:38:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:38:09","slug":"prazeres-community-garden-collective-action-reclaims-ancestral-knowledge-and-celebrates-the-oldest-technology-in-the-world-putting-the-seed-in-the-ground-having-the-patience-and-care-to-ten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=84152","title":{"rendered":"Prazeres Favela Community Garden Reclaims Ancestral Knowledge and Celebrates \u2018Our Oldest Technology: Putting a Seed in the Ground\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Some<\/a>
Some of the participants in the Prazeres Community Garden collective action, in Morro dos Prazeres, where activities included upkeep of the space, planting vegetable seedlings and a yoga class for women, among others. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/i>This article is part of a\u00a0<\/i><\/i>series<\/a>\u00a0created in partnership with the\u00a0Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies<\/a>\u00a0at San Diego State University, to produce articles for the\u00a0Digital Brazil Project<\/a>\u00a0on environmental justice in the favelas through RioOnWatch.<\/em><\/p>\n

A collective action held at the Prazeres Community Garden<\/a>, in the Morro dos Prazeres<\/a> favela, in Santa Teresa<\/a>, in Rio\u2019s central region<\/a>, brought together around 30 people on September 5. In addition to restoring and caring for the space, the event\u2019s program<\/a> included a workshop on making bait traps for stingless bees, the production of sprouts, a seed exchange, yoga for women, activities with children and a collaborative meal. Several collectives active in Morro dos Prazeres took part: Nature’s Wisdoms<\/a>, Roots of Prazeres<\/a>, Favela-Park RJ<\/a> and Evolux Institute<\/a>. The event was part of the Sustainable Favela Network’s (SFN<\/a>)* Collective Calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before activities began, there was a brief circle to introduce the Prazeres Community Garden project, with remarks from several local leaders and people directly involved in the work. Wellington Fyah<\/a>, an MC and singer, cook at Vital Food Industry<\/a> and farmer at the Prazeres Community Garden, opened by explaining the importance of reconnecting with ancestral knowledge, such as growing food:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re reclaiming knowledge that we\u2019ve been losing over time\u2026 ancient, ancestral knowledge, which is the oldest technology in the world: putting the seed in the ground, having the patience and care to tend to it and then eating what it yields. This is a moment of reclaiming [that knowledge]. To me, the garden symbolizes that\u2026 I think recognizing the place where you live is very important, whether it\u2019s recognizing ourselves in our homes or through what surrounds us. I think plants give us that. They make us look at ourselves [through them]. Looking at a plant is seeing ourselves. Watching what we planted grow is also watching ourselves grow.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"The<\/a>
The collective action began with an introduction to the project and the collectives that came together to care for the Prazeres Community Garden, followed by brief introductions from the 30 participants. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gey<\/a>, an environmental sciences student, co-creator of the Prazeres Community Garden and coordinator of the Women\u2019s Yoga<\/a> project, aimed at the women in Prazeres, reiterated the importance of reconnecting with ancestral knowledge, while also stressing the need for volunteers to care for the garden, which has now been running for five years:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been in this struggle for almost five years now, resisting in the favela where it\u2019s really hard to work. These days, particularly when it comes to collective work, people always do things last minute, they don\u2019t have time. \u2018Oh, it’s just a hobby\u2019\u2026 It\u2019s hard to find people who are committed, who will get out of bed early on a Saturday to be here. So, we\u2019re always trying to awaken that in you and in ourselves. We need to be present, face-to-face, reminding ourselves of our objectives.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Gey,<\/a>
Gey, co-creator of the Prazeres Community Garden and the Women\u2019s Yoga Project, led a yoga session for women who took part in the collective action at the garden. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cris dos Prazeres<\/a>, founder of the Evolux Institute, her latest initiative in three decades of living and working in the community, was closely involved in the creation not only of the Prazeres Community Garden, but also of other pioneering favela garden projects. She shared some of this history, including her involvement with ReciclA\u00e7\u00e3o<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ve been following the Prazeres Community Garden project since the ReciclA\u00e7\u00e3o days, because we started out by holding a few collective actions and encouraging the community to plant. And we wanted to plant Atlantic Forest<\/a> seedlings\u2026 Dio, who\u2019s a really cool guy, took over an area up there that we call Pocinho, which is at the highest point of Prazeres, a space with a natural spring. There was a huge garbage dump<\/a> there and we held about four collective actions\u2026 Then the place started to turn into a garden: the Pocinho Community Garden. That got [Prazeres residents] looking at places and saying, \u2018Oh, that’s a vegetable garden!\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Cris<\/a>
Cris dos Prazeres, founder of the Evolux Institute, has been active in Morro dos Prazeres for 30 years and was involved in the creation of the Prazeres Community Garden. Her work is linked to the ReciclA\u00e7\u00e3o project, which marked the beginning of her involvement in socio-environmental initiatives in the community. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She explained that there had already been interest in using the space where the Prazeres Community Garden now stands:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d had my eye on this space for many years, dreaming of creating an agroforestry<\/a> system\u2026 Because this is City property: it\u2019s the backyard of [Municipal Cultural Center] Casar\u00e3o dos Prazeres<\/a>. Can you imagine this place full of things to eat, full of flowers, full of fruit? What a dream! I thought, \u2018I\u2019m going to call the City!\u2019 [Current mayor] Eduardo Cavaliere<\/a> was Secretary of the Environment at the time, and we started [trying to get in touch]. Carolzinha, who\u2019s a great partner of ours, started sending photos to the mayor\u2019s office: \u2018Look, these people want a garden, they want to expand this little garden that\u2019s already here. [Municipal project] Hortas Cariocas has to go there\u2026 Let\u2019s put some pressure on them to take the Hortas Cariocas project there!\u2019 So, this place is a collective dream.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The City of Rio\u2019s Hortas Cariocas Program<\/a> was created in 2006 to promote urban agriculture<\/a> in communities and schools, making use of vacant areas to grow food. The initiative aims to promote food security<\/a>, food sovereignty<\/a>, environmental education and access to healthy food in vulnerable areas.<\/p>\n

\"Participants<\/a>
Participants in the collective action help plant leafy vegetables in one of the beds at the Prazeres Community Garden. Photo: B\u00e1rbara Dias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the initial exchange, activities got underway and participants split into different work groups. Throughout the day, one group prepared the soil and weeded the garden beds, while another planted and cared for areas already under cultivation. The collective action resulted in a joint effort to restore and care for the garden in downtown Rio.<\/p>\n

See More Photos in the Album<\/a>:<\/h3>\n

\"Mutir\u00e3o<\/a>