PCAB and PPA partners continue to support communities during pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately taken a heavy toll on the Amazon region, with over 140.000 cases until the end of May. It has also isolated many communities, cutting access to supply lines and livelihoods.
Partners of the PCAB and Partnership Platform for the Amazon (PPA) have supported Amazon communities by changing their activities and modes of work to help protect vulnerable populations, and some have acted in response to the more pressing needs caused by the pandemic.
The PPA member Companies have used their production parks to provide local governments with necessary supplies, such as hand sanitizer, hygiene materials, mattresses for shelters and hospitals, respiratory equipment and food baskets. In addition, they have released data, articles and research of public interest and made significant contributions to institutions that are at the forefront of combating the new virus. Civil society partners have continued to remotely support communities through consultancies to fundraise, access public policies and organize logistics for distributing food baskets.
Learn more about PPA Partners actions
Alcoa
Has donated emergency support for equipment and health care products (gloves, clothes, hand sanitizer, equipment) in the various states where it operates. The Alcoa Institute and the Alcoa Foundation are also providing additional emergency resources to all Alcoa factories in Brazil. The factories together with the community affairs committees and municipal committees will decide on the use of the intended resource.
AMBEV
Donated 1.2 million bottles of hand sanitizers to municipal public hospitals all over Brazil. First 500.000 bottles were for the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília. In partnership with other institutions, is supporting the construction of space for 100 beds at the Municipal Hospital M’Boi Mirim and is producing 3 million face shields for health professionals.
Bemol
Sponsored more than 50,000 informative comic books on preventive measures against coronavirus.
Donated 1,000 mattresses to the Secretariat of Justice to shelter homeless people.
1,000 mattresses to the Health Department to set up the Manaus field hospital and1,000 N95 masks to the Secretary of Health.
BH26
Made a financial donation to the Cyrela Institute to assist Fiocruz to raise its production of COVID-19 detection tests.
BVRio
BVRio has launched the CooperAção campaign, to help maintain the Anambé furniture workshop from the Tapajós Forest Cooperative (Comflona). The campaign aims at providing an income for the workers so they can stay at home during quarantine, maintain contracts that will be delayed and secure new ones for when social distancing ends.
Cargill
Cargill is acting in response to the pandemic in many of the countries where it worked. In Pará, Cargill Agricola has donated 400 food baskets from Miritituba to Santarém to five NGOs, 30 mattresses for a homeless shelter, 75,000 masks which are being distributed to at risk groups and vulnerable populations in Santarém , with the support of the Fire and Police departments and other groups. Cargill is also supporting the Tapajós 3D project, organized by the West Para Federal University to make masks, face shields and googles for health professionals.
DD&L
Created a newsletter with legal guidelines on measures that have been adopted in the region and in the Manaus Free Trade Zone that resulted in an impact on the business environment: http://bit.ly/DDLBoletimCovid19
Hydro
Hydro has joined the collective efforts to prevent and respond to COVID-19 in the regions where the company works. The company has supplied 51,000 littles of mineral water to a shelter set up in Mangueirao Stadium, Belém, which will cater to over 1000 vulnerable people in the State. Hydro has also donated R$5 million to support the installation of four temporary hospitals in Pará, with 720 beds, as well as over 500 food baskets, 4.600 hygiene kits to São Paulo. Hydro has also distributed 25.000 food baskets to seven Para municipalities: Paragominas, Ipixuna do Pará, Tomé-Açu, Moju, Acará, Abaetetuba and Barcarena, prioritizing purchase of products and masks from local suppliers.
KPMG
Has moved to online project management, with staff on home office. All face-to-face events have been canceled or moved online. The company is also using its knowledge base to produce guides and courses that can help face the economic challenges presented by the crisis.
Imerys
Imerys, a mining company which works with kaolin in Para, has donated 10 air conditioner units and 100 mattresses to the temporary hospital in Barcarena which will receive COVID patients. Imerys has also donated 60 safety glasses to the Hospital and Maternity Dr. Afonso Rodrigues Almeida. The company has also donated 300 food baskets to the quilombola territory Jambuaçu, in Moju municipality. Furthermore, Imerys is working with local seamstresses to produce face masks and increase their income
Maués Guaraná Alliance
The initiative supported by AMBEV will give away ten thousand masks made by local seamstresses to the population in Maués, and is running a public awareness campaign on safety measures. They will also distribute kits with masks, gloves and disinfectant.
Nelson Wilians
The INW institute launched two programs focused on the crisis: the GTC Solidary Connection Project, which offers qualified, free medical advice throughout Brazil, through the telemedicine, and the Justiceiras Project, which aims to expand the support and guidance network for girls and women victims of domestic violence in this quarantine period, connecting volunteers from the areas of Law, Psychology and Social Assistance.
Sabin
Supported, along with organizations like Grupo + Unidos, the Phomenta Institute is creating a platform with information on how the crisis impacts civil society organizations and what actions can help mitigate the crises.
Access: conteudo.phomenta.com.br/coronavirus
SITAWI
SITAWI is managing two philanthropic funds with focus on COVID-19: Fundo Emergencial Saúde – Coronavírus Brasil: which aims at strengthening the Brazilian health system against COVID-19, by creating a fast track channel so that financial resources reach the front line public hospitals and scientific institutions dealing with the pandemic.
Fundo Noroeste com Vida: which aims at helping the northwest of São Paulo health system through access to medical equipment and raise awareness about prevention measures. Have also launched a new fund - COVida20, which focuses on small businesses which want to maintain jobs during the pandemic.
Sustainable Territories Program
With the support of Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN), ECAM has organized the distribution of over 3000 food item kits to quilombola communities in Oriximiná Municipality, and is supporting the Association of Remaining Quilombos Communities of Oriximiná (ARQMO) in its fundraisers to help the community in the crisis. Contribute here.
Vale
Overall, Vale has invested R$ 352,8 million in the response to coronavirus in donations to national, state and municipal governments in rapid testing kits, protection and medical equipment, support in hospital construction, among others. In Para state, the company has supported the health effort in 10 municipalities, donations over 100,000 COVID-19 test kits, and improving local hospitals. The company has also supported local economy buying fabric and masks from local producers.