Opened in 2021 in the southern part of the State of Bahia, in a region of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Portal Mãe Mirra is a Community Center for the development of human consciousness that works from 2 pillars: Agroecology and Good Living and Integral Education of Being. Since 2021, all service carried out to regenerate the Atlantic Forest, self-knowledge retreats and educational activities with children has been voluntary and free.
The total area of the Center is 200,000m2, with 50,000m2 of cabruca cocoa cultivation.
Our mission is to offer an environment conducive to the improvement of each individual in the Physical, Vital/Emotional, Mental, Psychic, Spiritual and Social aspects. Understanding that no process of evolution will be individual, but collective, we realized the importance of valuing and recognizing ourselves as parts of a living and conscious system: planet Earth and, therefore, our 5 areas of activity are: Agroecology; Self-awareness; Activities with Children; Pregnancy, Postpartum and Parenting and Art and Culture.
The Agroecology and Well-being nucleus of Portal Mãe Mirra has 5 objectives:
Since 2022, the Agroecology nucleus at Portal Mãe Mirra has worked to research and revive harmonious and productive methods for interacting with the environment. Permaculture (permanent culture) proposes a system of continuous cultivation and care for the land that regenerates and increases its quality.
We want to share knowledge from research to integrate these discoveries into the form of production. Conversely, learn from the local community. This co-creation of practical and experienced knowledge is the focus of the work of the agroecology nucleus, with the aim of (re)establishing our connection and our origin with the land.
Currently, the Portal Mãe Mirra Community Center is within the Ramal do Pé de Serra Community, which has approximately 30 families, of which we work more closely with 7. (workshops with children, supporting food production, management of the farm cocoa, sale and distribution of products, implementation of new planting areas, etc.). This year, we also began the process of legal regularization of our association.
What are the objectives of the Agroecology Center?
- Contribute to the regeneration and sustainable management of the Atlantic Forest in the Pé de Serra and Barrocão regions, peripheral and buffer zones to the Conduru State Park;
- Contribute and facilitate sustainable economic expansion and promotion of the economy of good living in the locations of the Pé de Serra and Barrocão branch, Uruçuca, Bahia
- Implementation of preservation and regeneration areas of the Atlantic Forest, with native species, thus promoting the protection and regeneration of local fauna and flora;
- Uniting knowledge and practices from ancestral knowledge with the contributions of contemporary technologies, celebrating the qualities and sensibilities of each member, involving the Earth, life and cultural manifestations. Transform and preserve the local culture, including the dynamization of cultural processes and their diversity, giving greater importance to cultures that value and care for the land, as well as the culture of the native peoples of this region.
- Facilitate and support community and associative work with the community in order to strengthen food sovereignty, the protection and regeneration of the Atlantic Forest, improvement of products, access to local markets.
- Promoting a closer relationship between the individual/community and their surroundings and also promoting the rescue of our origins and our relationship with the Earth, so that these individuals may have the possibility of being transforming agents, repairers and multipliers of the space they inhabit
support the agroecological transition of the Community Center and 3 other families (check requirements for each farm to enter the participatory certification of Rede Povos da Mata)
support the Dona Raimunda and Normeide farm with the production of a vegetable garden and processing of products
support the cultivation of Anelita and Dona Ceridalva’s fields
implementation of SAF and vegetable garden within the Portal Mãe Mirra area
Reforest an area of 2 hectares within the Community Center
Make improvements to the Center (cistern, tool room, nursery, construction of housing walls, clay oven).
Monitor/improve our project in the integral cultivation territory for 30 families (An integral cultivation can be understood as a holistic, highly productive and biodiverse cultivation, combined with successional agroforestry techniques. In addition to the cultivation areas, we also provide support in areas completely dedicated to the preservation and regeneration of the Atlantic Forest)
The Agroecology Coordinator is expected to provide voluntary and altruistic service with dedication of 16 to 20 hours per week.
What will be the contribution to the Coordinator?
- You will have housing at the Community Center (including internet, water, electricity and lawnmower bills) and food paid for by the Association. Only the agroecology coordinator, pedagogical coordinator and meditation coordinator live at the Center. However, for the period 2024, it can be considered that there will only be the agroecology coordinator until September;
- 100% of sales of products planted or processed on the Portal can go to the Agroecology Coordinator to assist him;
- The Coordinator can bring his family to live at the Center;
- You can carry out Agroecology courses and training for third parties and use the Center’s space
(at the moment, the association only receives a donation of 600 reais/month, which guarantees coverage of these costs).
The work of everyone in the group is voluntary and altruistic. This is the first vacancy we have opened with the opportunity to cover costs as we have received donations. We opened donations in September/2023, therefore, it is possible that we will get more donations and as soon as we are legally regularized we will also be able to raise funds through public notices.
Precepts of conduct for living in the Community Center:
-Abstaining from intoxicants, alcohol; , abstention from power plants, noble speech (do not gossip uselessly, do not utter rude words, do not shout). If you wish to consume products with packaging, ensure processing within the space.
Please, if the position interests you, you can send your CV, or simply tell us a little about yourself (and also the way you relate spiritually to reality) to our email: portalmaemirra@gmail.com
