Brazilians Celebrate Rainy New Years

Mennonite Central Committee
Saturday, 19 February 2000

TACAIMBO, Brazil -- While the world marked a new millennium, residents in this small town in northeast Brazil celebrated rains that signaled an end to two years of oppressive drought.

Heavy rain has fallen in most areas of northeast Brazil, washing away two years of drought that began in 1998.

Farmers who struggled during the drought to feed their families and keep their farms, now equipped with overflowing reservoirs, look forward to the next planting season.

In the Agreste region of Pernambuco the rains began December 28. Over the next three weeks, 238 mm/10 inches of rain have fallen. As a comparison, 333.5 mm/13 inches of rain fell over the whole year of 1999 and 254 mm/11 inches in 1998.

During the first market day after the rains, which happened to be New Year's Eve, happy faces filled the market and the rains were clearly the hot topic.

Previously, a cloud of desperation hung over the region. Residents had quickly used up drinking water provided by the government and by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Local reservoirs were dry and water for washing and for livestock was scarce. Those seeking water at three MCC-built wells encountered long lines. Private water trucks did a brisk business with those who could afford to buy water.

Livestock, which had been barely surviving on palm cactus or dry grass, now feast on fresh pasture grasses. Prices in the local livestock markets have nearly doubled as farmers hope to restock their depleted herds.

"February has been dry now and towns are still thirsty," said Tim Eisenbeis, MCC Brazil country co-representative. "The big reservoirs in cities like Recife didn't collect much water at all. Ironic but the rural families are better off for water than townfolks."

The rains came just in time for the political season. With municipal elections around the corner, a Recife newspaper cartoonist poked fun at sad politicians who can no longer depend on food handouts and water delivery to win votes.

For several years, MCC has promoted the construction of cisterns and reservoirs. Construction of 50 cisterns, funded by MCC and Roman Catholic partner organization, Caritas, began in early December 1999. Ten were complete before the rain began. More than 20 families are on a waiting list and interest in the program continues to grow. The cistern construction utilizes the easy-to-use metal form technology developed by MCC.

The forecast is for a quick but active rainy season, said Eisenbeis. "Most of us want to see the rains before celebrating too much," he added, but he said seeing people with a renewed sense of hope is a welcomed changed.

Farmers are not planting major crops yet, but are sowing corn and cowpeas as well as palm cactus and pasture grasses for forage for livestock. MCC is promoting the planting of drought resistant forage, and has been instrumental in setting up a tree seedling nursery with local organizations in Brejo da Madre de Deus, a town not far from Tacaimbo. The nursery will prepare 7,000 seedlings for planting in March.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org