Building solutions together with all involved

“Bruna, when will my honey house be ready? They came here, they measured the area, they said they would start soon, but nothing has happened so far”, says the farmer Valdir Polak, in Paracatu de Baixo, questioning Bruna Tropia, one of the members of the Dialogue team, in Mariana. According to him, this recovery is among his most urgent needs so that he can return to extracting honey taken from his apiaries and increase the income from his small farm.

“amara, we feel like invading the church in Paracatu (closed after the dam breach) so that we can celebrate our mass. People are getting angry”, warns Mrs. Isolina Isaias, who together with her daughter Vanessa, went to live in Mariana. “Look, I like these boys from the Renova Foundation very much (referring to the Dialogue team), but what can they actually do, beyond listening to and sending requests?” says Milton Manuel de Sena, editor-in-chief of A Sirene newspaper.

Since the bursting of the dam, 918 events have already been held with the presence of 31.547 people. Four principles guide this work: social participation, transparency, listening to and respect for people.

In addition to this careful listening, taking care not to judge requests, being part of the Dialog team (in March 2017, there were 60 persons) means giving up fixed hours and weekends. It is also means not being afraid of being bounced around in vehicles on dirt roads, opening and closing gates and always having a space reserved in your stomach for one more cup of coffee, a piece of cheese and a chat – that is not always friendly. “It is being available and understanding that for various reasons not everyone has the same understanding,” says Thales de Toledo França, in Mariana. “When could I imagine that as an engineer, from the field of exact sciences, I would be dealing with the feelings and expectations of so many people?” says Marcelo Werneck, who is operating in the region of Resplendor (ES). Over time, many links are created in the midst of so many conversations and requests. In their vast majority, they end up becoming big fans and supporters for the future of the people or of the communities on this journey where their stories have crossed.
“We have to talk, talk, talk. It’ is the only way that we can solve complex situations like the one that we are living. You can’t blame the Foundation for the lack of quick solutions because they are also getting organized… But the slowness is a complicated thing for those who were affected,”, says Valdir Polak, who grows organic food in Paracatu de Baixo.

Contacts that we received in 2016
All residents in the region can also get in direct contact with the Foundation through a number of channels: 0800 Call Center, 12 Information and service centers, Ombudsman and Central network. In total, we received over 64,000 calls in 2016: