Sep 2, Indigenous families in Mato Grosso will receive 20,000 food baskets donated by the state government. Deliveries will be made by the decentralized units of the National Indian Foundation (Funai) in the state. The donation was formalized on Monday (31), in Cuiabá, with the presence of the president of Funai, Marcelo Xavier, and the governor of Mato Grosso, Mauro Mendes. On the occasion, they also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement joint initiatives to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.
According to the president of Funai, the new donation adds to the actions already carried out by Funai to confront the COVID-19. The foundation has already delivered more than 31,200 food baskets to indigenous families in the state, including its own resources, donations and items purchased by the National Supply Company (Conab) through the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights (MMFDH ).
"The Federal Government has made no effort to protect indigenous peoples in the context of the pandemic. By delivering basic food baskets, we guarantee that they are assisted from a food standpoint and collaborate so that they remain in the villages, thus avoiding contact with the virus. This is a fundamental action to fight the coronavirus ", emphasizes Xavier.
Deliveries will take place through the Coordinations of Cuiabá, Northwest of Mato Grosso, Northern Mato Grosso, Ribeirão Cascalheira, Xingu and Xavante. In distribution, Funai relies on logistical support from partners such as the Army. Blankets and hygiene and cleaning kits will also be delivered, including a biogel made in partnership with the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT).
The foundation's employees have also been working to raise awareness among the indigenous people, reinforcing prevention measures and guiding them to avoid agglomerations and remain in the villages. Funai has already released nearly R $ 4 million for actions to protect communities across the state.
Across the country, more than 407 thousand basic food baskets were distributed to different ethnic groups. Also in March, Funai had already suspended authorizations to enter Indigenous Lands and currently participates in 311 sanitary barriers to prevent the entry of non-indigenous people into these territories. In all, Funai invested around R $ 27.5 million in tackling the COVID-19.