Cleaning up the mess...

Today we started the day off by visiting a local enviromental communtiy named Jequiá. The area, which to large extents consists of mangroves, has been protected by the Brazilian government ever since the last Rio summit in '92. This due to its rich wildlife and importance to the eco-system. At our arrival we were eagerly greeted by a huge group of school children and their teachers. After a short introduction, held by the project director Alcione, it was time to get our hands dirty; literately. Equiped with gloves and garbage bags, we were assigned to pick up litter along the coastline. Though one might not think of it as such, it actually was a nice way to view the surrondings. To wrap things up, we learnt how to re-use plastic bottles for recreational use. The men made toys out of the bottles whilst the women made purses. Gender generalistaion aside, the activity was both innovative and fun. Annika also proved to be quite the pursetailor. 

Later in the afternoon everyone went to the local school, where we would interact with the students in a variety of ways. Split into groups, we all vistited the clasrooms, informig the children about ourselves and our reasons for being in Brazil. Many questions followed and one could only have wished for more time. The energy of the kids was euphoria-like and their interest in us showed no boundaries. Singing, dancing and planting a tree (which had been donated by the municipality) finished off our visit.

Tommorow is the first day of three consecutive days at the Rio+20 conference centre. These are the days most of us have been looking forward to, so we´re excited. Unfortunately, as earlier mentioned, the development of the conference has not been to our likening, so hopefully tommorow can provide some useful networking and interactions. 

Saudade!