In the fall of 2024, we received an urgent request from our longtime partners at the Amazon Conservation Team because areas of Brazil were enduring brutal wildfires in the wake of a drought, compounded by arson. They needed support to help local Indigenous communities both fight and prevent future fires, as well as rebuild vital structures, such as communal housing.
In response, we launched an emergency campaign that raised $15,000 for the group. Today, we’re happy to share a report direct from our partners, about how the funds are already making a difference in the lives of many.
The project, funded by The White Feather Foundation and other contributors to Amazon Conservation Team, focused on providing emergency aid, including housing, food, and essential items to address immediate needs in three regions of Brazil related to climate disasters: Alto Solimões, the Xingu, and Bananal Island.
Additionally, the project equipped and trained Indigenous firefighters to combat fire threats effectively, while supporting capacity-building initiatives to empower communities and enhance their resilience to future challenges.
The activities taken place so far include:
Kambeba humanitarian aid: For the Kambeba community of the Alto Solimões, ACT purchased and donated material supplies that improved access to water (water pump and tank), cooking capacity (refrigerator, stove, pans) and sleeping facilities (hammocks, mattress, sheets). Food was provided for humanitarian aid, and gasoline was supplied that was used to process wood to build a provisional shelter for 17 Kambeba families affected by a climate change disaster (riverbank landslide). All material goods were utilized collectively to promote group unity.
Waujá (Xingu, Ulupuwene village) traditional housing: ACT supported the purchase of material supplies (tools, fuel) used to build three traditional houses for 32 Waujá individuals affected by a climate change disaster that destroyed three communal houses.
Waujá (Xingu, Ulupuwene village) and Ãwa (Bananal Island) firefighting: ACT purchased firefighting equipment for the Ulupuwene (Waujá) and Itarô (Ãwa) village brigades. Equipment included a blower, backpack pump, chainsaw, brush cutter, and personal protective equipment, among others. Five Ãwa Indigenous people (from the Itarô village) were trained in a workshop from May 5-9, 2025, within a partnership with ICMBio, the governmental entity responsible for the management of Conservation Units.
This progress has:
∙ Improved living conditions for 130 displaced individuals in the Kambeba (around 100 individuals) and Ulupuwene (32 individuals) communities through housing, food, and supplies.
∙ Enhanced fire prevention and response capacity, with 5 Indigenous volunteers trained and 15 equipped.
All photos are used with permission from Amazon Conservation Team.
We thank all of our members of The Pulse, who donate monthly to Education & Health projects like these and all who made one-time donations to the Build Back Brazilian Communities campaign last fall. If you would like to contribute to future projects of this nature, start here.
