Illene Pevec began working in Brazil to create permaculture gardens
with economically challenged communities to provide organically grown
food and medicinal plants, teaching environmental responsibility
within the neighborhood and beyond, and developing micro-enterprise
activities.
Women's sewing co-operative
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A sewing project began in São Borja in 2005 as well as a project
of documentary video production. The youth who have participated in
the gardening and community clean up, tree-planting learned to do
documentaries about themselves and their community. Some of these
films have been shown at in international festivals. The primary
beneficiaries of this project are the children and their families in
Santo Angelo and Sào Borja, RS, Brazil.
In 2007, Illene widened her project:
1. New York: Visited Rikers Island prison garden to requests
information about developing similar project with women prisoners and
their children in Argentina.
2. Rio de Janeiro: Worked with community day care in a favela to
develop vegetable, herb and flower garden with the children.
3. São Paulo: site visit for future Carapicuiba community garden
project.
4. Santo Ângelo:
Children's mural, Santo Angelo
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- Completion of the playground by river built by the Department of
Education - Morning and afternoon environmental children’s groups held at community center
- Planted Zelina School flower gardens from seeds with students and teachers
- Held afternoon and night lessons for community women to learn to
make the pop-top purses - Supported women to form workers collective to make and sell purses
- Formed partnership with the Syndicate of Urban Women Workers to help the mothers do the legal work of forming a co-operative
- Established Scholarship program that benefited three young women
with full year tuition of 260 reais per month (US 150) - Community economic development in community: financial support to youth and women as payment for their work teaching children and mothers, preparing food and doing child care.
Contact
Child's Garden of Peace,
Illene Pevec
1191 Vitos Way, Carbondale, CO 81623, USA. or
1300 30th St. E3-13, Boulder Colorado 80303, USA