The volunteers were divided into two teams: 20 students and 2 doctors in Sangradouro, and another 20 students and 2 doctors in Meruri and São Marcos. During the expedition, the volunteers carried out various tests (blood pressure checks, blood sugar measurements, etc.), distributed medicines and provided basic healthcare. The activities included home visits to collect data and provide information on disease prevention.
Sangradouro: 17 years of collaboration with the Xavante people
The team was welcomed by Salesian Missionary Father Joseph Tran Van Lich. ‘As has been the case for 17 years, our welcome at the Salesian Mission in Sangradouro was simply wonderful,’ said Ricardo Paiva, PAAPI’s social coordinator.
Activities included home care, distribution of sanitary pads, organisation of hygiene kits and educational conferences. One of the most significant moments was the ‘piolhaço’, when volunteers applied shampoo to the children, removed lice and nits and administered deworming medication. ‘In this way, we were able to combine health education with moments of care and joy, offering a playful and meaningful experience for the children and young people of the village,’ explained Ricardo Paiva.
Lectures were given on oral hygiene, proper hand washing, and a collective waste collection in the village. The children received toothbrushes, toothpaste, and popcorn.
The team visited 22 villages in the Sangradouro region, including Tsorepré, Bom Sucesso, Maria Auxiliadora, São Jerônimo, São Carlos, Dom Bosco and Santa Teresa. During the visits, they distributed medicines, oral and personal hygiene kits, sanitary pads and nappies.
On the last day, the students attended the ‘Oi’o’, a traditional Xavante event in which children fight with roots to learn courage and respect as part of the process of becoming adult men.
Meruri: healthcare and health education with the Boe Bororo people
In Meruri, the expedition began with the organisation of medicines and hygiene products in the local dispensary. The students made home visits, provided assistance, organised waste collection in the village and participated in the oratory with the children.
The team promoted a conference on animal abuse and visited the villages of Kogi, Garças, Meriore and Na Boreau, distributing hygiene kits. They also held conferences on alcohol, drug and sexual abuse, as well as ‘piolhaço’ with the children.
At the invitation of Fr ngelo Cenerino, Rector of the missionary presence in Meruri, the volunteers spent a day of conviviality in the thermal waters of Barra do Garças and at the Pé da Serra waterfall.
‘We thank the Salesian Mission and Fr ngelo, in Meruri, for welcoming us so warmly, offering us accommodation and food and making us feel at home,’ said the team on PAAPI’s official Instagram account.
São Marcos: expansion of assistance to the Xavante people
The same team that worked in Meruri also worked in São Marcos. They were introduced to the village chief Felix Tsiwê and carried out home visits and assistance in the dispensary.
The group visited the village of Fátima, where they did ‘piolhaço’, played with the children and provided assistance in the local dispensary. The team thanked Fr Douglas Chrystiano Silva Souza, Rector of the Salesian presence in São Marcos, for providing accommodation, food and transport.
Closing ceremony celebrates the work done
On 24 January, in Meruri, the expedition was officially concluded with a special ceremony. The programme included a photo session, painting of the Boe Bororo clans, an exchange of gifts between the students and the handover of the project, with the presentation of the hat – symbol of PAAPI – to the coordinators of the next expedition.
‘We are deeply grateful to the doctors for their dedication to the project: we have learned a lot from you and the work you have done has been excellent,’ said the team of volunteers.
Ricardo Paiva emphasised the importance of the experience: ‘We had the opportunity to experience a reality very different from our own and, despite this, we felt at home.’ He concluded: ‘We would like to express our deepest thanks to the entire Salesian Mission of Sangradouro for welcoming us so warmly and accompanying us during these 11 days. May this collaboration, built over 17 years, continue to be strong and last for many years to come!’
