Records of the research process and visits to caregivers of the affluent streams of the Arrudas River and also of Onça stream, in the North Zone of BH and Contagem, for over 6 months.
VISIT THE SPRING OF ELDORADO.
The first impact, the first revitalized stream.
From where the blue flows, which, little ahead, mixes with other forgotten, battered waters.
The first unanswered questions: where to start? how? by whom?
The first breath of relief, followed by the first anguish. First of several.
VISIT TO RIBEIRÃO DO ONÇA AND ITS CAREER ITAMAR
Seu Itamar told us the stories of the Onça stream, the possible origins of its name (the weight of gold; a brave owner; the habitat of the jaguars) and the current state of the river...
He told us that he kept old photographs, from the time when the stream welcomed residents on its banks for fishing and having good conversatons. He told how the younger residents - and even the older ones - did not believe him when he showed these photographs while saying that they portrayed the same place where everyone today is repulsed.
In his most recent project, Itamar together with the population, is building a riverside park to bring people back to live with the waters.
- "How to talk about the waters, without talking about them?" he asked us.
If the boys are called to see the river, smell it, face the garbage that goes down with it, they would never go. If a soccer field is biult in there, the boys will have to live together with with the river and will be more careful with the way they relate to it from now on.
Itamar also introduced us to José, the man who takes care of the garden seen in the photos below is all his work.
VISIT TO THE SPRING OF THE STREAM "END THE WORL"D AND ITS CAREER LAERTE
"How much is a scallion sauce worth?" asked Laerte.
Which was before so simple to get, you had in the backyard, and that to have the parsley from the neighbor, you just had to exchange it with one another.
Today, he said, thinking, and it seemed that the scallion saga wouldn't have an end, you take the key, start the motorcycle, add gas, go down the hill, stop, go to the supermarket, look for a scallion that would never be as fresh as the one that came from the garden, pay dearly, come home and probably don't even use it all.
And the medicines? Laerte also told us about one day he passed in front of a drugstore and a voice shouted a promotion for some pain medication ... people, completely healthy, came in droves thinking they were doing a great deal. "They don't know that all the medicines are planted right here, and they forget to take care of that ... they don't know what any of these plants are for anymore" - he said sadly.
In our farewell he said: "we all have something to teach, me for you, you for me ..."
And I could only think of what it was that I had to teach that man ...
VISIT TO THE JOÃO STREAM AND ITS CAREGIVER: NONÔ.
Barbara was about to make the most anticipated visit, because we were told that Seu Nonô's house was "enchanted", and that word enchanted Barbara.
And it was, both the house and himself. He guided us calmly through each enchanted corner of the place he built to save the spring he called "Joões". And he said, slowly to allow time for us to write everything carefully - he loved it when he saw us writing what he was telling us - the reason for the name: "My father's name was João. There was also João from Dona Ucina and João Marinheiro. They lived on the bank of the stream. The intention is that people, large families, could help take care of the stream. And that never happened, and I was solely responsible for taking care of the stream since the fall of 1991. "
And he took care of it. He took tons of garbage out of the stream. He planted, watered, and now harvests his own chives.
In the end, he asked us to write one last thought:
"The springs are like little strands of water, which are like our capillaries. If we make a superficial cut on the arm, we will see small blood spots, which will soon drain and drain somewhere. The rivers flow towards each other, that at dawn or evening they will reach the sea. "
