D-lab Brazil
Team Leader
Leo Burd, leoburd@mit.edu
Regional Partners
Bradesco
Foundation
UniSol, Universidade
Solidária
Past Projects
(D-Lab 2003-2004)
Brazil is a country as big as continental USA, with lots of cultural
and natural resources and, unfortunately, one of the largest social
gaps in the world. In 2003-2004 we partnered with UniSol and took
11 MIT students to work in the Northeast region, the poorest of
the country.
- Among others,
the students worked in the following projects:
- Water quality
testing
- Computer
training for local schools and organizations
- Creation
of educational activities for local after-school programs
- Feasibility
study for an ecotourism business in the area
In addition
to that, students helped in a number of initiatives and identified
a series of technical challenges to be further developed including:
- Design of
rain-proof construction materials and methods
- Identification
of alternative cooking methods and fuel for local communities
- Design of
appropriate water-storing techniques
- Design of
appropriate toys for Brazil's Child Labor Eradication Program
Possible
Projects for D-lab 2004-2005
This year we are planning to split the trip in two parts. The first
one will be spent working in an extremely underserved, native-Brazilian
village located in the center region of the country. The second
part will be spent in the city of Rio de Janeiro working in the
local slums.
Among others,
we foresee students working with local organization in the implementation
of projects in areas such as:
- Computer
training
- Youth activism
- Agriculture
- Basic health
- Low-income
housing and infrastructure
Related Links
CIA
World Factbook, Brazil:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html
Bradesco Foundation
Homepage:
http://www.fundacaobradesco.org.br/
Bradesco Foundation's
native Brazilian initiative
http://www.fundacaobradesco.org.br/indigena
UniSol Homepage:
http://www.unisol.org.br/
Projeto UniSol-Xingó
+ MIT: A partnership between UniSol and MIT
http://www.unisol.org.br/xingo/
The
CDC website with recommendations for travellers to Brazil:
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/tropsam.htm
The
US Dept. of State travel site with advice and information for travellers
to Brazil:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/brazil.html
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