Cultural appreciation and nature preservation constitute one of the pillars of Gondwana Brasil. In order to offer transforming trips, we elaborate itineraries which have nature as the main scenario, and are always enriched by encounters with other people and cultures.
Last year we took an important step in the company's history. In addition to the care in creating trips, building fair partnerships with suppliers, and seeking operational alternatives respectful of territories and populations, there was a call to go further. An appeal to better understand the Brazilian socio-economic reality and the factors that reinforce social inequality,cultural depreciation and disconnection with nature and history. This concern led us to start a program to support projects related to such themes, which would inspire us to tread new paths.
Then we met Giovana Marcon. At the time, the Baobá Project was just a seed. Created by her own hands, full of meanings, dreams and challenges. An expression of her biography: pains, misunderstandings, but also courage and a desire for life changes. When we got to know more closely the reality that black people in Brazil have faced for centuries, struggling daily to occupy their place, we were quite impacted. From that meeting on, all we had to do was provide the first contributions and financial support, to see the seed sprout, grow and occupy its space. Today, we are privileged by the mutual learning relationship with Baobá. We can't wait for each meeting to listen to them, learn more about equality, rights and justice, and just be thankful.
The role of any company that stands against racism should not be limited to beautiful words or messages. We have the chance to give space to the black voice in Brazil and support initiatives that value the wealth and beauty of this culture. For those who don't know it, the Baobá Project works through workshops and conversation circles, disseminating knowledge about Afro-Brazilian and African cultures, giving new meaning to black people in society and proposing possible and powerful paths, through self-knowledge, autonomy and ancestry. We extend the invitation so that more companies can get to know this initiative and join the cause: http://projetobaoba.org/.
And our involvement with diversity and actions on behalf of the black community in Brazil did not stop there. Our experience with Baobá was quite moving. And then the friendship with Beatriz Santa Rita entered the scene. A professional engaged and committed with the D&I area, she works at Diverse Soluções. Her baggage, worldview and desire to transform the country's socioeconomic reality through inclusion in the labour market, benefits several companies. The reflexive focus of her consultancies calls us to more conscious and responsible attitudes and behaviours. After all, the search for talent is much richer when open to the diverse.
After some frustrating experiences with our own recruitment, we decided to hire Diverse.
Learn more about Diverse Soluções at:https://diversesolucoes.com/
There were two inclusive recruitment processes at the beginning of the year, which in addition to leading us to the perfect candidates, presented different stories and realities, resilience, talents, and other vital elements to the formation of a diverse team. Today our company is more sensitive to the racial issue, and seeks to grow in inclusion. A better place, with a more motivated and heterogeneous team. We are very happy with the arrival of Edileila Santos and Ana Gabriela Machado Leopoldin, two dedicated and competent black women, who are now part of our journey.Â
Right now, we are all called to a more conscious vision, which includes us as part of the system that perpetuates structural racism in our country. Only from this feeling of co-responsibility we will be able to begin small and big changes. Every day it is worth asking ourselves as companies: are our practices really aligned with our speech? We must take a stand with concrete anti-racist actions, going beyond hashtags and speeches.Â
As already mentioned, Gondwana supports several social and environmental projects in our country. We have chosen the following organisations that are dedicated to help afro-descendants in Brazil overcome the challenges posed by centuries of structural racism, and particularly now, with the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you feel called to support any of these projects, please make your donation directly on the corresponding website, below - several forms of payment are accepted. Gondwana endorses the relevance, trustworthiness and importance of these initiatives. Brazilis counting on you!
Gondwana BrasilÂ
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