After a long discussion with my advisor, I decided that I wanted to minor in Human Rights because I felt that it would make me a better person. So here I am, venturing to Brazil to study Human Rights, more specifically health as a human right, emphasizing women's rights and comparing the two-tired public and private system in Brazil to the current health care system in the United States.
I was able to take a few minutes with my Brazilian host-mother, Mariajoana to better understand her experiences working as a nurse in public health. I apologize to my English speaking friends, for this interview is primarily in Portuguese.
Here is the list of questions I asked her, so you have an idea of what the interview is about:
What is your professional background?
What kind of the software is used in the hospital facilities you
have worked with?
Do you feel that Brazil has an effective public health system?
What are you’re concerns with the current public health in Brazil?
Aldeia Urbana was one of two Brazilian Indian Aldeias my class was lucky enough to visit while in Brazil. Our first visit to the Aldeia Urbana was during our city tour of Campo Grande. The bus made a stop at this memorial and one of the ladies working here told us a little about memorial, the people it represents and even spoke a little of her native language to us. Many students, myself included purchased handmade crafts and jewelry from their gift shop, assuming at least a small portion the money we spent here was contributing to the Indigenous people.
During our second visit we learned that the proceeds earned from selling the crafts were not designated in any way to the people of the Aldeia Urbana and in fact they were not even made by the people living in Aldeia Urbana. They were indeed made by indigenous people of Brazil however not the particular group of individuals that were being showcased at this center. None of the money made at this center benefits the people here in any sort of way, it actually contributes to a hotel company. Learning this did not surprise me, maybe I'm cynical or maybe I just don't have a lot of faith in the intentions of people involved in sales. I did observe that some my classmates were very upset by this, almost as if they had been cheated out of something that meant a lot to them. Kind of like finding out that WWF wrestlers were actors and weren't actually fighting between the ropes. I remember hearing one of the Brazilian students mutter: "The dream is over..." shortly after we were told this unfortunate truth.
Photo of Enio de Oliveira Metelo
I was able to ask Enio de Oliveira Metelo about some of the issues with health for him and his fellow residents of the Aldeia Urbana. He explained that the facility we were at (the center where the crafts are sold) was built after the land remained vacant for some time due to a community health center that was promised but never built. He went on to tell about the struggles with receiving funding for health. His people were designated special healthcare funding from the government, it was said to be an annual contribution. There was a huge production made over the contribution the government was to make for the health of his people. The funding never did not come through ~ the money was never received from the government and it has been five years since then and they still have not received any of this money. This video clip below shows Enio de Oliveira Metelo explaining it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AldeiaUrbanafoi um dos doisbrasileirosAldeiasindígenasminha turmateve a sorte devisitar enquantono Brasil.Nossaprimeira visita àAldeiaUrbanafoi durante nossopasseio pela cidade deCampo Grande.Oônibus fez umaparada nomemorial euma das senhorasque trabalham aquinos contouum pouco sobrememorial, o povo que ele representae atéfalouum pouco de sualíngua nativa paranós.Muitos estudantes, inclusive eucompradosartesanatoe jóiasdesua loja de presentes, assumindo, pelo menos,uma pequena partedo dinheiro quepassouaqui foicontribuir para ospovos indígenas. Durante
a segunda visita aprendemos que os recursos obtidos com a venda de
artesanato não foram designados de forma alguma para o povo da Aldeia
Urbana e na verdade eles não foram mesmo feitas por pessoas que vivem na
Aldeia Urbana. Eles
foram realmente feitas por povos indígenas do Brasil, contudo, não a
determinado grupo de indivíduos que foram sendo apresentadas neste
centro. Nenhum
de o dinheiro feito neste centro beneficia as pessoas aqui em qualquer
tipo de forma, que realmente contribui para uma empresa hoteleira. Aprendero que nãome surpreende,talvez eu sejacínico outalvez eusimplesmente não tenhomuita fénas intençõesde pessoas envolvidasnas vendas.Eu fizobservar quealguns colegasmeusforam muitochateado por isso, quase como se tivessem sidoenganados fora dealgo quesignifica muito paraeles.Tipo decomo descobrir quelutadoresWWFeram atorese não foram, na verdade, a luta entreas cordas. Lembro-me de ouvir um murmúrio estudantes do brasileiro: "O sonho acabou..." logo depois fomos informados esta triste verdade. Eu
era capaz de pedir Enio de Oliveira Metelo sobre alguns dos problemas
com a saúde para ele e seus colegas residentes da Aldeia Urbana. Ele
explicou que a instalação estávamos em (o centro onde o artesanato é
vendido) foi construído depois que a terra permaneceu vago por algum
tempo devido a um centro de saúde da comunidade que foi prometido, mas
nunca construído. Ele passou a dizer sobre as lutas com o recebimento de financiamento para a saúde. Seu povo foram designados financiamento de saúde especial do governo, disse que era para ser uma contribuição anual. Houve uma grande produção feita sobre a contribuição que o governo estava a fazer para a saúde deste povo. O
financiamento nunca não veio através ~ o dinheiro nunca foi recebido do
governo e que tem cinco anos desde então, e eles ainda não receberam
nenhuma parte desse dinheiro. Este vídeo abaixo mostra Enio de Oliveira Metelo explica ele.
Our lovely professor, Margaret Griesse translates Enio's words in English