The aim of this project is to develop integrated actions to promote social rehabilitation via associations and rural community cooperatives in the regions of the hydrographical basins of Paranaibas rivers, part of the extended Prata/Parana basin. Green Cross Brazil has recently completed the third and final phase of the three-year community development project started in 2004 and funded by the Carrefour Foundation. While the initial phase of the project took place in the community of Garimpo do Baneira, in the second year the project was expanded to include a second city, where similar goals were met using the unique skills of each community. Speaking solely in terms of enhancements to their daily lives, community members experienced improvements in both health and nutrition .The construction of a community centre had asignificant impact on daily life.The Centre includes space and facilities for technical training, empowering women to become active in social and economic spheres.The Green Cross programme also had a significant impact on repositioning the economic interests of the community by giving them the time to evaluate their strengths in order to decide the direction of their economic development.
