Bringing environmental awareness to children in Brazil
Read time: 3.5 minutes
Creating long-term sustainability starts by increasing environmental awareness among the future guardians of the planet — children and young people. That’s what CNH Brazil has been doing for years — enriching children’s education and cultural experience, particularly for those from low-income families
CNH takes its role as a good corporate citizen seriously by actively supporting local communities
In a country with socio-economic challenges, CNH takes its role as a good corporate citizen seriously by actively supporting local communities. We deliver a range of extra-curricular cultural activities to rural schools. These focus on environmental education, diversity and inclusion, sporting development, advocacy for human rights, robotics and entrepreneurship.
In 2023, Case IH, CASE Construction Equipment and CNH Capital sponsored environmental awareness campaigns for the second consecutive year at schools in cities and remote areas in Brazil’s north-east, home to an ever-growing agricultural frontier and also CNH manufacturing facilities. CNH Brazil supported initiatives that were made available to a total of over 15 thousand school children.
Some of the school children pictured with members of the Class Adventures in Nature theatre piece.
Fun and educational
Aptly for the target audience, the content of the environmental awareness classes is presented in ways that children understand and enjoy — theatrical performances, audio and comic books, as well as hands-on workshops.
“We plant a seed in these kids so that they become more conscientious adults,” says Bruno Ferian, producer of the theater piece Guardians of the Forest, which was presented to over 7,030 children in the states of Piauí and Maranhão. “We provide culture with educational content.”
Topics such as water and forest conservation or recycling can appear daunting to children, so they are presented in a playful and spirited manner. But the youngsters also learn practical, day-to-day ways to contribute, for instance by planting tree seeds or building a water filter with recycled materials for use at home.
“Many of these kids have never been exposed to this type of art,” says Rafael Ochoa, whose theater group "Cia Palco Sobre Lona," (traveling theatre group) sponsored by CNH, presents the play "As Aventuras da Turma no Meio Ambiente" (Class Adventures in Nature).
In towns where there are no cinemas or theaters, these events draw attention just like a traveling circus or theater did a century ago.
School children pictured with members of the Guardians of the Forest theatre piece.
CNH has a great approach because they really want to take events to remote regions that have great need. Sometimes there aren’t enough funds to feed the kids, so imagine financing the arts.
Reactions
Signs of success are written all over the children’s faces, says Ferian. “You see it in their eyes, the way they laugh and cry. In all schools, students asked when the actors will be back and when the performance will be made into a movie,” he adds.
“I learned a lot of things and want to thank you for teaching us ways to make our planet a better place,” said one student at a school in the city of Bom Jesus, where temperatures can reach 45°C / 113°F and it sometimes doesn’t rain for four to five months. “I want to thank our school for bringing these wonderful people who teach with happiness and joy.”
Teachers too are enthused that key messages about environmental protection and, more broadly, social awareness are reinforced with tools they don’t have access to.
“It helps me a lot with my work, because the message comes not only from us in the classroom,” says Safira Lima Silva, a teacher at the Marcos Júlio municipal school in Bom Jesus.
To gauge more accurately what messages have been received, questionnaires are handed out to the children after the activities. The level of understanding is usually above 90 percent. Underlying the whole approach is the understanding that children’s awareness is created not by prohibiting but by explaining, thereby causing them to reflect.
“You can’t tell people to stop fishing or to not use water, but you can explain that preserving forest around the headwaters of a river and not polluting it will make those resources last longer,” says Danielly Henning who also works for the theater group “Cia Palco Sobre Lona”.
Bumpy roads
Of course, there are challenges. Hundreds of miles of dirt road with knee-deep potholes, sandpits and washouts make travel arduous. At one point one of the theater groups’ vans broke down. Then there are schools that lack a proper stage or even a gym where they can set one up.
But in some ways reaching remote towns and rural areas is the beauty of the project, says Ochoa. “CNH has a great approach because they really want to take events to remote regions that have great need. Sometimes there aren’t enough funds to feed the kids, so imagine financing the arts.”
The idea is to make that experience last longer than the performance itself, by leaving behind written and recorded materials, as well as the seedlings they can watch grow into trees.
“Beyond that, the hope is to trigger a domino effect in the wider community where CNH is active to strengthen the role of culture and education and thereby help forge a dynamic civil society,” says Erika Michalick, CNH’s head of sustainability in Latin America.
“We make an effort so that the dealerships, customers and prefectures understand the importance of culture, so that they can continue where we left off,” she explains.
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