Project Medicina da Floresta

Maria Alice Campos Freire

 

Our foundation Sáude da Floresta seeks funding to expand the Center Medicine of the Forest (CMF- Centro Medicina da Floresta), a school for alternative medicines coming from the rain forest plants.

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The educational center was established in 1989 within a movement of women, youngsters and children united in rescuing the traditional knowledge about plants in a small community in the heart of the Amazon inside the Purus National Forest. 

It started with a small medicinal herb garden with species from the region, and evolved to implanting the idea of reforestation by cultivating native species from the forest together with medicinal and ornamental plants. The next step was the Herbs Cabin Saint Cosme & Damião, where we started the preparation of prescriptions as well as new gardens. On July 26, 1997 it became an official association (NGO). At that time it has already become a community reference in forest therapeutics and differentiated education.

Today the CMF works with approximately 500 species, both cultivated and native, keeps a herb garden with around 350 species, has a sector to dry herbs and process prescriptions for teas, baths, scented compresses and incense. CMF also owns a small laboratory that has registered over 200 formulas, like beverages, simple and blended tinctures, pastes, activated compounds, flower essences, baths, insect repellents, ointments and emulsions as well as a vast research sector. Furthermore, there is a kitchen, a canteen and areas to plant food – nowadays we keep an attentive look into Food Safety.

During these 21 years of work, the CMF has highlighted education and training as a transversal theme present in each sector, each step, each new initiative, and in all thoughts that nurture its continuity. The main axis of this educative view is an organic and sustainable life within the Amazon Forest, based on harmony with nature and the study and obeying to its laws.

In addition to the activities in its head office, in Colocação Vista Alegre (Joyous View Location), the CMF interacts daily with the community where it belongs, the Vila Céu do Mapiá, through its educational actions and the assistance to the sick by distribution of products free of charge in the region. The CMF works on environmental conservation and reforestation starting from a perspective of sustainability, and promoting the conscious usage of the regional raw materials, in medicinal area – its main identity – as well as in other areas like food, building, water usage, recycling, waste reduction, composting and green fertilization.

CMF’s actions also irradiate to other regions on the Amazon, Brazil and the Planet, through courses, consultations and product sales, specially the Amazon Flowers. Moreover, it expands into partnerships with the civil society and several levels of government as Community Educator Consultant.

School
In its development, the CMF’s management directorate has been working in an alternate way in all sectors of the institution, offering training to youths and children from the community, as well to people that come from different parts of the country and the world. Some outside teachers come to train in specific areas. Throughout the years many youngsters were graduated and occupy strategic positions on the productive process and as sector teachers. Many of these youngsters were motivated to search other levels of training and today are studying at Brazilian universities, seeking graduation on Biology, Botany, Environmental Management, Forest Engineering and Agronomy. Most of them credit CMF-School for giving the strength to take this step forward and keep connected to the CMF somehow, hoping to participate in building the Center’s future as graduated professionals. Today the CMF works with some youngsters trained there who have acquired the position of teachers, one of them is part of the management team. The objective is that these youths take complete charge of the continuation of the institution.

Preparing for the Future
At the present moment CMF is going through a crisis of growth. The old physical structures are not anymore sufficient for the activities that need to happen. Also the administrative structure needs to be adapted to the exigencies of the new times. It is time for the youth to step forward and assume the Center in a sustainable perspective.

The country’s legislation is starting to evolve in the sense of including traditional medicines in official health system. CMF has reached a considerable level in the research of its products in clinic experimentation. This is the new picture that is stimulating CMF’s team to prepare to face this opportunity and take new responsibilities in a close future. Nevertheless it will require appropriate structures, equipments and proceedings.

Thus, we present here the project of building appropriate physical structures for CMF, as a first step for the preparation for the new perspective. This is an ecological project adapted to the local reality, uniting regional materials and traditional ways with modern sustainable technologies.

Other steps will be required to complete the preparation for the future, like a new equipment project and a functional plan.

Current plans

 

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Download here the building plans

Budgetting
Summary of complete project budget of the work to be done on the structure of the Laboratory Medicine Center of Forest:

TOTAL AREA = 166m 2 = REAL 190,250/ € 62,754

MODULE 1 – LABORATORY, BATHROOM, QUARANTINE, BALCONY  (54M2) = REAL 72,000/€ 23,750

MODULE 2 – WAREHOUSE, PROCESSING, PROCESSING PRE, BALCONY (65M2) = REAL 73,000 /€24,100

MODULE 3 – SECTOR DRYING AND DECKS with pergolas (47M2) = REAL 45255.00/€15,000

Contact CMF
Location: Vila Céu do Mapiá – Igarapé Mapiá, s/n° – Flona Purus – Pauiní – Amazonas
Mailing Address: Caixa Postal N° 06 – Boca do Acre – AM – CEP: 69850-000
e-mail: infofloraisdaamazonia@gmail.com
Site: www.floraisdaamazonia.com.br