11/07/2016
Maria da Conceição Xavier Carneiro, the oldest resident of the square, leaves handprints on concrete board to represent the participation of the community in the project.
The rehabilitation and urbanization project of Manoel Lino Mol Square and Beira Rio Avenue, both impacted by the Fundão dam collapse, was presented to the Bara Longa community.
The new location will be turned into a multipurpose space with facilities that enable its use as a place for interactions, gatherings, leisure, physical and sports activities. The expectation is that the space is delivered to the population this year.
The community has been involved since the very beginning of the square’s reconstruction process. So that the space is able to reflect the will of the residents and of the local government, the referendum plan “The Square We Want” was developed. It invited the population to participate in the drafting of the new square’s design. The dialogue process took place between the months of February and March and had the participation of 200 people, including children, adults and seniors who have expressed their expectations through phrases and drawings.
Event
About 500 people have attended the new square’s project presentation event on June 26th. At the time, the mayor of Barra Longa, Fernando Magalhães, and Samarco’s infrastructure general manager, Carlos Amorim, signed a document authorizing the start of the construction works in the municipality.
Part of the schedule was the invitation of three residents to leave their handprints on a concrete plaque which will be displayed in the square when the works are completed. Maria da Conceição Xavier Carneiro, the oldest resident of the square; Eduardo Ferreira de Araújo, a resident of Beira Rio Avenue; and Diana Moraes Barreto, of 5 years, representing all children of Barra Longa, participated in this moment. The symbolic act represents community participation in the square’s construction project.
The ceremony also had the participation of two musical groups from the city (União Musical São José e Musical União Nossa Senhora do Carmo) and also included the musical performance of early childhood education students from Claudionor Lopes State School.
See how Barra Longa’s new square will look like:
