Brazil's São João festivals aid river families and celebrate quilombola culture

In Juazeiro, Bahia, the Sociedade Amigos da Marinha (SOAMAR) partnered with the Capitania Fluvial and CODEBA to distribute roughly one tonne of food to families of boat owners and riverside residents of the São Francisco River valley. The aid, collected during the SOAMAR São João event on 3 July, was handed to the Associação dos Proprietários e Condutores de Barcos da Ilha do Rodeadouro. SOAMAR president Francisco Trevisan and Capitania captain Thiago Zanoni highlighted the Navy’s historic relationship with the river communities and the importance of solidarity.

Separately, the Museu Quilombola da Macambira hosted a São João celebration on 25 June, funded by Aliança Energia through a cultural incentive law. About 120 community members attended music, dance, traditional food stalls and a spontaneous quadrilha. Aliança Energia’s community liaison Gerciana Silva and resident Maria das Graças praised the event’s role in preserving quilombola heritage and aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 17.