Marajó gains international prominence with award in Oxford
An organization that operates in riverside communities in the Marajó archipelago, in Pará, gained international recognition this month after being awarded during the Brazil Forum UK 2026, held at the University of Oxford, in England.
The Mondó Institute was one of the three Brazilian initiatives that won the first edition of the Josué de Castro Social Impact Award, aimed at projects that develop concrete solutions to social challenges in the country.
Operating since 2020 in the municipality of Breves, in the interior of the state, the project develops actions in the areas of education, health, economic development and infrastructure, focusing on solutions built based on the reality of Amazonian communities and in dialogue with the region's traditional knowledge.
The award brought together 342 Brazilian initiatives, including civil society organizations, impact startups, research groups and independent researchers.
Inspired by the legacy of Brazilian doctor and geographer Josué de Castro, the award recognizes projects capable of promoting concrete social transformations in their territories of operation.
According to the institute's 2024 Annual Report, the projects developed by Mondó have already impacted around 37 thousand students, reached 237 schools and contributed to the training of more than 1,200 teachers in the Marajó archipelago.
Considering all of the organization's initiatives, approximately 70 thousand families benefited directly and indirectly.
Marajó gains international prominence with award in Oxford - Disclosure
"Marajó's presence in an international space like Oxford reinforces that transformative solutions are also born in historically invisible territories. This recognition amplifies the voice of Amazonian communities and strengthens the importance of thinking about development based on local reality", said Carolina Maciel, executive director of the institute.
Among the projects developed are programs to combat multidimensional poverty, mental health actions in schools, qualification of educational managers, volunteering initiatives and participatory territorial planning.
The school environment is used as a starting point for integrated actions aimed at reducing historical social inequalities present in vulnerable Amazonian territories.
Source: CNN