Help Us Rebuild Vale de Água after the Wildfires!

Lukas Sommer is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

From August 5th to August 8th, 2023, rural communities near Odeceixe and Sao Teotonio were devastated by wildfires. The wildfire has inflicted significant damage on our paradise. Together we are managing 11 hectares and housing 4 families. Luckily no one was physically harmed but we are all in shock about the devastation in our area and communities.

The entire land was affected, without exception.
Some of the main accommodations that housed us were razed.
Several crucial infrastructures were destroyed. This includes our tree nursery, which was integral to our reforestation project. Our vegetable garden, a primary source of our food supply, was also burned.
The wildfire also destroyed all our piping and water systems, including the water tanks which spread across the 11-hectare area.
As a direct consequence, our native tree reforestation project, a significant part of our environmental commitment, is in ashes.
Our borehole was melted into a lump of plastic

Before, this is how our land looked:

Recovering our Basic Infrastructure and an Opportunity to Build Swales and Retentions

Our aim is three-fold, we want to recover our basic infrastructure, use the opportunity after the fire to create impactful earthwork and support those who lost their houses and our wider community.

As a first step, we are:

Restoring the tree nursery
Building a new composting toilet for our community building
Fixing our water pipes and connections across the land
Restoring the borehole
Restarting reforestation and rebuilding the vegetable garden

Secondly, with vegetation cleared by fire, it is easier to access certain areas of the land to perform earthwork that is critical to protect us from future wildfires and retain water in the landscape:

Building swales and creating contouring
Building retention ponds and lakes

These practices will keep runoff on the land, and we can retain not only water but also nutrients that might otherwise be lost.

Thirdly, If we manage to raise enough funds, we want to rebuild housing and assist our friends and neighbors, who have suffered similar losses, in their rebuilding efforts.

Your contribution will directly fund tangible, vital recovery projects that have an immediate and lasting impact. Together, we can rise from these ashes.

Thank you for your support!