125 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 19.3.2022
Mar 20, 2022 at 5:20 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: art, Cecilia Zino, children, foster, Funchal, fundacao, Madeira, projects, ukraine, war
João Mota, one of the administrators of the Foundation Cecilia Zino, gave us a presentation of the Foundation’s history and work.
The website is https://fundacaozino.com/, with an English version.
Cecilia Rose Zino created the foundation in 1961, and used an old hotel building owned by the family, to install a children’s hospital in 1961. (The Nélio Mendonca Hospital only opened in 1973.) The hospital played an important role in the last Polio outbreak in 1972 on the island.
After the opening of the N.M. Hospital, the Zino hospital was turned into a residential facility for children from poor families on the island. The Foundation used funds from the stock market to finance the work on a private basis.
The Foundation had plenty of staff; at times, the Home harboured more than 40 children. The service also relied on four Dominican Nuns which supervised the work very efficiently, from 1963 until their retirement in 2020. When a Nun leaves the service, three people have to be hired to replace her because the nuns worked 24/7.
The children who arrive at the Foundation are taken out of the families for various reasons, and given into the care of the Foundation. At this time, the Foundation as 15 children, from the age of 3 to 18. Even if a youngster turns 18, he/she will be assisted in various ways until the age of 26 years. (In Germany, children who turn 18, are on their own.)
The Foundation receives interest from the stock market; it also has rental properties which bring in additional money to cover the costs. In 2018, the costs were at around 600.000€/year. Now, with less children and staff, the cost has been lowered to a manageable amount. Still, the Foundation will be asking for Government support, also in view of the fact that the State intends to send more “problem” cases to the Foundation. They know that the Foundation has excellent staff with good training and a 1:1 ratio between staff and children. (There are six institutions on the island for the support of foster children and orphans.)
We have to keep in mind that these children need a lot of care; the families they come from, have serious problems with alcohol, drugs, violence and sexual exploitation.
The Foundation has new projects:
A new building for the now smaller group of children is to be built in Funchal.
A program to not only help needy children but also to assist their often-troubled families.
Scholarships for youngsters who are going to university and into professional training, until the age of 26.
Culture trips for the Children to visit museums in Lisbon and Porto.
Art Exhibitions: The Foundations offers a space in Rua do Bettencourt for young artists who are looking for promotors, they have interesting exhibitions, the topics always have to do with children and their world.
The Cultural Passport: The Foundation also started a project with the cultural passport, to incentivize children to visit museums and art galleries on the island. (The public museums are already covered by the schools.) The children get a stamp or two for a visit to an art gallery etc. In a lottery, they can then win a trip to Madrid or another city, or win iPads and other electronic devices. The Restock Gallery will be included in this project.
The vegetable plots in the Garden have been replanted, the children simply do not have much time to learn and do gardening work. They have to be taken to the public schools early, return often around 17, then they may have a meeting with a psychologist or speech therapy etc. and on the weekends, they often visit their families.
In the current war situation, the Foundation offered 5-6 beds to the Government for children from the Ukraine but the offer (as was in the case of the Syrian refugees) was not taken up by the state, citing bureaucratic problems.
Our thanks go to MZ and João Mota for the presentation!
104th Madeira Consorcio Meeting 16.1.2019
Feb 17, 2019 at 12:35 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: Consorcio, elections, fact checking, Funchal, gallery, julian treasure, leon berg, Madeira, restock, trump
We met in a new venue the RESTOCK workshop room in Armazém do Mercado and I think it went very well!
The owners did a great job in providing and managing the technology and we enjoyed the videos and then ensuing discussion.
The videos were:
- A Talk by Leon Berg about the art of listening with the “Council” way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iDMuB6NjNA
- Julian Treasure: 5 way to listen better:
https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better
The art of listening is under threat by the influx of media information we are receiving. C. said that we need to deliberately speak to persons who are not of our opinion, and try to understand them.
This, almost automatically, lead to Donald Trump, who does not display great talent in this area.
Cl. volunteered to portray Trump, and he did a great job in arguing from this standpoint, we had a lot of fun with that!! Trump’s arguments for a wall to Mexico and a trade war were the main points.
There was the argument that the success Trump and other such political personalities have, is based on fear-mongering. Drugs are not coming across the US Mexican border, they are coming in planes and trucks, and M. knows somebody “inside” who told him that even the CIA is involved in the flourishing drug trade to the US today, as they were back in Vietnam and Laos. There is a movie about the events back then: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_America_(film)
So a wall wouldn’t help to solve this problem.
The trade war: our “Trump” argued that as China has grown disproportionally, the old trade deals are unfair and must be revoked.
The argument went that Trump is just a façade for the people who are really in charge (Have a look at Noam Chomsky: “Donald Trump is a Distraction” on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uQvig0KvUaE)
D. said that 1% of the world population, the rich, are really managing the USA. Democracy is not supposed to work like this.
G said that the people who are really in power, manipulate the legislation to be in their favour and they will not be voted or kicked out of office like Trump. They will remain in power, and we have no way of identifying them and des-empowering them.
Do. said that Trump is a perfect actor for this kind if disguise, and that he will be even more powerful once he is out of office, he will remain a big “influencer” for years to come.
We also spoke about the fact that less and less people are voting. Cl. – as Himself – pointed out that most of the first-time voters in the 2016 election in the US voted for Trump so he managed to get out the vote. (Voting in the US takes place on a Tuesday, instead of on the weekend.)
Fact checking websites can be found here:
https://researchguides.library.syr.edu/c.php?g=258130&p=1725901
If any team member comes across an info, listing the Portuguese party programmes and affiliations for the European elections in May, please let U.know, this can be distributed to the whole group so that we know what we are voting for.
Other info:u!
One upcoming topic might be a discussion about the speed in which we are being fed news, and if we shouldn’t deliberately slow down our intake.
101st Madeira Consorcio Meeting 15.9. 2018
Sep 16, 2018 at 11:04 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: amory lovins, calligraphy, casa, chris bliss, Funchal, Madeira, rocky mountain institute
D. presented a TED Talk by the co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute:
| “Amory Lovins was worried (and writing) about energy long before global warming was making the front — or even back — page of newspapers. Since studying at Harvard and Oxford in the 1960s, he’s written dozens of books, and initiated ambitious projects — cofounding the influential, environment-focused Rocky Mountain Institute; prototyping the ultra-efficient Hypercar – to focus the world’s attention on alternative approaches to energy and transportation.” |
This Institute stands for a positive approach, pointing to initiatives already underway by private enterprise and driven by the markets, to wean humanity off coal and oil by 2050. This will happen, whether the American President likes it or not.
The link:
https://www.ted.com/talks/amory_lovins_a_50_year_plan_for_energy#t-2560
U. mentioned a TED talk by a Comedian who said that cartoons are a great way of communication serious issues in a humorous manner. Cartoons may, for example, open up the mind of non-believers of global warming, so that they can be receptive to the fact that global warming really exists.
The link:
https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_bliss_comedy_is_translation
Other points:
| Japanese calligraphy class for beginners
Saturday 15th of September, 11h30 – 13h Thursday 20th of September, 12h30 – 14h RESTOCK Gallery in Armazem do Mercado
|
The Buddhist Centre is now having Cinema on each first Friday of the month:
| O CBM vai dar início a um ciclo de cinema chamado ‘Ver, Refletir e Discutir’.
É uma ocasião para ver filmes e documentários alternativos. Haverá também ocasião para um chá e bolachas. Local: Sede do CBM, Rua das Mercês 26 no 2º andar. Hora: 19h Entrada: 2 Budas Para as primeiras três sessões está programado o seguinte: 28 de Setembro: “Kundun” de Martin Scorsese. Duração 2h 10min 5 de Outubro: “Human Vol.I” de Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Duração 1h 24min 2 de Novembro: “O pequeno Buda” de Bernardo Bertolucci. Duração 2h 20min Pretendemos fazer uma projecção todas as primeiras sextas de cada mês, o dia 28 de Setembro é uma excepção. São todos muito bem-vindos! |
C.A.S.A. (https://casa-apoioaosemabrigo.org/index.php/delegacoes/casa-madeira) is looking for (permanent) volunteers for the evening food handout (every 14 days, they need people for Mondays and Fridays), the contact is Silvia, 91 0365816, madeira@casa-apoioaosemabrigo.org . You can also ask U., she is on a Monday team.
88 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 22.4.2017
Apr 26, 2017 at 11:36 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: Bread, democracy, Funchal, lawrence lessig, lazzarus, liquid, penta, walldorf
U. gave out the group’s contact list on paper again
Foundation.
M.is in negotiations with one of the family members who has access to the website, Also, the “IRS” handout has been stalled. Some issues need to be resolved at the Foundation first.
Escola de Semente:
R V contacted U to help him set up a fundraising project ; U gave him the best option for Portugal site (www.ppl.pt) and R V will study what is needed to set up a fundraising drive (photos, video, gifts, content).
The Bread Project:
E will give GV’s number to Uso she can call him and remind him that he intended to order bread. But: we must assume he that wanted to find a way to get the know-how.
M. has a contact for E for a shop in Praça A. for rent, this could be a good place for a bakery at a low price.
The Foundation is getting its own bread oven, not to feed the children (they get a lot of bread as donation) but to teach them how relate to and produce their food in a natural way.
Penta presentation
C gave us a presentation of the Penta project.
This is an Association in Funchal with a few members promoting an upgrade on the education concept behind the Walldorf schools. The major point is that the parents need to be educated before the children. Adults should have an integrated approach to their own lives, working will all five (Walldorf is based on four) of their own elements (Emotional, Mental, Vital, Physical and Spiritual). Children then copy their parents – even if parents do not see the results of this copying behavior reflected to them. This can be done by Art Therapy, Family Drama (“Constelação familiar”, to get rid of old ghosts in the closet) and other techniques. The Association also organizes walks and creates “insight” labyrinths in nature
C is a medical doctor but studies psychology and has received training on this approach from two teachers who now live in the UK (http://www.lazzarus.net/ ) The Association would like to get them over to Funchal to give training to the parents and teachers in Escola de Semente.
Other Stuff:
Al is offering Acupuncture in Funchal, in a practice in Rua da Carreia 100.
“Mundo Sustentável”, the used good resale place is behind the Forum, below the “Po de’Arroz” hairdresser’s shop.
Also very interesting:
Lawrence Lessig Our Democracy no longer represent the people:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJy8vTu66tE
And liquid democracy can be found here:
84 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 21.10.2016
Oct 23, 2016 at 11:16 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: 2016, august, eucalyptus, fighting, fire, fire mafia, Funchal, helicopter, leste, prevention
We had Fireman Sa. as guest again. He gave us a report about the recent fires on Aug 5 – 6. He said that the conditions, with Leste coming over from Africa and with a wind speed of 75/85 km were a “perfect storm” situation. The Leste brought fire sparks down from the rim above the city.
In these situations, the firemen are on high alert and make rounds but they cannot prevent that fires start or are stated. E-was of the opinion that the Pastores who had protested about the restriction of their activity, started the fires above Funchal but Sa. said that their areas are more above S. Antonio, not S. Roque. The burning tires made the situation look very bad, there were also oil tanks wit in the tire storage facility which blew up. Old houses with damaged roofs are in special danger from flying sparks.
Sa. said that in these situations, people call for more firemen and equipment, but this would not help, he is in favor of prevention. 1 fire spot can cause 85 other fires in 1 hour so vigilance is essential. The firemen in Funchal work well together, and even when they are out for a coffee and see a fire at any time, they are proactive and send someone up there to investigate. This approach is not shared by other fire brigades outside of Funchal. He is also in favor of shared fire ponds in the communities. The communities have to come together for this.
Eucalyptus is a bad tree and should be eliminated. The disadvantage with this tree is that, even after a fire, the wood can still be used by the pulp factories to produce paper so the Paper Lobby has no problem with burning Eucalyptus forests.
Forest management is also very bad on the mainland. Gr. said that the north of Portugal is covered in Eucalyptus. After a fire, reforestation would be the ideal tool to prevent future fires but this not promoted by the Government. It was not done around S. Bras when D & S had to abandon their house twice because of the fire danger.
Sa. said that 75% of the land is in private hands, the owners are responsible for clearing out the forests. They often cannot be identified as the land registry is weak so the Government cannot apply fines for neglect.
The population used to go into the forests for firewood, nowadays, this is not needed anymore – it’s probably forbidden – this is another point why forest fires are increasing. It is even difficult now to find personnel to clean out forests; the job is not interesting and pays too little.
In the mainland there is a Fire Mafia. Government owned planes and helicopters are mysteriously out of order with maintenance problems and the Government has to hire private equipment at a high cost for fire fighting – good business for certain companies.
Sa. also said that tests with helicopters must be done in Madeira in the summer, not in winter when realistic conditions do not exist. Then we could see if fire fighting could be done on the island fir helicopters (with sweet water) or not.
Sa. said that the Proteccao Civil takes charge in such situation and they mess it up for publicity stunts, saying that everything is under control when it isn’t.
In regards to the funds for the people and companies affected by the Fire (V.) the Government should come through with decisions and hopefully , funds by mid-November
The Bread Project:
E. discovered that he can obtain the NAKU bread bags from a known shop for free, they receive plenty from a supplier. He is still looking for a place to bake his bread. He has a certain place in mind but if it doesn’t work, he is willing to invest to get a bakery for himself – no risk – no gain. An- could get him a contact to a specific Hotel group, maybe he could also bake there at night
He brought us a delicious sample of bread – mmh!
The Escola staff needs to get back to us to start working on their Blog and fundraising efforts. Ma. said that she would have more time as of mid-October.
83 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 17.9.2016
Sep 18, 2016 at 11:11 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: Bread, Escola, Funchal, madeira consorcio, madeira think tank, mark zuckerberg, meeting, mundo sustentavel, Portugal, recycly, vegetarian friendly
The Bread Project:
V gave E. a “plastic” bag, to store bread and keep it fresh. The bag, produced in Austria, is not made with oil but of plant material, and decomposes easily; it can be re-used several times. The bag can be printed on. The producer is www.naku.at.We discussed the logo and design for linen bags for sale along with the bread.
We also spoke about the support we want to give the Escola de S..
We shall propose to their Team to create a blog for them, based on the text that we developed after the July meeting with them. U is going to send the approved content to Do. to look at. E.has photos; we need those for a blog. U will ask Ma. for their bank details so we can perhaps also add a PayPal donation button.
We also spoke about fundraising and how to go about it
Do. said the most important issue for fundraising is to answer the questions on what the project is and what they need. The fundraisers also need to propose adequate gifts as thank you for the donations received, e.g.
- a postcard with children’s paintings for a donation of 5€,
- for 10€ a donor would get a mug,
- and for 25€ he would get a yearbook,
- for higher amounts he would receive a mention of his name as sponsor on a (movable) plaque in the school.
An ongoing fundraising effort would be better that an occasional action, with the receipt of money from time to time.
“Teaching” support
There we have many options. S.used to go to her children’s school and read a poem which would inspire the children to make a drawing/painting about the topic, S. then gave assisted them in this. Such visits can lead to the composition of a yearbook, also as Thank You to donors.
Rui A.could do physics experiments with them, and so on…
Additional info.
Open letter from a Danish Newspaper to Mark Zuckerberg: http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kommentar/Dear-Mark-I-am-writing-this-to-inform-you-that-I-shall-not-comply-with-your-requirement-to-remove-this-picture-604156b.html
We have a recycling shop behind the Forum, “Mundo Sustentavel”, They accept used goods for household, decoration & more and resell them; the proceeds are split between the seller and the shop: Tel 291619768, info@mundo-sustentavel.com
Frente Mar has some shops out for public tender for rent in/near the Lido Swimming pools, several artists are working there.
The list of 10 vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Funchal :
http://frommadeiratomars.com/pt/10-vegetarian-friendly-restaurants-in-madeira/
D & S like “Olive” in Oudinot best, the restaurant needs business so we should all go there and recommend it.
Also very good: “Tipografia” in the Castanheiro Boutique Hotel. “Mania de Cozinha” in S. Pedro is closed due to fire damage.
Our next meeting will be in mid-October,
80 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 27.5. 2016
May 29, 2016 at 12:31 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: 20. February 2010, atmospheric river storm, forecast, Funchal, lazareto, meteorological station, weather, weather radar
We visited the Meteorological Station in Rua da Lazareto, it was very informative, and we had a lot of questions in regards to Feb 2010.
The Station (www.ipma.pt ) is run by the state as part of a national and international network. The observer Luisa gave us a professional tour; she does this with many groups.
Madeira has 118 stations, including one in P.Santo (but none on the Desertas or the Selvagens, too close). Most of them are running automatically and have to be maintained scrupulously. The one in Rua do Lazareto, active since 1947, is automatic and “manual”, as the observers take measures which cannot be delivered by mechanic devices (they have a scheme how to identify different forms of clouds). The Station has two observers and two meteorologists.
The team has to be one of the rare groups in Portugal which has to be punctual at work, the have to take several measurements at precise times each day.
Luisa then showed us the PCs which monitor the measurements of all 18 stations at any time, and the details they can obtain from each station. She then showed us all instruments to measure, temperature, humidity, air pressure etc in the house: very delicate instruments which were cleverly designed long time ago. She also showed us some measures outside (until we were chased inside by a shower). One of them works with horse’s hair to measure humidity. They also take wind speed and the temperature in the soil in 50 cm and 1 m depth – no frost here, Sir.
The Station in Funchal (as in Azores and in Canarias, and some platforms on sea) releases a helium balloon every day at precisely 12 noon, with small instruments to measure the same data on the top level of the atmosphere (around 31.000 km). The balloons need around 1.5 hours to get there, then they burst and fall back to earth or into the sea (with batteries inside, but solar would not be powerful enough to transmit the radio signals back to the station). The container is equipped with a small parachute as not to hit somebody in the head, and sometimes people who find such a container, return them to the Station.
The Cupola above the station is not a planetarium but covers the old antenna which used to receive the balloon signals; now they us e smaller, more modern one.
The Station also measures seismic shocks with magnitude and epicenter – not much going on here but it is so sensitive that it registers heavy lorries driving nearby. Madeira has 2 -3 seismic shocks per year, the Azores have around one per day. The paper rolls written by the seismograph are sent to Lisbon for the archive.
All measurements are automatically sent to Lisbon where the national weather forecasts are drawn up. Lisbon also has access to satellite data. Lisbon then sends a 10-day forecast to the Civil Protection, the Capitanias and the Government for Fisheries and Agriculture, also to “Frente Mar” for the safety on the beaches.
Dra J., one of the meteorologists, joined us then, and we spoke about Feb 2010. U. supplied the data and email received by an American scientist about the incident – this was what they call an atmospheric river storm.
Madeira is supposed to have its own weather radar since long time, now it looks as if we’ll get it in 2016/2017; it will be installed in P. Santo. This would give the Station a better way to identify heavy loads of water arriving in the oncoming clouds.
Dra. J.said that the respective authorities were duly warned (“vermelho”) but as we know from the Bombeiro visit, these guys knew what was coming from their own weather station in Monte.
Anyway, the warning was given and it would be up to the Civil Protection to amplify the warning to the population, by radio, TV or SMS; this is a political matter. Dra. J. said that, after Feb 2010 we had another atmospheric river hitting the Island, but at that time, Funchal received a lot of rain quickly, while the other half of the water arrived in Pico Areeiro and rained off at a much slower rate. This is why this situation, although also “vermelho”, didn’t cause any harm.
Feb 2010 was a lot of bad luck, and the population as a short memory when it comes to disasters.
71 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 16.7.2015
Jul 19, 2015 at 12:22 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: Bread, crowdfunding, einkorn, emmer, Funchal, kamut, laboratory, luiz saldanha, madeira consorcio, Marine biology station, ocean observatory, Portugal, project, redistribution of wealth, splet, transparency
71 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 16.7.2015
Visit to the Marine Biology Station:
We visited the Marine Biology Station on Praia das Gaivotas, E’s place of work. The Ocean observatory is housed there, and Gr., although she is not officially back to work, also helps out there.
AL, one of the scientists, graciously showed us around. On appointment, she offers guided tours in English and Portuguese on a regular schedule. This would also be an interesting for tourists walks – nobody knows about it!
The station has an extensive library; the oceanographer Luiz Saldanha donated many unique books to the Station. The content is already available in digital format under www.cm-funchal.pt -> Ciencia ->Publicacoes. The Summer University students (Leicester) study here with E. One scientist is currently studying the impact plastic residue has on the marine animal world.
The station, dedicated to the study of the ocean and its species, is fifteen years old. It was supposed to be a part of a bigger complex; due to monetary restraints, the rest will not be built. The station has six floors and houses several, dedicated laboratories. The technical equipment (long lines of multiple tubes on the ceilings, big microscopes, lab bottles – empty as well as filled with something – is quite good. A rolling archive houses thousands of animal species in formaldehyde and alcohol.
The station works with in conjunction with UMa and the Municipal Aquarium in Rua da Mouraria. It is part of an international network of Marine Biology stations. Some preserved species from the Aquarium, are now housed in tanks in the Station, including the head of a once five-m long shark in formaldehyde. Some of the species stored may already be extinct by now.
The station has dedicated laboratories and teaching spaces; Gr was working in one of them. It also affords living space for visiting scientist. On the ground floor, above the beach, are two tanks which can accommodate turtles. One of the scientists is tracing them. Local fishermen also cooperate with the station; when they catch unusual species, they contact the scientists to collect them at the auction and take them to the station to be studied. The station is also a point of reference for scientists worldwide who want to compare species to ascertain of they found a new sub-species in our Waters.
Discussion:
We then started off by talking about the Redistribution of Wealth text.
The rich are not the problem; they can be a part of the solution. It’s a fact that the Portuguese have no culture of giving, they only think of themselves, their family and their friends. Since the times of Salazar, they are used to doing what they are told, they have no revolutionary traits – maybe something in that vein is starting now on the Algarve islets, due to the mass eviction of poor people (from illegal homes, endangered by rising water levels). They are also keen on subsidies which stop them from growing foodstuff for their own use and local sales. They also duly follow the seduction by advertising and throw away and replace instead of recycling, re-using and repairing products.
The Greeks import every lemon, now they will have to create an internal, local economy and start growing their own food. Where there is demand, supply will follow.
Wealth does not need to be measured by money, we can consider ourselves rich when we have a satisfying life.
Money is empowerment; it should not be kept under the mattress, it needs to circulate.
Ce would like to forbid the money flowing into sports in order to redirect the funds to social projects. Subsidies should be abolished.
- Education is the cornerstone to get the population to come away from the “Taker” model (Ishmael) and get them to fight for a more meaningful life.
- A good example is needed to create the right motivation. A good example is Sebastian Salgados “A Salt of the Earth” approach; Wim Wenders made the film (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_salt_of_the_earth/ ). Salgado photographed a lot of wars and bad events, and then decided to dedicate himself to do good by reforesting a vast area of land in Brazil. (http://www.institutoterra.org/eng/conteudosLinks.php?id=22&tl=QWJvdXQgdXM=&sb=NQ==#.VauBqfmP_KB )
- People need to start to question things and they need to stop using subsidies, they can use crowdfunding to start up a business (kickstarter, indiegogo, for Portugal www http://ppl.com.pt ). A site comparing crowdfunding sites: http://www.crowdfunding.com/ it is mportant to choose well because the platforms charge at least a 5% fee for the campaigns.
- Transparency: everything needs to and will be disclosed on the internet in the future. The “traditional” administrator who thinks that he can do what he wants, without benign controlled, will be a thing of the past.
Crowdfunding is a new form of financing, open to all, not just the rich. D invested a bit of money in an apparatus, invented but yet to be developed and marketed, which replaces the cumbersome Sleep Apnoe masks many persons need to use.
Then E read us a text of his, with the story of how he came to like and bake bread of the highest quality. With this meeting, we came to the following conclusion:
We decided that it would be a good project for the group to promote E’s dream of a bakery and bread shop (no Café) to produce and sell his bread, based on old strains of grains (Spelt, Emmer, Einkorn. Kamut). We would help him get the funding through a crowdfunding site, and Ri could take good photos and produce a video for the site. We have to choose the best platform http://www.crowdfunding.com/ to reach the maximum national and international support. As incentive for the backers, E can offer bread subscriptions.
E’s bread can also be exported, he already had requests in this regard.
This would set a good example for the population of self-help to produce a local, Madeira-made product, with grains from Madeira Island, milled on site. A healthy, not genetically modified and not poisoned bread.
This group goal will also be in line with Ri’s idea that the group should focus and work on a meaningful concept
Our next meeting will be on WEDNESDAY 19.8.2015
Visit to the Municipal Fire Station in Funchal
Dec 19, 2014 at 3:27 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: 20. February 2010, Bombeiros, fire equipment, fire manual, fire protection, Funchal, ideas for the island, madeira consorcio, madeira think tank, Monte, Municipal Fire Station, Portugal
The group went to visit the local Municipal Fire Station in Funchal to the North of Dolce Vita.
This was a very interesting visit. Chief Samuel, one of the shift leaders with many years of experience, showed us the station and the cars and gave us honest answers to a lot of prickly questions.
The highlights:
The team has 137 staff (it should have 140)
26 persons are always on call on 12 hour shifts.
The response time is very quick, especially if you do not call 112 (officially what you have to do) but directly to them (291 200930).
The city is divided into two parts:
West: Municipal Bombeiros,
East: Voluntary Bombeiros, but if there is a fire in the Zone Velha or around the Cathedral, both units always respond.
The staff have a gym, a canteen (most bring their own food) , a multi-purpose room with internet and sleeping quarters.
A regular fireman/woman earns around 600-700€ month, a Chief around 1100€ (they say, brut, less taxes…)
Nothing much may happen in a shift but they have to be alert. Tension is palpable in the building and the courtyard.
The equipment:
There is never enough money around to have the best equipment and maintenance but this is a complaint every Fire Station in the world voices. The FNC Volunteers have worse equipment, though.
A lot of equipment is bought from Germany. The base of the cars may be coming from Mercedes but the top is built by a Portuguese company, Jacinto. They are very good at custom building fire equipment and sell their fire engines all over Europe. (Land Rovers are not the favourite Fireman car, they are being replaced over time.)
There are smaller cars to check out a situation – the Fire Chief has always to be there first.
They have one car to free people trapped in cars – this is the worst job they have to do
Ladder cars:
We have the biggest ladder in Portugal (55m) this is the second biggest ladder in Europe. Think of hotels like Pestana Carlton…
There are regular Fire Trainings in the hotels for the firemen by the Fire Departments. These trainings serve also to check the pipes and hydrants. All hotels have to have an internal “first response” Fire Team.
Water tanks:
All cars have water tanks of various sizes, the biggest contains 32000 l water (all hydrant water is fresh water)
They also come with foam which is very effective but expensive. The Station has a tank of 1000 l foam.
The pipes are surprisingly slim; water pumps can be taken out by hand to be placed where they can be connected to external water supplies.
The Station also has a training tower to train for high-rise fires. The staff has lot of training sessions to keep them in shape and respond to new situations or regulation.
Ambulances:
They have ambulances just for emergencies; the Volunteers and other services (Red Cross) take care of non-urgent transports. In the time we were there, the ambulances moved out twice. – no fire alarms.
E., with his dire experience in Monte last year, spoke about the shortcomings during the situation (hydrants blocked, lagoon water not used, no help from the fire department) Chief Samuel acknowledged this.
Chief Samuel confirmed that there was an order to save the Monte Church – nowadays; such an order could not be imposed on the Firemen anymore.
On February 20, 2010, contrary to the rumours, only 42 persons died, and nobody drowned in the underground parking garages.
The Fire Department has its own water gauge in the mountains so that they know when a flood can be expected downtown.
In Dolce Vita, the order was to evacuate the parking, and people tried to take out their cars but the “guards” wouldn’t open the gates without payment so more cars were rendered unusable
We gave Chief Samuel our Fire Manual.
64 joint Meeting Madeira Consorcio with Andrew`s group
Sep 24, 2014 at 2:34 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a commentTags: association, culture, Funchal, Local Lodging, Madeira wine, manor house, Monte, Motne, nature, Quinta, römertopf, Santa Luzia, toboggan
64 joint Meeting Madeira Consorcio with Andrew`s group 18.9.2014
(no. 63 was the visit to the City Hall)
Hello Team,
This meeting could have been televised, that`s how good it was! We exchanged a great deal of experiences and I think we learned a lot.
I shall try to capture the essential points here.
First, A showed us a part of his Quinta in the middle of Funchal, with around 3.5 ha land. He planted several types of wine for Madeira wine; the harvest is going to B. , this company also takes care of the care and maintenance. The farm also grows herbs, vegetables and bananas.
A has a plan to create a Café and a shop for local products in one of the Quinta entrances. The street is a favorite walk down to town by tourists who take a toboggan ride to Livramento, and then walk down to Funchal. Around 180 people walk down there daily so there would be a good opportunity to have them come in for a coffee.
The visitors could also walk around the farm and visit the sheep (!). A has plans for an old storage facility: he wants to turn it into an art gallery and Ateliers. Important to him: the whole project must be holistic, made up of pieces of nature, art and culture which harmonize with each other. It has to have high quality and would set a good example for other projects.
In the Manor House, A installed Local Lodging for groups, five bedrooms are available. The guests have access to the beautiful garden, with pool, table tennis and tennis. There is not restaurant; the tourists do their own cooking. Ahad good bookings in July and August, with an interesting variety of visitors. With a visit to this one-of-a-kind Quinta, visitors who are sometimes unaware of what they are booking, receive a unique experience in a genuine Manor House with plenty of history and beauty.
Afterwards we sat down in a beautiful pavilion A has on the grounds and discussed our aims, ideas and disappointments with our various projects.
A`s group wants to create an association for the preservation of the natural treasures and culture of the island. Especially Ri, as photographer, has a large archive of photos and films that show how the island looked some decades ago and how it looks now. The degradation of the country side, due to man-made and natural causes and fires, is well visible. He said that that there is good documentation of old times but hat there was a break in the last century. As much of the knowledge and substance is lost, the younger generations do not understand how important it is to preserve this knowledge and the natural diversity and to build on it. The association would aim to plant a seed to educate the population about the treasure we have in this island.
Miis a business man, he told us about his experience with a village in Northern Portugal. He started to buy small ruins there, restored them for Turismo Rural and brought income to the community. He also had them plant flax to weave linen, to produce high quality products for sale to the tourists. He got a classification as National Treasure for the village, and then he ran into trouble. The Mayor did not want to publish the classification because he had plans to install wind farms around the village. Miis not working on this project anymore.
He also had a similar experience with a grape seed project, The machine to crush the seeds (the powder, an expensive product with high profit, has anti-cancer properties) constantly broke down, probably due to bad handling.
What they took away from this experience:
- You cannot force or compel Portuguese people do to anything they do not want, not even if it is with the best of intentions. Madeira Consorcio members learned the same from (among others) the basket project.
- We need to pick people up where they are. We need to listen and see what they need.
- The market is ruled by supply and demand, if there is no demand – in this case, for a solution to a problem – the people will not take up suggestions.
- On the other hand, demand can be created by creating and marketing a new product.
- We have to be persistent if we want to achieve something.
- We have to start new product ourselves, if they are good, the Portuguese will copy it.
- Projects need luck but Eis convinced that we can make luck happen!
How we can co-operate:
Ehas found an able potter on Madeira who is copying his “Römertopf” pottery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_pot_cooking). With these pots, everybody can bake healthy, leavened bread in a household oven. He is already teaching a group of kids how to bake bread; he can do that also for a group of children A is working with.
Sacan teach painting techniques to the children. All these activities will give working-class children unforgettable experiences which might move their lives into a different direction.
Although it was a lot about failure, this was a great meeting about new approaches for both Groups.
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