Sem Terrinhas (Children of the MST) begin an action in Alagoas

Sem Terrinha’s (Children of the MST) event began in Alagoas with games and learning. Children who are camping and who are settled from all over the state participated in activities throughout the month of October, where they led the struggle for their basic rights.

In Atalaia, a municipality that houses diverse MST-organized settlements and camps, the Children of the MST hosted a week of activities at the children’s education center Ciranda Infantil Dorcelina Folador, in the settement of Milton Santos, starting with scavenger hunts, theater, and workshops

On Wednesday (10/9), students of Social Communications at the Alagoas Federal University hosted a photography workshop for the children of Sem Terra in Atalaia, where the children were able to able to record a bit of their lives in the settlement.

Caroline Barbosa, one of the students that facilitated a workshop, pointed out the importance of such activities. “Participating in Sem Terrinha Day was an excellent experience. In a playful way, we were able to bring them out of their routine and have fun,” she says.

Caroline went on to say that “learning more about the way of life in the settlement made me understand how they are organized and how much gusto the people who fight the battles of the MST have.

In the rural areas of the state, the youth are already preparing themselves for the First Sem Terrinha Socio-Cultural Exposition. This exposition will bring in around 1,200 children from the region who are part of the movement for a day of activities in the settlement 25 de Julho.

In between soccer tournaments and scavenger hunts, the children will host a public audience with the directors of the region to present the list of the MST demands to the public authorities.

Luana Pomme’, of the Educational Sector of the MST, emphasized the importance of this event as a space for children to assume leadership roles in the MST struggle.

“The Sem Terrinha event is a moment of self-organization on the part of the children where they are going to say what they need, what childhood is like in the settlements and camps, the quality of the schools, health, the spaces of leisure, beyond being a moment of fraternization and celebration of childhood in the landless movement.”

Luana explains that this year, the agenda of the event, besides international solidarity, is the important questions around childhood in the Landless Movement, especially the construction of schools in the settlements.

According to her, this event provides an important moment not only for the youth, but for all those who take part in the Movement. “The children are a part of the history and the struggle of the MST, they live and accompany every moment of our journey,” she believes.