Social program of the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation arrives in Angola to strengthen women farmers

The Brazilian experience that has been transforming rural communities in the Lower South of Bahia for more than two decades is now reaching Africa. On May 12, the first international reapplication of PDCIS (Program for Integrated Development and Growth with Sustainability), coordinated by the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation and which has already benefited more than 700,000 people in Brazil, was officially launched.

Led by Odebrecht Engenharia in Angola, which invited the Foundation to implement it in partnership with the Agrarian Development Support Fund (FADA) and Embrapa Cassava and Fruits – a strategic partner for technology transfer – the project, named “Producing to Transform Lives,” will focus on strengthening family farming and generating opportunities for rural Angolan communities. The launch event follows more than a year of exchanges and missions carried out between the two countries and included the presence of local authorities, institutional representatives, farmers, and communities.

“The internationalization of our program is a milestone that consolidates years of structuring and strengthening the initiative, proven by impactful results,” says Norberto Odebrecht Neto, Superintendent of the Foundation. “Being able to reapply solutions that generate long-term development, together with Odebrecht, directly aligns with our work and with the Angolan government’s goals of eradicating poverty and ensuring food security for the population.”

The work will be carried out with the Homem Sofre Cooperative, located in the Malembo territory, composed entirely of women farmers in a community where family farming represents the main source of livelihood and income. The name “Homem Sofre” historically refers to the challenges of cultivation and the resilience required to work the land in the region — a past that the project now seeks to reinterpret by strengthening the cassava production chain, with women as key protagonists.

To this end, the project focuses on technical training for cooperative members, improving family production systems, and strengthening the cooperative institutionally. Planned actions include technical assistance, training programs, support for crop diversification and commercialization, and the donation of inputs to address soil deficiencies identified through analysis. “We believe this cooperation can significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of the cooperative and the Malembo community, promoting local agriculture, product processing, income generation, women’s empowerment, and the expansion of our products in local and national markets,” says Margarida Chilongo Carneiro, representative of Homem Sofre.

According to Gustavo Lima, Contract Director of the New Cabinda Airport (NAIC) — a project executed by Odebrecht and associated with this initiative — the effort reinforces the importance of bringing successful solutions to a region where the company has operated for more than 40 years, positioning it not only as a service provider but as a reliable and socially responsible actor. “This partnership demonstrates our potential to jointly address common challenges in rural development in the country,” he says. “This is possible when technical knowledge is combined with community participation.”

The project also includes actions aimed at improving the cooperative’s commercial organization and expanding market access, creating conditions for growing its client base and improving product distribution. The focus is on building solid foundations for income generation and food security throughout the Malembo region. This is reinforced by Felisbela Francisco, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of FADA, who highlights that “strengthening family farming requires not only technical training but also effective access to financing and instruments capable of accelerating economic growth in rural communities.”

About the Norberto Odebrecht Foundation

The Norberto Odebrecht Foundation (FNO) coordinates PDCIS (Program for Integrated Development and Growth with Sustainability), a sustainable territorial development methodology. Over 23 years, the initiative has impacted more than 700,000 people by promoting income generation and autonomy for rural families. The Foundation is currently expanding its social technology internationally with the program’s reapplication in Angola.