The Brazilian Job: the volunteers did in three days what BlazeAid without help could do only in two months. Source: Fabricio Festugato - personal file
In mid November, he posted on the same social media that he would take his tools and head to Old Bar in order to help, even if he could still not figure out how. And he wrote that there were another three seats available in his truck for anyone who would like to join him.
A couple of days later, Fabricio and another 120 Brazilians arrived in Old Bar in a huge convoy, bringing two full trucks of donations. For almost three full days, between November 22th and 24th, they worked with BlazeAid organization rebuilding fences, reopening roads, cooking for locals and creating an unforgettable bond between Brazilians and Australians.
We talked to him. Fabricio Festugato, Brazilian and Australian citizen, tells this story.
The beginning
"I volunteered myself in the bushfires after talking to people living in Old Bar, one of the most affected regions. And I saw a video in Facebook from local people pleading some help, showing their burning houses, ruined farms. So I posted asking if anyone would like to join me to help fixing things there. I didn't know exactly what I would do there, but I was ready. I made my truck and my tools available and said there were three more seats available for anyone who would like to join me.
What happened after was fantastic: more than 200 people were in touch, they wanted to go, to organize donations. Fortunately I had three more folks who helped me to organize everything. We've created a Whatsapp group, Ana Gabriela Laverdi did it, Derek Andrade and Lucas Canabarro organized the crew there in Old Bar. It would not be fair not to mention more names. Vanusa Johns stayed there for almost an entire week after we were gone, supporting BlazeAid people, who supports farmers after disasters for more than 10 years. BlazeAid folks had heard about us from Mick Campbell and Crissy that I was willing to take people from Brazilian community to help, and so they organized a big thing, a camping with mobile toilets, showers, etc. And we established points of donations all over Sydney, a Go Founding account and we could raise some money, which was donated for a local who had an accident with a chainsaw during the bushfires and can not work in the moment.
With all that ready, we left Sydney in a convoy of more than 120 Brazilians and other 4 Australians, who came from Central Coast. That was a good will chain, wonderful of be part of, real altruism. In two days, according to BlazeAid, we could advance their work in two months."
Apocalyptic scenario
One of the crews, a local farmer and Fabricio Festugato. He is the one down in the right, using the hat of his father. Source: Fabricio Festugato - personal file
"The arrival was shocking, the apocalypse. Everything looking like a burnt match. Only the houses were intact because the helicopters saved them, but not all of them. Some have been destroyed. There was a woman who lost her sister in the tragedy, and our crew managed to support her, an emotional aid, and they keep in touch right now, became friends. There was a man who almost lost his leg using the chainsaw, and we could help him with some emotional support and money. Farmers reporting horror scenes, 100 meter high blaze, helicopters and firemen coming and going, local people running for their lives in motorcycles and cars, rescuing their animals. A pandemonium.
One emotional memory is the way the farmers have welcomed us. They cooked for us, brought water, and told their stories. That was really emotional to me. There was an elder folk that, in the moment we would go back to Sydney, could not saying anything, with tears in the eyes. More than relief, we brought them some joy, because Brazilians are amazing. We are living in a political war in Facebook, a lot of altercation in social media, but in the moment people need most, we were there together. That was so beautiful, BlazeAid folks reporting how everything happened. People from the local community saw the Brazilian flag and waved, because they knew we were there to help. The solidarity in the chaos has touched everyone there. Nobody worried with all the hard work, the dirty, scratched hands, nothing. Everybody working hard. Very proud of the Brazilians."
Fundamental help from BlazeAid
"Until we arrive there, we didn't know exactly what we would do. I was arriving with a lot of people, how we could settle them? Mick Campbell and Crissy took the responsibility ahead and wrote in a blackboard the 17 properties that needed aid. What BlazeAid was doing on that moment was fixing fences, because the fire has destroyed all the boundaries around and the cattle was in a chaotic situation, the animals could not go back to the farms. We organized our crews between us, six or seven folks each, to head to those properties. I bought a loudspeaker, very helpful.
So, on Saturday morning we arrived at the BlazeAid. The coordinator organized an all hands meeting, explained what we should do, provided tools in order to fix fences, chainsaws (for the many trees down across roads). When it was 8AM, everyone was already set in the properties, the local farmers interacting with us, loving what we were doing. Notably I was impressed with one of the farmers, on his 70's, that spent the day going uphill and downhill, no stop, using the chainsaw, picking the wood, In two days on his property, we solved his problem. More than 1 kilometer of fence rebuilt, 3 or 4 destroyed trees cleaned. Another crew has removed more than 200 wheelbarrows of wreckage. The only-female crew organized by Flavia Teixeira, a carpentry teacher at TAFE, rebuilt 400 metres of fences in only one day. Nobody on it had previous experience with rural fences. We worked hard until evening, and them we organized a dinner for the farmers, the BlazeAid guys and all the crew. I had to get by in the kitchen. Canabarro and his crew worked on the beef stakes, I cooked a Carreteiro rice (typical southern Brazilian dish done with Barbecue meat), everybody was read to the battle again.
Improvised Carreteiro rice
"Actually the rice was improvised, since we were under the total fire ban. We could not barbecue it. It was more like a risotto. But we the meat was donated by the A&S Butchery, from Mascot (Sydney). Brazilian butchers. They also gave us a lot of ham to cook for breakfast. We bought more meat, there were more than 150 people eating. Stakes, risotto, bread. Everybody was enjoying it.
Brazilian proud
Flavia Teixeira´s crew. Only women. Their performance impressed the local farmers, even if no one of them had previous experience on rural fences before. Source: Fabricio Festugato - personal file
"The big lesson that I take from all this is that foreigners are selfless too. Besides us, Muslim and Italian communities have donated money to BlazeAid. The great message is that there are not flags or frontiers, that money you would make working on the weekend won't make a difference in your life. You are going to have a greater return and a nice karma genuinely helping others.
About Brazilians, I knew already. We are supportive people. Most Brazilians involved on this adventure are not citizens or permanent residents, they are in Australia under student or tourist visas. They preferred to not make money on that weekend, spent their money with fuel and other things, only to support the ones who needed. They've shown the value of money in a situation of chaos. Altruism. I'm very proud of using this word, that's what my father has taught me for life. He is already gone, last year, an Alzheimer victim, and I was using his hat on this mission. We have a connection through this hat, he past his life supporting other people, and I do the same. I've employed many Brazilians more than a hundred for sure. I like to help who needs".
