Images of fires consuming the Amazon rainforest shocked the world earlier this year and rallies for climate action have taken over many cities in the past months. The topic is hotly contested, but in the heart of the Amazon a simple school is delivering a direct and hugely important response. Located 30 kilometers north of Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, an agricultural school, Queen of the Apostles (Rainha dos Apostolos), which has been teaching for 40 years almost 120 young indigenous people per year how to cultivate, love and respect the land. The techniques taught at Queen of the Apostles reduce deforestation to a minimum while imparting a deep respect for the complex and unique ecosystem of the Amazon. The alternative to this type of education is fire and burning of trees. As Pope Francis and the Catholic Bishops of the region have stressed in their recent Synod for the Amazon, the theme of an integral approach to human development should not exclude or overlook a concern for the natural environment.

Donations will contribute to:

• Training of teachers in new organic and sustainable farming techniques
• A school-based farm that will contribute food for students, reducing costs and supporting the economic sustainability of the Queen of the Apostles boarding school
• Communications materials and an evaluation study of the environmental and social impact of the agricultural techniques