Support Madeira Fire Victims: Rebuild & Restore

About the Campaign (versão em português abaixo ⬇️)

Tragedy struck the beautiful island of Madeira as recent wildfires devastated homes, animals, farmlands, and disrupted the lives of its residents. Now, more than ever, the community needs your help to rebuild and rise stronger than before.

Your Contribution Matters:

1. Farmers & Livestock: Many farmers have been left with no means to feed their livestock after their lands were consumed by the fire. Others have completely lost their livestock. Dozens of cows, sheep, pigs, goats and chicken had to die a cruel death since the fires spread too fast to rescue them. Your support will help them buy necessary feed, new animals and rebuild their farmhouses, ensuring their animals are safe and well-nourished.

2. Crop & Tree Restoration: Numerous farmers have witnessed the loss of years of hard work as their crops and fruit trees turned to ashes. (e.g. 97% of all pasture in Ponta do Pargo is destroyed). Your contribution will provide them with seeds, saplings, and resources to restart their farming, bringing back the island’s lush greenery.

3. Home Reconstruction: Several families have lost the roofs over their heads. With your help, we can assist them in rebuilding their homes and regaining a sense of normalcy in these trying times.

Why Support?:

Madeira is not just an island; it's a community where every individual plays a crucial role in its vibrant ecosystem. By helping the victims of this catastrophe, you're ensuring the preservation of Madeira’s rich culture, its people, and its natural beauty.

How Will Funds Be Used?:

- Immediate relief with food, water, and temporary shelter.

- Purchasing livestock, livestock feed and farm essentials.

- Providing seeds and saplings for crop and tree restoration.

- Reconstruction of damaged homes and farm structures.

Join Us:

Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant impact. Let's come together and show the resilient people of Madeira that they are not alone in this. Stand with Madeira, and help it rise from the ashes.

For regular updates on how the funds are utilized, and the progress of rebuilding efforts, please follow Support Madeira Fire Victims on Instagram or Madeira Fire Aid on Facebook.

Who are we?

We are a collective of expats, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs who call Madeira our home. After connecting with local farmers and understanding their challenges, we initiated this campaign in order to supplement the anticipated government support and meet the urgent need for food for their livestock. Moreover, numerous small-scale farmers haven't registered their livestock and crops, rendering them ineligible for governmental support. This compelled us to act swiftly. We are looking to create a transparent vehicle to distribute the funds.. All of our account activities will be fully disclosed and we will be documenting our process. Our commitment is to maintain transparency and visibility at all times. We are also setting up a presentation of all team members and their bio for more transparency. As we move forward, we aim to partner with more associations. We're establishing a joint bank account to oversee the funds, and we promise full disclosure of all account activities.

We're grateful to have the support of Nelia, Director of the Prazeres Farmers Market and community leader Maria de Jesus to ensure the donations are directed to the most affected. Our goal is to collaborate with even more organizations as we progress.

Meet the Team:

Norberto

Norberto is a native of Madeira, born and raised in Santo António, Funchal with family here on the island. Norberto has also lived in the Algarve and abroad in Australia, UK and Poland. Norberto is a nature lover and cares deeply for his local community.

Julie

A resident of Estreito da Calheta for two years, Julie is committed to the community of Calheta and of establishing links between the expat and local community. Professionally, Julie is the Head of Product at iMusician and has a Masters Degree in Development Economics and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. Julie has experience working with healthcare NGO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and extensive volunteer experience. In her spare time, Julie is farming vegetables on a small piece of land in Estreito da Calheta.

Inga

After her Masters in International Management and several jobs in the Corporate world, Inga left the profit world behind and worked for several non profit organizations in the US, Kenya and the Philippines. Working especially with women (Women Empowerment Programmes) and orphans (Exhibition Our Faces, USA, 2009). After becoming a mother herself, she made her lifelong talent and passion of photography and yogic science and technology into her main profession (KRI certified).

Three years ago she followed a deep calling and moved to Madeira Island. Her main focus and vision is to help transform consciousness, bring back authentic connection and build a self-sustainable and spiritual community with locals and expats in the South-West of Madeira.

Nina

Having found and moved to the gem of Madeira during the launch of the digital nomad village in March 2021, Nina fell in love with the island and its beautiful nature. Before, she got a degree in Economics with an emphasis on tourism & travel management. She continued her journey volunteering at animal shelters & farms, managing eco-villages & hostels across the globe. Nowadays, Nina orchestrates international trips for travelers and manages co-living spaces in Madeira. She is the Co-founder of Naturopia, an eco-village designed to support the Island's nature and local community.

In her free time, she indulges in daily yoga practices, spending time with animals or going on adventurous hiking tours on the island.

Rico

Rico is an engineer and entrepreneur who is living in Madeira after experiencing its beautiful and lush nature. After multiple financial and web3 ventures, he is now dedicated to fight for a change where nature and communities are considered to be the most precious assets.

Kurt

After building a strong foundation in mathematics and machine learning in Berlin, Kurt took a leap into entrepreneurship and co-founded a web3 company in 2021. Today, he works as a Blockchain Security Engineer at Trail of Bits. Inspired by the natural beauty and vibrant tech landscape of Madeira, Kurt discovered a sense of belonging within its tight-knit communities.

Nicole

Sobre a Campanha:

Uma tragédia abateu-se sobre a bela ilha da Madeira, pois incêndios recentes devastaram casas, animais, terrenos agrícolas e perturbaram a vida dos seus habitantes. Agora, mais do que nunca, a comunidade precisa da sua ajuda para se reconstruir e emergir mais forte do que antes.

A Sua Contribuição É Importante:

1. Agricultores & Gado: Muitos agricultores ficaram sem meios de alimentar o seu gado após as suas terras serem consumidas pelo fogo. Outros perderam completamente o seu gado. Dezenas de vacas, ovelhas, porcos, cabras e galinhas tiveram que sofrer uma morte cruel, uma vez que os incêndios se propagaram rapidamente, impossibilitando o seu resgate. O seu apoio ajudará na compra de rações, novos animais e na reconstrução das suas quintas, garantindo que os animais estejam seguros e bem alimentados.

2. Restauração de Culturas & Árvores: Inúmeros agricultores assistiram à perda de anos de trabalho árduo, com as suas culturas e árvores frutíferas reduzidas a cinzas (97% de todas as pastagens da Ponta do Pargo estão destruídas). A sua contribuição fornecerá sementes, rebentos e recursos para reiniciar a agricultura, trazendo de volta o verde luxuriante da ilha.

3. Reconstrução de Casas: Várias famílias perderam os seus lares. Com a sua ajuda, podemos apoiá-las na reconstrução das suas casas e recuperar uma sensação de normalidade nestes tempos difíceis.

Porque Apoiar?:

A Madeira não é apenas uma ilha; é uma comunidade onde cada indivíduo desempenha um papel crucial no seu vibrante ecossistema. Ao ajudar as vítimas desta catástrofe, está a garantir a preservação do património cultural da Madeira, das suas gentes e da sua beleza natural.

Como Serão Utilizados os Fundos?:

- Ajuda imediata com comida, água e abrigo temporário.

- Aquisição de ração para animais e bens essenciais agrícolas.

- Fornecimento de sementes e rebentos para restauração de culturas e árvores.

- Reconstrução de casas e estruturas agrícolas danificadas.

Junte-se a Nós:

Toda a contribuição, por menor que seja, pode ter um impacto significativo. Vamos unir-nos e mostrar às resilientes pessoas da Madeira que não estão sozinhas nesta situação. Apoie a Madeira e ajude-a a renascer das cinzas.

Para atualizações regulares sobre como os fundos são utilizados e o progresso dos esforços de reconstrução, siga Madeira Fire Aid no Instagram ou siga a Madeira Fire Aid no Facebook.

Quem somos?

Somos um coletivo de expatriados, nómadas digitais e empreendedores que chamam à Madeira a nossa casa. Depois de nos relacionarmos com os agricultores locais e compreendermos os seus desafios, iniciámos esta campanha com o objetivo de complementar o apoio governamental previsto e satisfazer a necessidade urgente de alimentos para os seus animais. Além disso, muitos pequenos agricultores não registaram os seus animais e culturas, o que os torna inelegíveis para o apoio governamental. Este facto obrigou-nos a agir rapidamente. Estamos a tentar criar um veículo transparente para distribuir os fundos. Todas as actividades da nossa conta serão totalmente divulgadas e iremos documentar o nosso processo. O nosso compromisso é manter a transparência e a visibilidade a todo o momento. Estamos também a preparar uma apresentação de todos os membros da equipa e da sua biografia para uma maior transparência. À medida que avançamos, pretendemos estabelecer parcerias com mais associações. Estamos a criar uma conta bancária conjunta para supervisionar os fundos e prometemos uma divulgação completa de todas as actividades da conta.

Estamos gratos por ter o apoio da Nélia, Directora do Mercado dos Lavradores dos Prazeres e da líder comunitária Maria de Jesus para garantir que os donativos são dirigidos aos mais afectados. O nosso objetivo é colaborar com ainda mais organizações à medida que avançamos.