Heavy rains and floods wreaked havoc across Rio Grande do Sul, impacting 450 cities and leaving over 500,000 homeless, with 124 people tragically missing and 148 confirmed deaths. In response to this devastating situation, UNAI member Feevale University has become a haven for displaced families and their animals, actively working to rebuild the community.
The university has mobilized various undergraduate programs to address the health and well-being needs of the affected population. Those requiring medical attention are directed to teaching clinics offered by the Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, and Nutrition courses. The Feevale Veterinary Hospital, a teaching facility for the Veterinary Medicine program, is providing care to animals rescued by the university or belonging to sheltered families.
The Pharmacy course is producing much-needed hygiene kits and repellents. Additionally, they manage a pharmacy shift, handle medications for those seeking refuge, and organize donated student medications for safe administration. The Psychology course offers vital psychological support to the displaced population.
Beyond healthcare, other Feevale University departments are actively involved. The Fashion course, with the help of volunteers, is creating beds, collars, leashes, underwear, toiletry bags, and blankets for pets and families. The Law program provides legal guidance to those sheltered at Campus I, focusing primarily on resolving civil and labor law inquiries.
The Electrical, Electronic, and Computer Engineering courses offer cleaning and drying services for flood-damaged electronic equipment like computers, laptops, TVs, and stereos. The Journalism program has launched a campaign to verify the accuracy of news and rumors circulating on social media. Students acting as volunteers receive information via Instagram, which is then categorized as false, true, or misleading.
The Molecular Microbiology Laboratory is extending its services free of charge to affected city governments. They offer tests for Sars-CoV2, Influenza A & B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Dengue, Chikungunya, and Enteric Viruses (including Norovirus and Hepatitis A).
Feevale University also serves as a landing zone for rescue helicopters transporting people, medical professionals, and supplies. Additionally, teams from the social project Laboratory of Vulnerabilities, Risks and Society (LaVuRS) and the Postgraduate Program in Environmental Quality are deployed to assess the most critical needs of residents in Vale do Sinos municipalities.
The university's commitment extends beyond its own facilities. The Associação PróEnsino Superior em Novo Hamburgo (Aspeur), which maintains Feevale, has provided a research boat to Civil Defense and the Rio Grande do Sul Military Fire Department to assist in rescuing families isolated by floodwaters.
Professor Cleber Prodanov, Rector of Feevale University, emphasizes the unwavering dedication of the university's faculty, staff, students, and alumni to supporting the victims of this catastrophe. "The university stands firmly in solidarity," he declares, "mobilizing all our resources for community efforts to alleviate the suffering of our devastated state."
Feevale Extends Support to Additional Shelters in Novo Hamburgo
Families seeking refuge at Fenac, another shelter in Novo Hamburgo, also benefit from Feevale's comprehensive support. The university has provided its medical-equipped motorhome for services requiring privacy and mobilized academics and medical professors to bolster the efforts of doctors and volunteers.
The Pharmacy course plays a crucial role in dispensing medications, while the Psychology course offers psychological support to sheltered individuals. Legal assistance is provided by the Law program, and the Gastronomy course prepares lunchboxes delivered to the site. Remarkably, in just nine days, Feevale has produced nearly 14,000 meals for Fenac.