The Tabalascada indigenous community in the municipality of Cantá, 26 kilometres from Boa Vista, is suffering from the effects of the drought and forest fires. More than 700 indigenous people live in the community. The vegetation there has been almost completely destroyed by fire. There is a lot of dense smoke and the two schools, one state and one municipal, have closed their gates and there is no plan to return - all to avoid exposure to so much smoke. There are around 300 students, from kindergarten to high school, without classes. There is a Basic Health Unit in Tabalascada. But many mothers prefer to use traditional indigenous knowledge, with plants that come from the forest, to treat children suffering from the effects of the smoke. The problem is that some of these plants have also been swallowed up by the fire. Roraima is home to 28 per cent of all the fires recorded in Brazil since the beginning of this year, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). There were 4,047 hotspots by 30 March. This is 3,400 more cases than were recorded during the first three months of last year.

Source: Amazon Agency