On Wednesday (October 20), the IBGE State Unit of Goiás met the mayor of Damolândia, Rogério Labanca, his office assistant, Rafael Henrique, and his press assistant, Victor Hugo, to discuss about operational aspects for the Census dress rehearsal. Edson Roberto Vieira, head of the State Unit, also participated, as well as Mariana Celani, Census technical coordinator in Goiás, and Hugo Oliveira, coordinator of dissemination.

The UE-GO has maintained continuous contact with the municipal administration of Damolândia, since it was selected for the 2022 Census Dress Rehearsal in the state. In the last meeting, the City Hall and the State Unit could establish partnerships and discuss technical issues, like the best place for the launching event, the amount of participants, the media coverage and the development of the data collection in urban and rural areas. Rogério Labanca was very responsive and assured support to the enumerators. “Damolândia is Goiás,” reinforced the mayor, referring to the fact that his city was selected among 246 cities to nationally represent the state in the Census dress rehearsal.

On Thursday (October 21), the coordinator of dissemination and José Eduardo M. Umbelino Filho, a census analyst, went to Damolândia to better know the city, photograph its highlights and visit the venue of the launching event. The servants were very well hosted by the mayor, office assistant and other local authorities, who expressed, among other issues, some questions on demarcation and population, whose resolution urgently requires up-to-date data from the Population Census.

Damolândia is a city with nearly 3 thousand inhabitants, located 60 km far from the capital of Goiás. Following the experience in Paquetá, Rio de Janeiro, that city was selected due to its size, amount of households and proximity of the UE. That city is known as the “capital of ox carts” as it maintains the tradition of this vehicle, key to the historical formation of the Brazilian Central-West. Registered in documentaries, press stories and academic works, the motorcades paying homage to the Divine Eternal Father annually gather hundreds of ox carts that follow the pilgrimage from Damolândia to Trindade.