IBGE team had a closing meeting in the Flores quilombo, located in Ruy Barbosa

“Giving more visibility to communities that have been forgotten by history, and, at the same time, make it possible for them to be included in the planning of public policies.” That is how Poliana Pereira, municipal census agent (ACM) of the Brazilian city of Ruy Barbosa (321 km away from Salvador), summarizes the importance of the 2022 Census to the quilombola peoples, since this is the first statistical survey in Brazil to have specific data about this population.

Poliana was the manager of the survey in the Flores quilombola community, located 3 km away from the Ruy Barbosa headquarters. The survey, which ended in the end of December 2-22, counted a total of 218 housing units.

According to the ACM, residents were receptive to the enumerators and the team worked in order to facilitate the Census survey in the locality: “We made an approach, distributed flyers in establishments and gave some interviews at the local radio station to explain how special this Census is for the community,” he explained.

Local support overcomes resistance

According to Poliana, the most relevant challenge for the enumeration was persuading certain residents to answer the questionnaire correctly, because they feared the answers given could result in the suspension of social benefits.

Therefore it is important to remind people of the Law of Statistical Confidentiality. One of the local leaders, Maria Benilda dos Santos, helped the IBGE team in this task.

The community leader facilitated the enumerators’ access to the housing unit, as was a type of guide who informed and convinced residents of the importance of the census.

“We worried about how to conduct the survey in our community, because we know the results ahead will guide the planning of municipal actions and the work of other public administration spheres in our territory,” Ms. Santos said.

Residents of the Flores quilombo meet the census team

She says the origin of the community – officially acknowledged by Palmares Cultural Foundation – dates back to 1940, when the locality received workers who came from the area known as Recôncavo baiano to work in the construction of its railroad and train station.

Enumerator Jacqueline Oliveira, who had already worked in the quilombo as an endemic control agent, was responsible for the interviews in the community. Poliana believes that being a known person among residents helps make them more receptive. The ACM also highlighted the importance of the Census Supervisor (ACS) Roney Boaventura. Besides being in charge of field supervision, he was also responsible for the Urban Survey of the Surroundings of Housing Units there.

The closing meeting of the Census data collection in Flores took place in the end of December. The, the summarized methodology used by the IBGE was presented and some preliminary information was disclosed, including data about this population obtained throughout the survey.

Area of the Flores quilombo, in Ruy Barbosa (BA)