“This is where the miracle happens.” The words adorn the kitchen of Eliana Pereira dos Santos, 54 years old, and testify to a story of hard work, battles and challenges, but also of overcoming.
It took two decades to face the difficulties of starting a business, until the girl from Araçuaí, in the Jequitinhonha Valley, had an opportunity that, according to her, changed her life. “And so I became ‘Eliana do Salgado’”, she says.
Born in the city of Minas Gerais, but registered in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Eliana produces snacks for parties and always had the dream of starting a business. The turning point she needed in her entrepreneurial journey occurred when Eliana discovered the “Dona de Mim” social program.
The initiative by the mining company Sigma Lithium came as a consequence of the work of the Government of Minas Gerais in the Jequitinhonha Valley, crowned a year ago with the announcement of Lithium Valley Brazil. On 5/9/2023, the Lithium Valley Project was made official on the world’s largest stock exchange for technology and innovation businesses, Nasdaq.
“With the project, my sales increased. I was able to buy my oven, I got better quality merchandise, I had contact with other people too. We created a network and we came together so much that you have no idea. I have no words about this. It changed my life,” says the Minas Gerais native, revealing that, at the time, she was already thinking about giving up. “But with all the support I have today, with the bond with the girls, all this unity, I think I’m starting all over again”, he added.
Economic diversification and development
Conceived by the Government of Minas, through the State Secretariat for Economic Development (Headquarters) and its linked Invest Minas, the economic-social project of Vale do Lítio has as its main priority the development of cities in the North and Northeast of the state, generating more jobs and income for the population of one of the poorest regions of Minas Gerais. All of this taking advantage of the potential around the lithium production chain.
The potential of this grayish-white alkaline metal, in fact, goes far beyond extraction in mines.
The interest in its use in the global energy transition process, as well as in the medicine industry, has contributed to the development of the Jequitinhonha Valley also on other fronts, such as education, employability, finance and the diversification of the region’s economy.
“Our objective is to transform the reality of Vale do Jequitinhonha, generating jobs and income and guaranteeing the population’s quality of life. The changes are already visible. Furthermore, it is very high quality lithium and extracted in a sustainable way”, says governor Romeu Zema.
The attraction of private investments through the project even broke records and shows that, in one year:
- The total value already exceeds R$5.5 billion;
- 10 thousand direct and indirect jobs were created;
- Five large companies are investing in the region, two of which are already in operation and exporting the mineral.
The consequence of this is the strengthening of public policies of the Government of Minas Gerais, such as the Trilhas de Futuro project.
Students taking technical courses in the program at the Araçuaí center Pedro Lucas Esteves Vieira, 18 years old, Alysson Pierre Souza Murta, 24 years old, and Allysson Amaral Souza, 20 years old, are already seeing significant changes in their lives.
About to graduate, they, who started as interns, were hired by Sigma Lithium, one of the mining companies operating in the municipality.
“Today we have much better opportunities in mining companies, which have been changing the history of our region, employing many people who previously had to go to Espírito Santo, Southern Minas and other regions to often work cutting sugarcane, selling clothes, and now they don’t need it anymore. They have these opportunities for good services, good pay, here in the region”, highlights Allysson Souza, from Bahia from Itapetinga, who has lived in Minas for four years.
“With our dedication, they (teachers) chose to recognize this and give us a chance. I have to be grateful for Trilhas all my life”, says Alysson Murta.
“There was no such opportunity to study in Araçuaí. To do this, we had to go abroad to study, Belo Horizonte. And today we have this opportunity at home”, says Pedro Lucas Vieira.
Improvement in quality of life
Alongside Eliana Pereira, the three students join just over 34 thousand residents of Araçuaí and experience up close the improvement in the quality of life in the municipality.
According to the most recent data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Araçuaí’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita went from R$10,984.42 in 2018 to R$14,163.67 in 2021: an increase of almost 30% in three years (28.94%).
In Itinga, a neighboring municipality that is also part of the Vale do Lítio Project, the indicator is not far behind and went from R$ 8,220.89 to R$ 9,849.06, in the same interval, an increase of practically 20% (19.8%) on the per capita average.
The other 12 municipalities that make up the Lithium Valley are Capelinha, Coronel Murta, Itaobim, Malacacheta, Medina, Minas Novas, Pedra Azul, Virgem da Lapa, Teófilo Otoni and Turmalina, in the Northeast of Minas, and Rubelita and Salinas, in the North of Minas Gerais. .
Benefits of the project reach the field
Rural producer Flávio Botelho Leal, owner of Fazenda São Gonçalo, says that the attraction of investments to the region provided by the State Government’s initiative has been bringing visibility to the Jequitinhonha Valley. The property in Araçuaí stands out for its banana production and livestock farming.
“The government has been looking more closely at the region’s demands. So, in a way, (the Vale do Lítio project) came to help us with the municipality’s infrastructure. People have also become more aware of our products, including fruit growing”, says Flávio Leal.
In April, during a visit by vice-governor Professor Mateus to Vale do Jequitinhonha, the producer brought the sector’s demands to the attention of the state Executive. Influenced by local growth, Flávio Leal plans to invest in the diversification of his culture.
“I see the Jequitinhonha Valley as the best area in Brazil for this activity. I visited a cocoa plantation in Ecuador and I would like to plant it here. We also have conilon coffee in the region, which is doing very well, with very good productivity,” he says.
“The diversification of the economy is fundamental. To this end, Governor Romeu Zema’s management has among its priorities stimulating investments and entrepreneurship on different fronts, boosting economic development and, consequently, the generation of qualified jobs and increased income, achieving its number one goal: providing quality of life for miners. And the government has remained firm in this purpose, especially in the Jequitinhonha Valley region”, highlights the Secretary of Economic Development, Fernando Passalio.
Lithium mining
The extraction of lithium ore in the Jequitinhonha Valley is carried out by the companies Companhia Brasileira de Lítio (CBL), which has been operating in the region since 1991, and Sigma Lithium, since 2023, in the municipalities of Araçuaí and Itinga.
There are also investments planned for the region by the mining companies Atlas Lithium, Lithium Ionic and Latin Resources, expected to begin within the next two years.
“The Vale do Lítio Project in Jequitinhonha is a true example of the transformative potential of public policies when aligned with the economic and social interests of communities. We are witnessing not only substantial investments and the creation of jobs, but also a tangible change in people’s lives”, highlights the president of Invest Minas, João Paulo Braga.
Tags: Minas Gerais Agency Private investments generation jobs income mark year Lithium Valley Jequitinhonha
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