Our Mission: Planting for tomorrow

We work with sustainable tourism, thinking of a better world, more beautiful and just, for the benefit of the citizens of today and the generations of the future.This is the path we will continue to tread to ensure the preservation of what is most precious in this land: its natural beauty and the culture of its people, planting, at every moment, the seeds of tomorrow

Companions of Txai

In May 2003, TXAI created the "Companions of Txai", a program aimed at helping small farmers in the Itacaré/Serra Grande Nature Reserve to use the resources of the Atlantic Rainforest in a sustainable manner, enabling economic viability in the region, in a partnership principally with the Instituto Floresta Viva – the Living Forest Institute.The Companions came about from the need to generate an alternative income for small farmers, showing these families that the treasure was in their backyard. All that was needed was to improve these products, encourage their production, transport and sell them.The production is completely organic, (a condition for being a Companion) and a large part is bought by TXAI to serve to guests and staff. The alliance between TXAI and these 23 COMPANION families therefore arose in this way. Each doing their part for the benefit of the other:

COMPANIONS – conserving their fields, planting, producing and improving
TXAI – bringing together, selling and administering production

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The Txaitaruga Project

A Turtle’s Place is in the Sea

Txaitaruga is a program aimed at helping to preserve marine turtles using the beaches of Itacaré and Serra Grande, on Bahia state’s south coast, as their nesting grounds, and which are threatened with extinction. Created by Txai Resort in 2004, the project is co-sponsored by the TAMAR marine turtle project, the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC) and Track & Field. More than 30 kms of beaches are monitored by members of TXAITARUGA, specially trained by the TAMAR project: from the beach at Sargi (Serra Grande-Uruçuca), to the headland at Itacarezinho (Itacaré),Marine turtles come to Brazil's beaches to nest between September and March, with the last eggs hatching in May.

THE PROJECT:

• caring for the females and their nests until the eggs hatch;
• talking with fishermen to avoid accidental capture;
• keeping a database on the turtles;
• developing workshops in the region’s schools;
• raising environmental awareness;
• inviting local and tourists to take part.

RESULTS OF THE 2006-2007 SEASON

Hatchlings Protected

Loggerhead Turtle 797
Hawksbill Turtle 1118
Total 1985

The Txai Social Store

Since May 2003, anyone driving by kilometer 42 of the BA 01 Ilhéus – Itacaré highway can witness part of this work that has already borne so much fruit for the small farmers of the region. Today, in addition to producing seedlings of native, fruit, ornamental, and vegetable garden species, they are also producing the beautiful handcrafted work sold at the TXAI SOCIAL store.

Incentives for the formation and strengthening of Local Associations

In partnership with the Instituto Floresta Viva – the Living Forest Institute, TXAI SOCIAL supports Embaúba – the Association of Organic Producers of the Itacaré/Serra Grande Nature Reserve, through participating and ceding space in the TXAI SOCIAL headquarters for meetings and the training of associates, giving the COMPANIONS OF TXAI (also associated with EMBAÚBA) the chance to win IBD organic certification for the fruit and vegetables they produce.This partnership is working so well that we have received an order from the CARE NGO for over 100,000 seedlings of native plants for the reforestation of the region and the surrounding area, for which each COMPANION will receive, on average, R$ 2,500 for supplying the seedlings, to be delivered in July.

Itacaré Organic Market

The Itacaré Organic Market has been held since November 2007, also in partnership with the Instituto Floresta Viva and the Associação EMBAÚBA (Serra Grande), with the aim of finding new markets for the farmers to sell their produce, which has been increasing year-on-year, thanks to the dedication of the ‘Companions’ and the consultancy / advice given by the staff at Txai Social and Floresta Viva.Through these actions, Txai is seeking to make the program sustainable and, principally, reach the greater objective of improving the quality of life of these small farmers by creating alternative sources of income.

Socio-Environmental Dissemination

At the project’s beginning, the COMPANIONS OF TXAI received a subsidy called CSA – Compensação por Serviços Ambientais – Compensation for Environmental Services, of around half a monthly minimum salary.
Since last year, this value in money has been transformed into a basket of food stamps (to ensure a minimum level of income for the family) and the difference is made up with the purchase of products for the improvement of the rural properties: a water tank, pumps, pipes, hoses, sombrite (plastic screening) and good quality seeds, among others). It is the COMPANIONS who decide on their needs and priorities. In summary: it is as if each one had a savings account where, monthly, Txai deposits half of a minimum salary and they manage this, telling us the products they need to improve their fields, fruit and vegetable produce, seedlings and handicrafts, etc.

Projects supported by the Txai

Txai’s Mission and Philosophy is to support movements (whether projects or immediate actions), which will plant the seeds for a better future for our region and which fall within the principles of sustainable development, that is: ecologically correct, socially just and economically viable. Since 2001, Txai has already given support to various actions in the Itacaré – Serra Grande nature reserve. Some of them include:

Music without Frontiers

Created and organized in 2006 by Txai Resort, the Music without Frontiers project mobilized the artistic community from Itacaré to Serra Grande. Over five days, the best local talent was able to rehearse and learn alongside professional musicians from Brazil and Cuba. On the last day, a free concert was held on the beach at Rezende. In the show, local musicians took the stage and could show their talent next to great names in international music.

Dendê Palm Leaves

The Instituto das Irmãs Franciscanas Missionárias Pequenas de Belém – The Institute of Franciscan Missionary Nuns of Bethlehem brings together over 40 artisans from Serra Grande, working in the form of a cooperative. The project has been supported by Txai since the start. Now, a good part of the production is sold at Txai’s Social store. The hotel also promotes handicrafts by using all kinds of objects in its rooms.

Dendê da Serra School

The Dendê da Serra School, the first in the public system to be based on the educational principles of Waldorf da Bahia, today has over 100 students with classes in English, music, drawing, gardening and work. Txai collaborated and supported the establishment of this important school in the municipality of Uruçuca, through the ceding of space for the installation of the first classrooms on the Carioca plantation (km 42). When the school received the donation of land for the construction of today’s school, Txai gave its support with building materials.

Return of the Sailing Canoe

The tradition was almost forgotten in Itacaré. But all that was needed was a little push, or a good breeze, and they have returned to add color to the Rio de Contas. With the blessing of the sea goddess Yemanjá, the winds have blown strong and Txai's Sailing Canoe Regattas have been crowned with success. The first, in 2002, counted on the presence of the famous Brazilian sailor, Amyr Klink. At the second, in 2003, 42 boats took part and actress Camila Pitanga was Queen of the Regatta, chosen by the sailors themselves. Since then, the canoes haven’t ceased parading their ever more dazzling sails on the waters of Itacaré, and many of the sailors have been able to bolster their earnings with canoe trips for tourists.