Perene Institute

Website Development & Design
Site Architecture
2017 to present

The Organization

Institute Perene is dedicated to creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest biome. Their primary focus, the Recôncavo, was originally densely populated by indigenous groups and was the first area to be settled by Portuguese colonists. Now, the population is predominantly low-income, rural and of mixed indigenous- and African-descent.

Community participation, particularly that of women, is an integral part of Perene’s remarkably collaborative initiatives.

In their own words,

“Instituto Perene is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 with the mission of promoting development while protecting natural resources in rural Brazil.  Founded by Guilherme Valladares, a forester and entrepreneur from Brazil, and Renata Everett Valladares, an American engineer, the institute has grown to a team of motivated and dedicated women and men tackling social and environmental issues with practical solutions. Ten years of field work in the Recôncavo region of Brazil have led to a deep knowledge of the problems faced by rural villages and a profound respect for the ingenuity and perseverance of local families in overcoming their daily challenges.”

What We Did & Why

With this website re-development and re-design, the organization’s complexities of being at the ten-year mark, potentially a turning point for new opportunities with some pivotal choices coming into view there was a lot to consider moving forward. A stimulating group of issues to evaluate made for a deep and satisfying dive in our process together.

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