The smile on Carlos Fernandes' face seems to have come to stay and not even when the former inhabitant of the islet of Coco, in Ria Formosa, speaks of the many difficulties he has lived through over the years disappears completely.
And no wonder: the Fernandes family had just received the key to their new home, in the Bairro do Fundo de Fomento da Habitação (known as the Indians), in Olhão, following the relocation process that was promoted by the Society. Polis Ria Formosa.
“I can't even describe my happiness. We came here and it's a new life, what passed, passed. It was a lot of suffering and I don't even want to think about it. Many times I had to carry the baby carriage on my back and my daughters through the mud, passing over nurseries… but now that will end”, he vented.
The social housing house was delivered to this family, composed of two adults and three children, last Wednesday, in what was the last official act of Sebastião Teixeira as president of Polis Ria Formosa. The former head of the Society asked for his resignation about a month ago, following disagreements with the Government regarding the demolition process in the Barrier Islands, namely in Culatra.
Carlos Fernandes and Cláudia, his wife, were always at the forefront of the protests. But, in his case, the demand was for better living conditions, since the day-to-day life on Coco's islet, opposite the city of Olhão, was very difficult.
“On the island we are isolated, it takes two kilometers to reach land. When the tide goes out, we have no possibility of going out. When the boys miss school, we have the commission for the protection of minors at the top. There is no water, no light. This came to solve our problems», assured Carlos Fernandes.
In his case, he lived on the Cocos islet for about 15 years. “But my wife has always lived there, she went to the island three days after she was born,” he said. That house, despite the lack of conditions, was the only thing they had, and for a long time they lived in the anguish of being homeless.
“We always had this fear. Only after having the key in hand do we believe. Now I believe, there's no way to lie,” he said, laughing, as he clutched the key he had just received in his hand.
More than a decent house, this relocation opens up other possibilities for the different elements of the Fernandes family. Parents can now look for work, as the isolation of the islet meant that they were often unable to fulfill commitments, due to the impossibility of reaching Olhão. For the children, daily going to school and access to a set of infrastructures that they were unable to use before is assured.
Sebastião Teixeira, who handed the key to Carlos, was heavily criticized, as president of the Polis Ria Formosa Society, due to the demolition process, in which the former home of the benefited couple was included. But, his last official act turned out to be the delivery of a house, something that, even so, the former responsible for the program does not consider ironic.
“I don't think it's ironic. We have always said that we will never demolish first homes without securing housing and I think that will continue to be Polis Society policy. But ensuring relocation is not an easy or quick process, it requires the collaboration of different entities, and there was not always the desired one», said Sebastião Teixeira.
The house that was delivered last week «had to be recovered by the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU), installed water and light meters, etc.». The case of the Fernandes family has been resolved, two other inhabitants of the Coco islet are still to be relocated. «Next week, we will have the solution for another one, which will be relocated in the Bairro dos Pescadores. This is a process that continues to progress and will not stop», assured the former president of Polis Ria Formosa.
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