LIFE NARRATIVES OF SETTLERS IN THE ARINOS VALLEY PROJECT

ABSTRACT This text deals with the colonization, agrarian reform and rural settlement projects in Mato Grosso. Thus, the main objective was to use the life stories and narratives of the participants in the research on the Arinos Valley Settlement Project to understand their feelings upon arriving at the settlement, their individual and collective life experiences, the dreams, struggles and challenges they underwent in their pursuit of possession of their lot of land in the context of rural settlement. The study is based on the assumptions of the qualitative research method associated with the life stories and narratives of twelve settlers; the selection criterion was that they were the original inhabitants of the settlement. The research data indicate that the narratives expressed in the settler's voices show, on the one hand, their satisfaction and joy regarding the opportunity to fulfill their dream of achieving their own lots of land to guarantee family production. On the other hand, that there are also problems inherent in the neglect and / or lack of commitment of the public authorities, which have not provided the settlers with the basic infrastructure recommended in agrarian reform policies for rural settlements.