Written and Photos by: Brian Mitchell
We live in a world of constant change. We can find information about anything and anywhere at our fingertips. Yet, the only way to get an unbiased, true experience of the world is to go and see it yourself.
In most Brazilian cities, there are areas littering hillsides that normally are not inhabited. The homes are built out of whatever is available and placed with no exact order. Meaning “shanty town” in Portuguese, favelas are large settlements of people living illegally on land or squatting. They have to steal power from the local grid and their plumbing, well, it is what it is.
The drug lords have figured out that these areas are a prime place to carry out their business finding solace in the ever-present chaos. Because favelas have a poor and eager youth population, locals are willing to do anything for money and even shoot the police for entering the neighbourhood. The people here prefer drug gangs over police who try to get them to leave.
At my hostel in Ipanema I found a poster advertising favela tours. I called them up and got on the next available tour.
A minivan drove several other backpackers, and I to the Neighborhood of Rochina (pronounced: Haw seen nah). Rochina is home to over 200 000 people and covers only a few square kilometers. After exiting the van, our guide arranged to have the local motorcycle taxis take the group to the top of the area’s only road. The road is a series of switchbacks and pot holes the size of the bike and drivers occupy whatever side of the road has the least amount of other vehicles and potholes.
At the top we received a small safety briefing which basically said do not take photos of drug activities or gang members. Other than that everything else is safe. You will see kids with kites, cardboard tubes filled with fireworks and walkie-talkies to warn other gang members of police or rival gang activity.
Main Street is a narrow walkway with little shops cropping up among the small multi-family, multi-generational shacks. We soon found ourselves surrounded by a dozen or more kids ranging from toddler to teenager. They greeted us without any fear or inhibitions. This was such a nice change from the mass paranoia surrounding North American kids causing what seems like fearful anti-social distrusting of humanity. To me, these children seemed so free so happy and not bogged down by the weight of the world. I saw such a free spirited joy in their eyes that I wanted to be a kid again and hang out here for a few years.
The cameras all came out for pictures and the kids had a blast looking at themselves on the screen. The guides will discourage you from giving out money, as they don’t want to promote begging. The kids however have found an entrepreneurial spirit and will try and sell you anything that they have found discarded. I bought tacky painting of Jesus in a gold frame, which I latter left to be recycled into the local economy.
Noticing several interesting pieces of graffiti I had to ask its significance. They serve to identify a gang’s territory with the gangs name followed by machine guns painted to say rivals will be shot if caught. This brought back the reality of the place. A young boy came by as we were leaving and I got him to pose in front of the graffiti short of as a statement that this may very well turn out to be his future, a life with less poverty for him and his family (a life that may not be longer then 25 years). Just then our guide appeared shouting “no photos, no photos.” He was followed by three guys carrying machine guns and hand grenades. I slung my camera over my shoulder, nodded and said hello politely as they passed. They nodded back and were on their way.
On our way out of the neighbourhood we passed a few gang members doing their watchful duties and around the corner sat a truckload of heavily armed police on the perimeter. I will say that they were the meanest looking cops. Apparently the military had the Rochina on lock-down the week prior to my visit. A gang stole five high-powered machine guns from an armory and the military wanted them back. The guns mysteriously showed up in a building on the edge of Rochina and the authorities were tipped off to avoid the search.
I took away from this experience a greater appreciation for the simpler things in life, an opportunity to live more in the now and less in the next. Being in a place where life has a less definite end lost in the uncertainty of tomorrow people value friends, family and every moment of now as it is all they have.
If you’re planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro, their web site is www.bealocal.com, you will love it. They provide a tour that is really able to integrate you with the environment and not show you the Favela in a safari style vehicle.
Knowing that the tour proceeds are being used to provide the children of Rochina with better options and a brighter future has inspired me to make a difference. Where ever you go, enjoy the simple things and open up to any possibility.
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