Favela – on the outskirts of the city
The first favelas were built more than 100 years ago on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Many former African slaves and their descendants settled there, as they had no land and no prospect of work. That is why the favelas were then called bairros africanos (African quarters).
The term “favela” is derived from the name of a type of thorny bush found only in Brazil, which is common in the northeast of the country.
Time and again, attempts have been made to eliminate the favelas, the makeshift suburbs – but in vain.
30% of the population of São Paulo live in 10% of the total urban area!
In 2010, an estimated 16 million people lived in favelas. The state of São Paulo has the largest number of favela residents, at 3.6 million. The largest favelas are located in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
The favelas are areas of self-built houses, mostly constructed illegally. They surround the edges of the megacities like a sea of shacks.
Since they usually came into being without any planning, favelas often lack house numbers, street names, sanitation, sewers and electricity.
The settlements are often located in hazardous areas, e.g. on unstable slopes or in flood zones.
Vila Nova Esperança, “new hope” – the “green favela” in the middle of São Paulo
The community is located an hour from the city center, on a hill in the middle of the rainforest.
It is very similar to the approximately 1,700 favelas that exist in the greater São Paulo area, with potholes, unfinished houses, sofas and plastic bags scattered everywhere.
Dalila lives there with her six brothers and sisters and her parents.
They have been living in a 20-square-meter apartment for 10 years. We met Dalila at an eye camp.
Our team offers free eye tests on site and provides the pupils with individually fitted glasses. Dalila was found to have severe short-sightedness (-3.5 diopters).
Dalila is happy: with her new glasses, she can finally read what is on the blackboard at school again.
After school, Dalila's brother Hobson worked in the spectacle production at GoodVision Brazil/Renovatio. He saved his wages to study geography.
Dalila is very proud of her brother, because when they were at school, nobody believed that Hobson could produce these great glasses himself.
(The picture shows the siblings with Ralf Toenjes, our program manager in Brazil)
Good vision is a prerequisite for a good education.
A good education is the key to a self-determined life full of opportunities.
Sources:
São Paulo - Die Mega-Stadt und ihre Favelas – DW – 05.11.2011
Vida em Favela – Das Leben in einer Favela - Brasilien Reisen & Informationsportal
Brasilien: Fast 16,4 Millionen Menschen leben in Favelas » latinapress Nachrichten
São Paulo in Brasilien: Das dystopische New York des Südens - ein Stadtportrait - DER SPIEGEL
Vila Nova Esperança, uma "favela verde" em meio ao caos de São Paulo
