Providencia

Yesterday Jimmy and I went with some other consulate folks to visit the community center in the oldest favela in all of Brazil.  Providencia is a pacified favela which means that the Police Pacification Unit, the Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora (UPP),a law enforcement and social service program pioneered in the state of Rio de Janeiro, has reclaimed the territory formerly controlled by gangs of drug dealers. 

The UPP Commander for Providencia with one of the young residents

According to Wikipedia, "the term favela was coined in the late 1800s. At the time, 20,000 veteran soldiers were brought from the conflict against the settlers of Canudos, in the Eastern province of Bahia, to Rio de Janeiro and left with no place to live. When they served the army in Bahia, those soldiers had been familiar with Canudos's Favela Hill – a name referring to favela, a skin-irritating tree in the spurge family indigenous to Bahia.When they settled in the Providência hill in Rio de Janeiro, they nicknamed the place Favela hill from their common reference, thereby calling a slum a favela for the first time."

Back in February, a mural project completed by US artists and Providencia residents was unveiled. The bricolage mural was part of a project led by US NGO Green Star Movement (GSM) that was partially funded by a MacArthur grant.  The mural design celebrates life in the community honoring Ms. Dodô da Portela, a community leader and a symbol of a prominent samba school, who passed away in late January. The mural involved the local UPP staff, a group of U.S. Consulate staff, Chicago artists, and local youth from Agência Redes para a Juventude and the local project Providenciando a Favor da Vida, which assists pregnant teens. 

We met one of the two youth who engaged on the project and who will travel to Chicago in a couple weeks to collaborate with GSM on bricolage projects with youth, artists and residents in Chicago. This international exchange project aims to educate youth on global issues and empower them to ignite change, fortifying neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago and Rio’s favelas, through inclusive and supportive public art projects. 

left side of the mural (the bird and surrounding area is all mosaic)

The right side of the mural (painted and features Ms. Dodo da Portela)

Part of our consulate group with the UPP Commander, some community leaders and students in the English program

After seeing the mural, we walked up the hill to the community center, which is full of life and positive energy and activity.  They offer all sorts of classes for children and adults, there's a computer lab with internet, a library, a sports room, children's play areas, craft areas, and a multitude of classrooms.  While we were, we saw an English class (with multiple generations of students in attendance), a jewelry-making class, a judo class (where we met a world champion - in the photo below, it appears Jimmy is trying to steal his gold medal while distracting him with a handshake), and a music performance by a wonderful group of funny, energetic children. 

The adults running the show at the community center are committed to their community and want to raise up strong, educated, talented children who will be strong, educated, talented adults leading their community. They're teaching valuable lessons to children in after-school programs AND teaching adults skills and trades that can earn them money beyond the favela.  I have no doubt that life is sometimes, if not often, hard in this community, but I left with such a sense of positive energy, good vibes and happy people, all with an eye on the future. We all left feeling filled up.

As we wrapped up our tour and said our goodbyes, we met young Natalia.  Natalia did not understand my Portuguese and asked Jimmy to translate everything I said. She was full of spit and fire and exactly what you'd want in a 9 year-old child.  We exited the community center and Jimmy took off his jacket because it was warm.  Natalia immediately grabbed it and put it on.  She was so precious and energetic and full of the life that pumps through the favela.

Mark my words:  this girl is going places.