Introduction

Notoriously known for being the country with the largest number of African slaves in the history, Brazil was the last nation in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888, emancipating more than 5 million people.
Following the civil war victory during the late 19th century, recently freed slaves worked as government soldiers in Bahia after promised a plot of land and payment. The victorious soldiers subsequently made their way to Rio de Janeiro, demanding what was initially promised to them, yet the government failed to fulfil its commitment, prompting a mass protest that eventually ended when most of the soldiers settled on a nearby Morro, locally known as hill.
Deprived from any governmental aid, the soldiers renamed the area “Morro de Favela” (Favela Hill), inspired by the resilient shrub from northeastern Brazil.
Favelas are often distinguishable by informal communities, devoid of any urban planning and state-owned infrastructure, whereas in the case of Rio de Janeiro the majority of which consist of low-income housing on the hillsides around the city.

Unfortunately, favelas are too often regarded as a synonym to slum, negatively associated with poor living conditions and violent gangs. While this is undoubtedly true to some extent, favelas are far more than their stereotyped image, varying from ones which are dominated by armed groups and drug traffickers, to thriving neighborhoods, brimming with entrepreneurship, art, and community projects.
Interestingly, it didn’t really matter which Favela I visited, wherever I went to, I experienced a great sense of comradery, rich culture and community, where people genuinely looking out for each other.

View from Morro do Fallet. All homes here were built informally, featuring their own unique housing system.

View from Morro da Fallet. Favelas exist throughout all of Brazil, with over 1,000 Favelas in Rio de Janeiro alone, making up roughly a quarter of Rio’s total population, as a matter of fact, if all Rio’s favelas were a separate entity, it would be the country’s 9th largest city.

This is Marcos at the back porch of his grandmother’s home in Morro da Fallet. He is a photographer and Baile Funk dancer, whom I was extremely lucky to meet through a mutual friend. He gave me a tour of where he was born and raised in Morro de Fallet, where I had the chance to meet his family, and community at large.

Marco’s grandmother sits at her home in Morro da Fallet.

Marco’s grandmother back porch where a stray bullet can be seen on the wall. In the greater Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area, there have been 3,981 recorded shootings at 2020 alone, as clashes between police and local gangs leave many residents in some favelas vulnerable to stray bullets. Large number of residents in Morro da Fallet confessed in front of me about growing up alongside ongoing skirmishes, claiming that the violence was mostly the result of police brutality rather than rival gangs.

According to Human Rights Watch, “In the first four months of 2020, Rio police, by their own count, killed 606 people.”

Marco’s aunt looking out of her bedroom window, gazing at the stunning view from the top of Morro do Fallet

Children from Morro do Fallet celebrate after winning a soccer tournament against a rival team from another favela.

Children from Morro do Fallet running back home after winning a nearby soccer tournament.

This community center in Morro da Fallet was self-funded by the residents of the favela. Many favelas have little to no support from the government, therefore leaving no choice for the residents themselves to construct and maintain any infrastructure.

Residents from Morro do Fallet, specifically in charge of social programs for the community.

People enjoying themselves outside the community center in Morro do Fallet.

Portrait of a bar owner in Morro do Fallet. The bar sits across a community center in the heart of the favela. Witnessed a great sense of community, as the bar was a major meeting place for everyone in the Morro.

The patron at the bar in Morro do Fallet.

View from the train station of Manguinhos.

Manguinhos residents enjoying their time.

Break dancers pose for a portrait outside of Manguinhos.

Children playing outside of Manguinhos on a hot day in Rio de Janeiro.

Inside an alley in Morro do Fogueteiro. Fun fact:  According to some estimates, 85% of the housing in the world is built illegally.

View of Morro do Fogueteiro. Favelas often have their own unique forms of infrastructure including electricity. Actually, roughly 30% of Rio’s population is not connected to a formal sanitation system, which encompasses not only some of Rio’s favelas but also some of the city’s wealthier neighborhoods. For more details check out – RioOnWatch

A young boy in Morro do Fogueteiro.

Children in Morro do Fogueteiro pose for a portrait.

According to a study conducted by the Data Popular Institute, 85% of favelas residents like the place where they live, while 80% are proud of where they live and 70% would continue to live in their communities, even if their income doubled. Another study by the Data Popular Institute in 2014 concluded that 94% of favelas residents claimed to be happy.

Children playing in Morro do Fogueteiro.

Children playing and scampering in Morro do Fogueteiro.

And just around the corner, near a neighboring favela, a wall was pierced by numerous bullets.

A view from Morro do Vidigal.

A resident from Morro do Vidigal.

Local children swimming in a pond next to Morro do Vidigal.

A hodgepodge of electricity wires in Morro do Vidigal.

An inside perspective of Morro do Vidigal.

The collective, known as a community center in Morro do Pinto that promotes art and small businesses.

The artist Mario Pitanguy sculpts a statue in the collective at Morro do Pinto.

Bruno Souza from Morro do Pinto stands right next to his brand “Groop”, where he makes and sells his own T-shirts, as part of the favela’s community center, dedicated to promoting art and helping locals to start a small business.

A Sculpture in the art collective of Morro do Pinto.

A local musician from Morro do Pinto poses for a portrait.

A bar owner from Morro do Pinto sits next to a mural of his father who recently passed away.

A resident from Morro do Pinto.

Favelas at nighttime.

About Me

While originally from United States, my mother was born in Ecuador and I have been traveling up and down South America for nearly a decade. In 2012, I started building natural homes throughout the Americas, promoting sustainable building practices. I currently live in Brazil and studying visual storytelling. I’m an aspiring photojournalist and documentary filmmaker. My interest lies in covering geopolitical conflict, marginalized groups and culture.

Check David’s Instagram for more photography works.