Since starting this project many people have asked me, what are favelas? So here is a little background information…
Favelas are the stacked houses built originally in Brazil but now can be found throughout the developing world. Synonymous with poverty and poor living conditions the people who live in these areas are often poorly educated, their main source of income comes from working in the service industry or cleaning the homes and looking after the children of Brazils rich, an awkward juxtaposition of the haves and have nots and a situation that many Brazilians are not proud of.
Favelas exist all over South America but are most famously found and originated in Rio. They consist of structures and buildings erected by the individuals living there on public land, the national parkland area or similar available space. The law in Brazil states that if a structure is permanent (ie built from brick or concrete) and someone lives there for 5 years unchallenged then the land becomes theirs and they don´t have to take their building down. This law has seen the development of these make shift living areas, patched together from whatever building materials the inhabitants can afford or find. Many poor unskilled migrant workers moving to the city from the countryside have developed amazing skills, many if not all favelas today have electricity and water supplies this was not always the case. When researching for this project I found some amazing images and read articles on how proud the people who lived in these areas are of their homes. Sadly however these areas are not without high crime and adult mortality rates plus serious problems with poor health and drug addiction. There are many projects that have been set up to improve living conditions, one of these initiatives has included the involvement of street artists who have added their unique designs to the facades of these buildings, it is such a simple ideas but has made a striking difference, check out some of the work that is being done on this page http://www.facebook.com/favelapainting
