Slums in Brazil

Violence in Brazil - Life in the Slums

"A stray bullet has no address" is a common phrase in Brazil's favelas (Portuguese for urban slums). The same could be said for the violence. All the residents—especially children—are vulnerable to the effects of living among drugs, gangs, and gunfire. Some say extreme poverty causes the violence in these slums. Other blame it on drugs, corruption, lack of education, or insufficient opportunities. Whatever the reason, Brazil has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and most of the victims are poor.


Joselita, 37, has lived in Salvador, Brazil, her whole life. She has noticed an increase in the violence since she was a girl. In the past couple of years alone, she has had a gun held to her head twice, her sons have seen people beaten just outside their home, and they have run for cover from gang warfare numerous times. "Everything's been calm for a week," says Joselita. "But things can start happening at any time." Joselita's main concern is how the violence will affect her five sons. "Drugs and violence affect children in different ways," says Marcia Nova, a World Vision sponsorship manager in Salvador, Brazil. Some of the effects include:


1. Physical danger: Children and their families are at risk of being caught in the crossfire between warring gangs.


2. Emotional: Being exposed to violence can cause fear and anxiety.


3. Gang involvement: Gang members hire children to deliver drugs or act as lookouts. This often leads children to doing and dealing drugs and to dropping out of school entirely.




In Salvador, Brazil, a World Vision vocational program is helping youth in the favelas stay in school and away from gangs. Funded through child sponsorship, the program enables 400 teens to participate in courses such as hairdressing, mechanics, art, electricity, music, and computers. Most of the participants are two to three grades behind in school. For 10 months, the students attend regular classes for half the day and join the extra activities for the other half. "This gives me reason to study," says Railson, 19, who is in the hairdressing course. "If I wasn't here, I would be on the streets. . . . Being in the extra courses made me realize I wanted to be someone in life." Canadians sponsor 10,500 children in Brazil.