FAVELAS OF SANTA MARTA: REFLECTION: FRIDAY JUNE 5,2015

Today we visited Santa Marta, a favela overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is a community up in the hills where people live with little to no money. It is dangerous and it is a very poor area. However, it is peoples’ homes. While some people in the group felt that it was inappropriate to visit the homes of poor people as if it was some type of Tourist attraction, I believe in the complete opposite.

Favelas are a part of the Brazilian culture, and I think it was a very important and impactful site for us to attend in terms of truly seeing all aspects of the city. I was fascinated learning the story of how thw favelas were founded, and how the king had promised to give the soldiers land once they returned from the war. They were told to wait a year, so they campsd out on the hills where the favela plants would grow. However, the king died before he could keep that promise and they never received the land that he had promised them.

Currently, the favelas are continuing to grow. Visiting Santa Marta, we were able to see the safest of the favelas on Rio, being that it was recently pacified. The living conditions are very poor. However, there is hope for the future. The city is making gradual improvements and I truly hope that the favelas continue to improve. P.S. Christ the Redeemer, “standing up with arms open to bless the city,” overlooks the favela directly. I do not think that It is just an ironic coincidence. He is looking out over the people and families living there, and I believe that things will get better.