Though my visit to Rocinha was short--just about five days--it was a truly special experience that I'll always hold with me. The apartment is clean and beautiful, and I was glad to be right in the middle of everything. There's a remarkable energy in Rocinha.
Regarding safety, I'm a 23-year old woman and my current travel in Brazil is my first big solo trip ever. I was definitely a bit intimidated at first when I arrived--see descriptions of entrance in other reviews--but as soon as I met Celia, and then all the other Rocinha residents I met, I felt so much more at ease. Be sure to navigate the streets with humility, as is mentioned in other reviews. That said, once I got over my shock and met some people, I felt quite comfortable walking around and definitely safe in the apartment itself. Most importantly, the people I met in Rocinha welcomed me so generously and with such open hearts. I'm very grateful to them for that, and am hoping to come back and visit throughout the rest of my time in Rio (staying elsewhere).
I'm so grateful to have gotten the chance to see a small slice of life in Rocinha, and especially in a situation like this with some real support and resources available when I had questions. The media tends to show a lot about the crime and violence in this community, but there are also thousands of people living their lives in Rocinha and so of course there is so much more to learn than that. I would definitely recommend reading about Rocinha beforehand if you're new to Brazil, so you can learn and take in as much as possible while you're here. I think the more context I gathered before/while I was there, the more I was able to understand about life happening around me. (This is true for anywhere of course!) Read articles, local news, books, whatever you can :)
huge huge huge thank you to Moises and all the Rocinha folks who welcomed me so graciously!