It is symbolic of Afro-Brazilian resistance to slavery during colonial times and perhaps also of the struggle against economic injustices that street kids face today. I felt that it was the most important cultural activity at the street kids' project because it gave the kids a positive alternative to violence on the streets. Then at 5 P.M. , I'd catch the bus, and it would be a straight shot from the favelas to the upper-class neighborhood where I lived with a White Brazilian family. I felt I was living in two different worlds and that I left my spirit behind in the favelas. All the favelas were different.
People have no work in the country, so they move to the city.
They start with nothing. So they cut down a few trees, put up a few posts and a plastic tarp, and call it their home. Later they get bricks and build a house. Then they get electricity and running water. I never was in a favela that had telephones, but most have basic services.