"Project Morrinho is a social and cultural project based out of the Pereira da Silvafavela in the wealthy Southern Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Our aim is to bring positive change to our local community, as well as challenge the popular perception of Brazil’s favelas. The belief that favelas are merely dominated by drug trafficking and violence is not all encompassing. Through our work within Brazil and abroad, it is our hope to improved popular perception of all favelas."
Photos show project worked on by Project Morrinho. A miniature world of Rio's 'Morrinho' (little hill/favela) built and developed by teenagers of the local area using bricks and other recycled materials to build a mini version of their surrounding environment. It began as a childhood game by local youth back in 1997.
More projects like this should be happening around the world more often and on larger scales. We are all too familiar with the negative aspects of favelas/shanty town/slum and other terms related to these areas of habitation, but we are not often informed of the positive aspects of life and the community of these spaces.
Sometimes shocking footage of poor sanitation and hygiene scar and shock us along with gang and violence related issues that break up the community within the spaces, but also from the rest of the city and community. What we often forget to take note upon is the vibrant, energetic, bustling community spirit, people and architecture which fill every possible space that they invade. The community will use anything and everything they can to create functional objects to use and to build with within their environment. If this is taken away from the people and the community broken up and dispersed into tower blocks how will this community engagement continue and evolve..like in so many other cities where it has failed and diminished. I am not saying that what lies within these spaces is all positive and good, but it is these points and aspects that need to be reflected upon further when analysing such areas of deprivation and struggle. It can help people to realize that it does not take much, particularly materialistic wise, to make people content with what they have, to appreciate everything little thing that comes their way and to help/work with one another to support themselves and their community.
Another point of reference comes from Kevin McCloud's Channel 4 programme called 'Slumming It'
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