Tamarind Gardens

In the city of Rio de Janeiro, close to 3 million people – around 30% of the population – live in favelas (shanty-towns). There are over 1,000 of them ranging from newer or more challenged communities with slum-like conditions, to highly-functioning, vibrant neighbourhoods.  All those living in favelas live in informal conditions; 95% of favela homes are built of brick and concrete. Residents put decades-worth of income and physical labour into the construction and 30% of them are not connected to a formal sanitation system.

Throughout the past several decades the challenges in the favelas have increased due to severe government corruption, inter-gang warfare, drug-trafficking and militias. As a result, residents of favelas are often discriminated against for living in these communities and often experience inequality and exploitation. This stigma results in difficulty finding job opportunities, and youth often find themselves involved in criminal activities due to this lack of opportunity.  In recent years, favela culture has gained popularity in the tourism industry, which is starting to offer a major source of socio-economic development opportunities for local people. 

That being said not all tours are created equal and many large organizations, hotel chains, and agencies still use guides from outside the communities and pay local services poorly in order to guarantee large profit margins, resulting in further exploitation. Meanwhile, local favela guides, businesses, and social projects struggle to compete with large non-favela organizations and lack the technical knowledge and budgets to create high-quality marketing strategies.