Why is Rocinha a slum?

Although Rocinha is officially classified as a neighbourhood, many still refer to it as a favela. It developed from a shanty town into an urbanized slum. Today, almost all the houses in Rocinha are made from concrete and brick….

How safe is Rocinha?

Until recently, Rocinha was one of Rio’s safest favela and was host to many favela tours. However, a recent power struggle between drug lords and police has caused a series of spontaneous shoot-outs and army intervention as the authorities attempt to regain control over Rio’s largest favela.

What are the problems in Rocinha?

Informal sector jobs are very poorly paid and the work is irregular so a steady income is not guaranteed. Crime rate in the favelas is extremely high as they are controlled by gangs who are involved in organised crime. Rocinha is so feared by police that they do not patrol on foot without guns.

Is Rocinha poor?

Rocinha is Rio de Janeiro’s largest “favela” or slum, with around 180,000 people living in the tightly packed city. Despite its large population, Rocinha takes up less than a square mile of land. Although the slum has economic opportunities, drug-related violence is one of Rocinha’s more well-known characteristics.

What do Rocinha people eat?

Snacks made of bread, usually fried in oil, coxinha can be full of chicken, beans and cheese, or any number of hearty and deliciously gooey stuffings. When you are in Rocinha, enjoy some fresh corn and chicken coxinha (‘coxinha com frango’), something you can find in small shops all along the main street areas.

What is Rocinha known for?

Rocinha is Rio de Janeiro’s largest “favela” or slum, with around 180,000 people living in the tightly packed city. Since 2004, Rocinha has been under the control of a criminal group called Amigos dos Amigos, a gang known for violence and drug dealing.

Why is favela bad?

Because of crowding, unsanitary conditions, poor nutrition and pollution, disease is rampant in the poorer favelas and infant mortality rates are high. In addition, favelas situated on hillsides are often at risk from flooding and landslides.

What are the disadvantages of living in a favela?

What are the problems faced in favelas? Because of crowding, unsanitary conditions, poor nutrition and pollution, disease is rampant in the favelas and infant mortality rates are high.

Why is it bad to live in slums?

As such families living in slums lack the crucial conditions they need to live decently and thrive as human beings. Children are very often unable to do their homeworks due to leaks and the lack of available light and electricity.

Why do people live in slums?

Slums form and grow in different parts of the world for many different reasons. Causes include rapid rural-to-urban migration, economic stagnation and depression, high unemployment, poverty, informal economy, forced or manipulated ghettoization, poor planning, politics, natural disasters, and social conflicts.

How many people live in Rocinha favela in Brazil?

However, there could be even more living in these communities. Rocinha is Brazil’s largest favela and unofficial estimates say it has up to 180,000, compared to the census figure of just 70,000. The expansion of the favelas – and their irregular and unregulated nature – means that these areas often lack basic services and public investment.

Is the situation in Rocinha better than a year ago?

Major Azevedo, whose unit has 670 officers, says the situation in Rocinha is much better than a year ago. She says they sometimes face resistance from criminals who don’t want to lose control of their territory, but she insists that will not affect the programme as a whole.

What’s the name of the street in Rocinha?

The dark soon gave way to the open sky of Street Four – a bright, well-paved road sliced through the alleyways to create a more pleasant environment. This is one of Rocinha’s key improvements, funded by the government. It makes a very big difference – but only to one part of the favela, Carlos told me.

Where did goncalina Araujo Pereira live in Rocinha?

Goncala Norberto Araujo Pereira, 72, known simply as Goncalina, arrived in Rocinha from Brazil’s Northeast in the 1960s. She helped set up one of the first daycare centres in the shanty town, Creche Aspa (Acao Social Padre Anchieta), and still works as a volunteer.