Volunteering in Rio de Janeiro living the local life
Volunteering in Rio de Janeiro living the local life.
Riiiiiiooooo de Janeeeeiiiroooo!!!! When I think of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, I instantly think of the immense annual carnival and a party is already in my head. Guarded by the giant statue Christ the Redeemer, or Cristo Redentor, and its famous beaches Copacabana and Ipanema, the city of Rio de Janeiro seems to have it all. However, in the shadow of the exciting buzzling city life and tourist attractions such as Escadaria Selarón and Santa Teresa, Rio is unfortunately also well-known for something less exciting; the favelas. It is estimated that around 12 million people are living in favelas across the country. The people that live in such a ‘slum’ live under poor conditions often without sanitation etc. However, life here is getting better and big differences can be noticed in the favelas itself. Not all of them are only for the poorest in Rio, for example Rocinha (the biggest favela area of Rio), has developed into a city within a city. There are shops, hospitals, banks, schools and more! (more…)
