THE BRAZILIAN REPORT FEBRUARY 27, 2017 Life in the Streets of SAo Paulo Author: Carmen Santiago Many residents of our beautiful country of Brazil don't realize that there are several people that struggle with the hardships of poverty and hunger. Thad come across the favelas in So Paulo after taking the bus farther southeast of Sao Jose dos Campos. Not only was the awful smell so strong, that it was suffocating but the sight of the way some of our fellow Brazilians are living were too horrifying to bear. As I ventured through the streets, wooden shacks used as homes were so unstable that they looked as though a slight gust of wind would cause them to fall apart. The only access to water was a small spigot a few miles from the favelas. People looked desperate for the slightest piece of food, scavenging the street for scraps. Many were unable to find ways to earn cruzeiros and therefore suffered even more. Violence and crime was everywhere and yet continued to find myself coming back to the favelas trying to comprehend the lifestyles these people were living. The more time I spent there, the more people I met and began to know. One woman stood out to me from the others, her name, Carolina de Jesus. Single mother of three children, ‘who sells paper found in the streets to earn eruzeiros and who has a unique hobby: writing in a diary. Something Carolina said that stood out to me was, “We (people of the favela) are slaves to the cost of living.” Interview with Carolina can be found on page 2A. rT Carolina de Jesus LEY a est Conic] eran ey cry ery Tee eae Pm Tet Perr} Cres Crosswords Page ct} Pes rr tint] Brazilian Environment Page KioInterview with Carolina de Jesus twas 5 in the T morning when I met € awoman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and was as independent asa woman could be. Carolina was on her way to fetch some water from the public spigot, just like she always did every single day. I began to learn her schedule, her way of life as well as more about how terrible the favelas are. She has three children and has found a way to earn cruzeiros by scavenging for paper in the streets and selling it. Although it doesn’t make much, she manages to supply her family with barely enough food and necessities. She is unhappy with her life and some of her past decisions she has made, and to help cope with her miserable life she writes in her diary about the life in the favela. Her diary and story was discovered by Audalio Dantas, who is a Brazilian reporter that helped Carolina publish her diary into a novel called, Child of the Dark, Although criticized and looked down upon by the favelados for writing in her diary, Carolina continued writing and clung on to the little hope she had left. This novel is a powerful firsthand account of life in the streets of Sao Paulo that draws international attention to the plight of the poor and is highly recommended. Carolina states, “I went to the shoemaker to collect his wastepaper. One of them asked me if my book was communistic. I replied that it was realistic. He cautioned me that it was not wise to write of reality. I showed him.” Current Politics Occurring in Brazil ‘The economy here in Brazil has been an issue for a long time. Getulio Vargas originally had plans for industrializing Brazil and spent a lot of money on government projects. Inflation increased along with the prices for food. In October of 1955, Juscelino Kubitschek took office and like Vargas, pushed for industrialization. With ambitious plans and several expensive decisions, Kubitschek only hurt our country rather than helping it. His deficit spending created an inflationary spiral, with the national debt reaching $4 billion. As mentioned in Carolina’s Child of the Dark, she states, “In our country everything is weakening. The money is weak. Democracy is ‘weak and our politicians are very weak. Everything that is weak dies one day.” As our next presidential election is nearing, it is advised that the public takes advantage of their rights and freedom and2B vote. Brazil cannot stand to have another president who only hurts our economy. People are suffering as well as our country so thoroughly observe our upcoming candidates so that we can save our futures. Illegal Activity in Brazil Crime has always been a problem in any country, there's always a handfal of people who refuse to live by the law. Although, here in Brazil we have one of the highest crime ranks when compared to other countries. Not only is the illegal activity in wealthier areas, but it is mainly occurring in the favelas. Activity such as rape, murder, stealing, ete. is occurring every day. When these extremely poor people have nothing, many turn to drinking pinga and resorting to things that are unacceptable. Whether it's arguing over a small scrap of food, a rumor said about an individual, or even not donating cruzeiros to one another causes fights and a lot of violence. In some cases, it gets so extreme that those fighting will try to murder one another. Carolina mentions how she hates to see such violence and chaos oceur, and she refuses to get caught up in that lifestyle. The reason why many who live in the favelas resort to such extremes is because they believe they have nothing else worth living for; their lives are already terrible, starving and fighting for survival. ‘This can lead to depression where eventually pinga, an alcohol, is abused which leads to more problems and situations, the cycle goes on. Allin all, it is advised to help our fellow residents, work together, and turn Brazil into a country where our economy can thrive and everyone can live a healthy and successful lifestyle.Kailey Gillete 3%? hour