A young boy playing in Fazenda dos Mineiros. Many of the toys provided to the children are donations from church organizations and other social programs aimed at helping these communities. They are insured to be in good working condition before donation, but due to the large demand for toys, children remain with the same toy for years. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Our first contact with the Fazenda dos Mineiros community was by chance encounter. We were invited to visit the home of a friend, Gilberto Lima, a community leader who works in Rio de Janeiro and São Gonçalo on children’s rights, among other issues of social justice. Gilberto was the uncle of a friend back in the US who helped one of us prepare for our respective Fulbright terms, and for hospitality’s sake, he invited us over for lunch. What we didn’t know was how much the visit would influence our nine months in Brazil.
Located 15 miles across the Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro’s historic downtown, the city of São Gonçalo has followed a much different path than its famous neighbor.[1] Throughout the 20th century, São Gonçalo experienced a steady decrease in economic prosperity and household income, reflected in a 2012 report that had over 51% of the population living below the poverty line. The drug trade and its factions have a significant presence. While Rio’s international stature and potential for economic growth are highlighted through hosting even problematic mega-events like the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, São Gonçalo has seen and will continue to see little benefit coming from the popularity of its neighbor. In fact, one of the only changes this city’s inhabitants have seen thus far is a mass influx of paramilitary drug traffickers, fleeing Rio’s favelas (unincorporated urban settlements) as a result of aggressive police tactics to forcibly remove them from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro before the Cup.[2]
The workers, many of whom have lived their entire lives without access to potable water, permanent electricity, or any public health services, make their homes here.
One of the areas most affected by this influx of traffickers is the Complexo do Salgueiro favela located north of downtown São Gonçalo. The community in the following photo essay, the Fazenda dos Mineiros (one of six in the Salgueiro), boasts a population of about 3,000 residents and has largely developed outside of municipal, city, and state infrastructures. Constructed alongside one of the two largest municipal dumps in the state, Fazenda dos Mineiros has been the home and workplace for thousands of “lixeiros”, or trash workers (Lima, 2009) living in conditions much like those in the 2010 documentary “Wasteland.” The workers, many of whom have lived their entire lives without access to potable water, permanent electricity, or any public health services, make their homes here. Despite years of neglect and recent gang incursions, the neighborhood has become a dwelling place for over three generations of inhabitants.
This community and its abandonment provide a stark contrast to the money and excitement that accompany the mega events.
We decided to cover this community because it is a striking example of a long history of social neglect, and demonstrates the consequences of the social mandates enacted in preparation for the World Cup and Olympic games beyond the major host cities. This community and its abandonment provide a stark contrast to the money and excitement that accompany the mega events. Nonetheless, the conditions in Fazenda dos Mineiros and their consequences in people’s lives can be seen in neighborhoods throughout Rio de Janeiro and nearby cities. As Brazil attempts to move forward on the global stage, Fazenda dos Mineiros is a place that has been left behind, and this essay is an attempt to draw attention to and thereby change that. The following series of photos seeks to explore how individuals in this community go through their lives in this precarious yet vibrant community.
Click on any photo to enter slide show.
* Some names in these photographs have been changed.
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- Community leader Gilberto Lima stands in the “Fazenda dos Mineiros” favela, a former dumpsite for the city of São Gonçalo. Behind him is one main dumping areas of the community. Though the dump has been closed since 2012, a large residual of its former activities still remain. Gilberto has lived in the community by choice for over 15 years. He stays in hopes of bettering the conditions for those living in the area. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Landscape shot of Fazenda dos Mineiros. Pictured is one of the few main roads that enter the community. During heavy downpour, these roads become inaccessible to most vehicles, keeping most residents restricted inside the neighborhood. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Picture of a typical home in Fazenda dos Mineiros. Homes are often constructed of discarded wood found in the dumpsite. Because of this, the foundation is highly susceptible to flooding and other types of severe damage during extreme weather. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- A picture of the backyard of a resident’s home. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- An area where much of the community trash is disposed as Fazenda dos Mineiros currently does not have a public waste service. This site is adjacent to the home featured in the previous photograph. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Graffiti seen throughout the neighborhood. Pictured here is a homage to a local drug trafficker that passed away recently in a police operation. Fazenda do Mineiros suffers from one of the highest rates of violence in Brazil due to the heavy presence of drug trafficking in the area. Letters read: “Daniel May God be with You” and “One More Star in Heaven.” Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Entrance to a resident’s home. A still stream of raw sewage passes throughout the neighborhood, as most of the community is not equipped with public sewage services. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Maria da Silva, a young teenage girl who lives nearby, brushes the hair of her niece who lives in the home pictured previously. Extended family members often live in close proximity to one another. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- A young boy playing in Fazenda dos Mineiros. Many of the toys provided to the children are donations from church organizations and other social programs aimed at helping these communities. They are insured to be in good working condition before donation, but due to the large demand for toys, children remain with the same toy for years. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Young boy passes by a small fire where family meals are prepared. There is also a stove inside of the home, but when fuel is used up, the family resorts to this space for cooking.Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- A great aunt and her children pose outside of their home in Fazenda dos Mineiros. Three generations live in this residence. Their land includes various small housing structures that are occupied by a total of seven people. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- The grandmother and mother of the children featured in the previous photo. Together they all live on the same plot of land. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- A picture of one of the family living structures. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Area in the yard used to burn trash due to a lack of public waste service in the community. This practice is common throughout the neighborhood. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- A young man working at a small local stand in the middle of Fazenda dos Mineiros. This stand is one of the only accessible places for basic food and home supplies. The nearest supermarket is outside the community, about a half-an-hour’s walk from where this photo is taken. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Neighbors gather around and share a few laughs. The woman in the middle has a large tumor on her right eye that has yet to be properly treated as health services are severely lacking in the community. She seen here imitating motions of a recent film she watched. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Pictured here is Christina Rosa, a resident that has spent her entire life in the community. She currently suffers from tuberculosis, a large head tumor and is diagnosed with HIV. Disease and sickness is quite common in the area, and the community only has one health post, serviced once a week by one medical doctor. Christina was recently told that she could no longer be seen due to fear she would infect other patients. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Two residents take a break during a community service held at a church by the organization “Saving Lives in Action”, a program aimed at rehabilitating former drug addicts. Today they are offering beauty services to the women. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Geraldo Souza carries his young daughter into his home. The home also functions as a church for the community. Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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- Young boy walks through the community. Written on upper right of the wall are the words, “Liberty for all of the Complexo do Sal[gueiro]” Photo by Nick Wong CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
[1] Abreu, M (1987). Evolução urbana do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: J. Zahar Editora.
[2] Alvito, M and Zalaur A (2009). Um século de favela: segunda edição. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Fundação Getulio Vargas.
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