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1/20/1999 - Favela Family by Tyrone L. Turner

Favela Family S OJOSIDOSCAMPOS SoPaulo Brazil January20 Peter Bird Martin Executive Director Institute ofCurrentWorldAffairs 4WestWheelockStreet Hanover NH03755USA Dear Peter Light headed fatigue carefully climbed favela1 Slipperycementstepsledus tothe cityabovefromtheslumbelow Wecrestedtheridge theunofficialbarrierbetweenthetwoworlds andwithin minuteswere walking through nightclub ofSao Jos6 dosCam AtIa ourpartyofeight sixfavelados2 mywifeSusanandmyself walked slowly through pulsing lights roaring engines surging ofadolescenthormoneson Saturday night Peopleabove think thatweare justrobbersand sellers asserted Marcos constructionworkerwithwhomwehadbeenvisiting Hewenton talkabouthowthepeople acima orabove neverdescend abaixo orbelow toknowthe ofthefavela howthere aregoodandbad people worlds The words permanent unchangeable ifitalwaysh adbeenthatway andalwayswillbe THEBANHADO Favelas liketheBanhadoarenotat alluncommoninBrazil Thoughthe infamousonesbelong themorefamous cities ofRiodeJaneiroandSo Paulo every cityhas itsownprecarious areaswherethepoor WhenwefirstarrivedinSaoJos6DosCampos arelativelywell devel industrialareaaboutanhournorthwestofSoPaulo severalpeople immediately issued warnings about theBanhado Oneplainly saidwe wouldbeshot ifweattemptedtogothere Alongtimeresidentofferedtolet photograph Banhado apartment building overlooking favela Iaskedifwecouldjustgotheretomeetpeople butheconfessedto neverhavingmadethe descent Descending ishowoneenters theBanhado The citycenterofSoJos6 Dos Campos backs ridge which falls about grass lands gentlyslopingtotheParaibanoRiveraboutamileaway Lookingfrom Matriz Catholic Church center which right across avenue beautifully fields pasture urban resident favela defines Brazil From streetchildrenofSaoPaulo theefforts nizations solutions cialization LatAmerican farmland New housing spotted mountains Serra Mantequeira forming distance Unless itself doesn realize tween ridge ofthe centerand beautiful scape beyond swath poverty inconspicuously Myriad shapes ofhouses ofplywood cement block withtheircorrugated aluminumroofsandbananatrees linethemudstreets Thecommunityofabout500fami crescent shaped ridge about In those first interest piqued I walked center camera hidden obscure peered Banhado My economic gamut Fromthewell doapartmentsectionofSiloJOB6 I prosperous Nove Julho avenue passed Chopp proceeded favorite padarias4 fancy store That thetennis andthentheexpensive S curvenightlife calledbecauseofthebendintheroad Soon after S curve therestaurantsandbusinesses dwindle The world changes On street VENEZUELA buildings Banhado begins Here enueispuretransit fourlanes COLOMBIA zooming direction People quickly ofthe streetaway ridge Amazonas What greets before gotten little grassy thatrunsbetween theavenueandtheridgeofthe Banhado smell PERU excrement rotting garbage An older bewil BOLIVIA dered lookingmanguardsthe entrance Protestant churchwherethestenchisthe worst Walking along theridge oftheBanhado I searched Physically paved downthe ridge givingwayto paths below How ARGENTINA needed emotional awaytohurdle preconceptions I Brazil So warnings about violence articles about impenetrable slums As scanned faces those loitering ridge Isearchedforsignsofwhatkindofpeoplelived there andwhat reallyknowhow other photographers begin theirwork butformeit isalwaysastruggle Nomatter where I whether supposedly danger areas I nervous approaching strangers Sometimes itiseasiertojustwalkby topretend Ididn something reality I emotionally powerful disturbingorspecial Andeachtime muster courage interact consider Ultimately myworkas photographer asmuch about getting myself world confront other humanbeingsandthepossibilityofrejection isabout finallyputting theirimages onfilm As rounded corner afternoon Paraibano valleyand theBanhado stretched front Isawa stockymanflyinga kitewithagroup ofkidsontheridgeabovetheBa nhado Itookthistobe Grandedo chopp istheBrazilianwordfordraftbeer pastry bread shops serve espresso fresh juices Institute Current World Affairs opening approached My faltering Portuguese throw introduced himself Pedro Alvarez Cabral Later would scendant Portuguese discoverer Brazil Pedro Cabral Heintroducedmetohis daughters Amanda Fernanda Eliandra nieces anephew Pedro thathe lived theBanhadoand pointed inthedirectionfromwhere hadjustwalked Ihadno ticed little house before chickens scratching thefront andatreewhereshirtlessmengatheredtodrink around smoking campfire I asked Pedrowhoowned cultivated lands beyond little houses Banhado From above I imagined500littleplots ofland gardenstofeed500fami Helaughedabitandsaidthatno afazendeiro owned theproduce markets above What I would brief encounter turned afternoon conversation photographing ridingoneofPedro shorses Crioulo orCreole thathe hadbroughtupfrombelow Aftera while wewalked house pointed before There troducedme Lucia sister Rita Jack Rita husband While stood front small cement blockhouse thechildrenplayedonanoldswing andthedogs growled Pedro offeredmea cafezinho smallcoffee andInoddedacceptance Whentheyhanded I realized Portuguese class Portrait Cabral family Eliandra Pedro Lucia Fernanda 7andAmanda UCLAhadn covered definition theword InBrazil itseemsthatconversationsinevitablyturn subject offutebol soccer Pedro mentioned followingdayhewouldbewatching final soccer match Brazilian nationaltournamentbetween Corinthians ofSaoPauloandthe Cruzeiros ofMinasGerais HesaidthatmywifeSusanand Iwerewelcometojoin family I gladly accepted Beforecomingto Brazil Ihaddreamsofa soccerbap getting middle crowds crazy catchthefutebol fever Upuntil point though wehad ofthe championship series games betweenthe Corinthiansand CruzeirosontheTVinour apartment Still theexperienceoverwhelmedme The first ignited explosion noise citydrowning thesound TV Fire works screams echoed around buildings The deafening white noise surged window couldn source I deserted streets toawaitthenextgoalandthereactionto Walking along peering apart mentbuildingswhenthecityeruptedagain someone scored Instead point origin thousands apartment windows tuned signal belched cries ofjoy During thegames thischampion Brazilwasunited inrapturebeforemillions ofsepa soccerTValtars En route watch Superbowl Brazilian soccer In Cabral discovered Brazil after blown course journey Portugal around Cape southern Africa large landowner intheBanhado SusanandIstopped atthe padariaonthe NovedeJulhoavenueandpickedupcoldbeer apanetone pocketful ofbubble children Weap proachedthehouseontheridge oftheBanhadoandsaw thedoor Pedro holding small Though hehad invited helooked surprised thatwehad allycome understand family notthere onlytolearnthat hadmisunderstoodhisPor tuguese Thiswashis sister shouse hiswasactu farther Banhado When Rita returned weleft panetone andventured again We passed where shirtless drink first steps narrow pathway leading downthe ridge Pedrotoldus thathehad actuallyputin cement steps thatmade passable although little pitched forward treachero The AyoungboyclimbsagateseparatinghousesintheBanhadoneartheCabral plyofpopcorn crackers friedpork OneoftheoldestinSaoJose thefavelahasbeenaroundforabout40years rindsandpan friedbeefwithlime about 500families living stepsended atamudlandingabouthalfwaydownthe small house operated neighborhood store mechanic In subsequent visits samefacesstaredoutfrombehindcupsofbeer atwho everdescended thefavela Infrontofabroken downvannext tothe storewe tooka leftona dirtpath Themudin ofBrazil Alight fruited crimson creates terrific slide We stepped wisely placed cement pieces along barbed fences protected yards Music conversation spilled easily shack walls Atthefarendofthe trailwewalkedthrougha little wooden anddowninto cement Pedro Amodest built house brick cement block corrugat aluminum stood among houses compared place ridge In swept anherb garden around small plastic wading Acement blockwallprotectedtwo sides house On third vista Banhado valley stretched outbelow Pedro Lucia bought their years Astheytell theowners anevangelicalfamily wanted family interested buying practiced macumba Fearfulthatblackmagic would enter neighborhood practically house Pedro about R Visiting Cabrals conscious The family vigorously offered fried I itwouldbeagreat offense refuse I learned whether finished whether temperature risen because consumption Half filled Skols1 handbefore couldprotest witha cerveja estupidamente geladaTM placing Lucia Rita worked kitchen bring Susan I cramped TV Immedi ately across Cabral childrenand their cousins satsidebysidelike littledolls Theywereinstructed constantly reminded behave front guests During soccer halftime Lucia brought Cabral family photos mostly parties school According The Brazilians Jos6ph A Page Addison Wesley Publishing Company Inc Afro Brazilian religion practiced Brazil includes elements ofblackmagic Indian animism AboutU S Thesymbol R standsfortheBrazilian currency theReal Theexchangerate ofJanuary20 1999wasabout R U S 10One Brazilian A stupidly Brazilians describe Institute Current World Affairs events within years I think documentation startedwhen finally could afford camera filmand processing Attheend second ashadbeenpredicted Corinthians Cruzeiros Lucia Corinthiansfan atedebaixodeagua screamedandde lighted apparent victory sister sulked about opposition The Lucia rooted anyone Cruzeiros interestedmebecause latterteamwas state Minas Gerais where sisters According Lucia though always fiercely indepen fitting mythic reputation Mineiros people Minas Gerais andhadalways loved Corinthians spite family Her pendence evidenced years three kidswithPedro nevermarried She doesn interest doesn wanttobe tieddown The final seconds expired Lucia openingand closing gates weslippeddowna steep trail railroad tracks below The girls tightly Susan shands competingforthe attention ofthisAmeri Tia They released their enoughtorunaheadtobragabouttheirnewfriendsfrom U S A Wecrossed thenow defuncttracks thatusedto carry freightbetweenSiloPauloandRiodeJaneiro andawide formed spine favela The pathsweentered cattlechutes withhighwalls discarded plywood front fences homes Putrid thechildrenboltedout ViewoftheCabralhomewiththeBanhadoandParaibanValleystretchingoutinthebackground waving expected cacophony fireworks exploded Neigh screamed forth Anyone without TV wouldnothavemissedthenews Atapeplayeremerged samba music celebration going Theyoung girlsimitated thenear obscenedancesthattheyhadseen onTVand adults tried follow children How notevenbeer could getPedro As excitement waned Pedro pointed farther downthe hillandasked ifwewantedtogotothehome oftheir compadres Marcosand Sandra Ouracceptance prompted wardrobe The girls shirts shorts Lucia changed skirt Thedirectionwasdown butthepathsnakedthrough themaze community Crossing neighbors yards smells sewage waves honeysuckle somsbrushed faces Eyes peered little parade passing twilight Aswewalked Pedrogreetedfriendswith theBrazilian thumbsup andawarm tudobem andunyielding faces suddenly smiled brightly I looked aroundto getbearingsincasewehadtoleaveunescorted realized Ihadlostmine completely Later I would discover people theBanhado thoughpoor wererelativelybetter offthan those otherfavelas inSoJos6 certainly better those slums So Paulo The Banhadowasabout40 years andhad electricityand water A small police station entrance 12Whichmeans untilunderwater andreferstothefactthatthefanwouldnotrenouncetheirloyaltytotheirsoccerclubeven Compadres godparents whenon refers compadres child baptism Compadres bestmanandmaid matron honorwhenreferring awedding ceremony Hey going though manned night Problems crime drugs plagued community Pedro andMarcos lifewas mostly quiet Onlater visits thewaythatPedro dealtwithmeas photographerpointed potential violence inthe community IhadaccompaniedPedroafewtimes tomeet others drink community barzinho little andshootpictures Ononetrip stoodonaridge photographed teenagers walkingup wooden walled paths emerged favela The youths seemed exchanged greetings before theywalked Afterwards Pedro warned shoot overall photos areaswherehe tknowthepeople Because trade someone might under stand andthinkthat Iwasconnectedwiththe police He amisunderstandingcould notonlybe danger forme forhimand family ArrivingatMarcos andSandra shome asthetroops marchedthroughthedoor everyonekicked offtheirsan Susan I started remove sneakers butwere stopped Youare notaccustomed goingbarefoot theyinsisted guests whowere tracking themostmud The inside their built Marcos austere functionallook Barelightbulbsilluminatedbrick walls adorned portraits their children small Catholicprayer posters championship photos Corinthians Their luxury items filled tertainment center completewithTVandstereo Marcos Institute Current World Affairs Amanda right Fernanda their their sister Elianda their cousins Pedro horse Crioulo Banhado proudlyshowedofftheirmusicCDs includingBonJovi Kiss Beatles alongwith hotsamba groups Moresamba moredancing beers Eithermy comprehension their enunciationwas slipping little because I found myself nodding agreement sentences sounded Russian They mumbled fumbled I learn though harder finding Banhado leaving Banhado Fatigue hitSusanandmehard ItriedtotellPedrothatwe needed leave OK OK first saidera parting drink which comes meaning leave Ourglasses filled wetoasted healthand watched thesamba lessons nextroom Threemore saideras later wewere stilltoastinginthe kitchen Finally reverse journey throughthepathways across railroad tracks andup Weemergedoverthe crestoftheridgeas Ihad watched others In plastic sandals omnipresent footwear Silo Jos6 PedroandMarcosaccompaniedusonthe20 minute walktoourapartmentbuilding Ifeltabitawkwardas approached Pedro works night doorman building staying The lives ofthepeople thatbuilding closed We thanked inviting their homes turned andwaited tobebuzzed inbythe guard PEDROANDLUCIA Both Pedro Lucia started working early order supplementtheir families income The Rio Janeiro neighborhood where Pedro grewupwas butwasnotafavela ashepoints strongly The youngestofthreesons withafatherwhodidn spare Pedro school cream thefamousbeachesnearby Atage hewas stillmak ingminimumwageas abartenderinaFrenchrestaurant Rio Arriving inSaoJos6dosCamposjust visit hemet Lucia stayed working various construction labor types For previous months hadbeenworkingas anightdoormanatawealthyapart mentbuilding inSaoJos6 housesmanyof foreigners thatworkfor industries Pedro withhis callousedhandsandeasylaugh sidershimselffortunate makingR amonth saldrios about U S U S His employmentincludesgovernmenthealthinsuranceand pension whichis taken hispay everymonth Lucia state ofMinas Gerais north state ofSao Paulo Asmall thinwomanwholooks olderthanher28 years shewasoneofninechildrenborn rural farming parents Her father worked fazendeiro picking coffee farming muchless thanminimumwage Startingtoworkwhenshewaseightyears Lucia helped after school picking drying coffee She remembered child though Pedrofinishes trading horse another resident ofthe Banhado throwing black whiteTVand Trading services goods commonfor Pedro friends workasthe adults shewaspaidmuch 16Theland owner sentherwages directly family As looked daughters playing their Christmas dolls recounted first present everreceivedwasonher 13thbirthday apair ofsan father She proud daughters lives wealthy comparison At leftschool hermother athome On until reached tried enter school leave again towork Thatyear shemovedtoSo Jos6 sister Rosaly started cleaning houses She halfofherearningsbacktoher mother until Pedro disco Sao Jos6 Soon after shebecamepregnantwithAmanda andbe gankeeping allofherincomeforherfamily Nowadayssheworksthreedays aweek whichcon tributesR 120amonth aboutU S tothefamilyin doing thehouseworkand caring three girls Their described before small structedintheupperareasofthefavela Madeofcinderblock cement floor house consists smallTVroom kitchen abathroomand abedroom Since buying years countedonthehelp offamilyandcompadres tomakeim provements The compadre their girls Marco mentioned above construction worker wired Threetimestheminimumwage Salariesaredescribedaccordingtohowtheyrelatetothenationalminimumwageof120 reais month about U S month about U S cents 16Menmade highest thenwomen children Pedro holds kisses daughter Amanda ofthe stations Sdo Josd Campos They heading picnic aboutanhousefrom otherfriends house oversaw cementing immedi atelysurrounding Lucia sbrotherhelpedputupace block fencearoundmostofthe house adding ofsecurity Improvementsandinflationhavebroughtthe value house around R U S They admit through informal system could gotten these things No afford topayfor things outright The afford consumer goods Brazil credit This imply ubiquitous creditcards oftheU S orabankloan FewintheBanhad haveevenacheckingaccount Merchants offerthe credit directly setting prices vista prazo thesameitemsfromgas clothes towashingmachines The first price vista means right payment With prazo payments spread anumber ofmonths The latter reduces initial payment expected overall price turns outtobesignificantlyhigher Thisnationalsystemoflay democratization credit penalty heavy interest majority Brazilians topayup front TheCabralspointedproudlytotherefrigerator television their instead naming price named months Even dolls girls received Christmas which totaled R almostone halfofPedro 370monthlysalary willnotbe until months Overall their onethattheyhaveworked hardtobuild WhenIaskedPedroabouthisdreams grabbed Amanda eldest passed He brags about smarts class Hehopes thatshecan besomeonein likeme WhenI challenged Pedro pessimistic achievements explained wants better abank Thegirlsmimicsimilarambitions Amanda whopre schooloversummervacation thatshewants teacher Fernanda withamouthfulofcrooked teeth wants dentist The youngest Eleandra switches forth between goals theothertwo teacher thendentist thenteacher WHITHERTHEREAL Whatremains seenwiththis family andothers Banhado sinking Brazilian economy affect In President Fernando Henrique Cardoso government stoppeddumpingfederalreserves toprotecttheReal allowed market value against U S Immediately itfellabout25percent andstillcontin fluctuate Expectedly price ofimpor tedgoods electronics petroleum climbing Already feeling pinch Bread percent because price ofimported wheat The local specialty stores which carry items onlyunder R raising their price R 99because ofthehighpercentage ofimports their stocks However withthememoryofthe hyperinfla 17Both items according localSoJos6DosCampospaper Vale Paraibano fromJanuary20 Alsomentioned wasthatmorethanhalfofthewheatconsumedinBrazil isimported withthemajoritycomingfromArgentina Institute Current World Affairs Eliandra holds ofthe three dolls parents boughtfor girls Christmas TheR 160they paidforthedolls about U S isalmosthalfof herfather monthy stillfreshinthecountry smemory themerefearof anticipated inflationmight sparkanuncontrollable reaction Merchants might prices goods thathave relation internationalmar before inflation actually occurred Risingunemployment foreshadows return harder times Ford Motors which produces Sao Jos6 Campos hundreds workers during holidays General Mo torsannouncedaworkstoppage untilAprilbecause weakening market Other large manufacturers slowing consumption Though these firms rectly represent portion businesses indirectly affected AsforPedroandLucia therecentyears oflowinfla tionand steadyemploymenthave resulted financialboost butalsoraised expectations ofabetter theirfamily Astheyslowlybuiltwallsandboughtappliances theywerehoping eventually leave thefavela However likemillions ofworkingpoor theyare tremely vulnerable economic downturns They savings except theformof theirmodesthomeand possessions exhaust their paychecks quickly If Brazilian economy worsens eroding their assets their dreams The author Cabral holding ofthe Cabrals nephews Photo SusanL Sterner