Slackline With A Homeless Family

BOPE occupies a favela in Tijuca, photo by Max Coelho/BOPE.

The amount of homeless in Icaraí has drastically increased since my last two visits in 2008 and 2009.  From what I understand, Rio won hosting duties for the World Cup and Olympics and now the government has begun Favela Pacification - favelas are invaded and occupied by police forces. Sometimes there can be all out war between gangs and military police but often war lords and drug and gun traffickers flee into the cities surrounding Rio. Basically the homeless, as well as war lords and drug and arms traffickers, are being swept out of Rio and into the surrounding cities, such as here in Niterói.

[Favela Pacification Spreads to Tijuca]

The girls go for a dip with the baby after playing on the slackline.

Russell and I are very popular on the beach when we do slackline. We are equal opportunity and all different types of kids, from high class kids to favela kids, come and want to try the slackline. So when a homeless family set up camp under a shade tree next to us, their kids obviously wanted to come and play - and they did.

The social gap between couple walking and the homeless family is palpable.

Our conversation:

Are you a gringa?
   Yes, yes I am.
Laughter
Where are you from?
   America
Germany?
   No, The United States of America.
Oh, Germany.
   No, the US.
Germany must be nice.
   Yes, Germany is nice.

Deep, I know. But they didn't seem to know of the US - Russell even told them and they still didn't get it.

The family seems to consist of one older man (certainly drunk or on drugs, or both [read about the crack epidemic among the homeless]), a woman my age or a little older (she seemed to be in charge of things), two male teenagers, three younger girls and two younger boys, and one baby.

They all had giant Coca-Cola bottles to drink from. I often see homeless people with Coke, but never see them with water. Why? Coke is cheaper than water. How can that be, right? I know. It's outrageous. Not to mention how may health and dental problems arise from drinking sugar filled Coke as a substitute for water.

Slackline on the beach.

It really sucks that instead of getting these kids off the streets and into school (which in Brazil is mandatory and free) the government instead is just ignoring the problem and transplanting these social and structural issues from Rio into surrounding cities. I don't think invasion and occupation are long term solutions - but hey, at least Rio will be looking good in the harsh international spotlight (note the touch of sarcasm in my voice).