Life in a Favela

Task 8 A: Problems in shanty towns; copy out the spider diagram.

B: Read through the boxes and rank them in order from most – least important.

C: Read the newspaper article and use the information to complete the diagram.

D: Read about Barbra and Pedro and discover the differences between their lives. Complete the table by adding detail to answer the questions.

E: Compare your life to the life of a favela child.

F: Picture feeling activity; look at the images and answer the questions.

G: How can you improve a shanty town; copy down the information and answer the question.

H: Self-help housing scheme; make a sketch of the diagram, colour and label it. Answer the question.

ProblemsOvercrowding

High population density.

Fires - fires can spread quickly.

Overpopulation - the area does not have enough resources to support the growing population.

Competition for jobs - jobs are in short supply.

Infrastructure - services are poor, public transport is limited and connections to the electricity supply can be limited and sometimes dangerous.

Lack of space - the newest and poorest arrivals may be forced to live on the worst quality land.

Disease - poor sanitation and limited health care can lead to the spread of disease.

Problems in shanty townsA

What are the problems of shanty towns?

Overcrowding – high

population density.

Disease – poor sanitation and limited health.

Fires – They can spread

very quickly.

Lack of space – newest and poorest are

forced to live in the worst conditions.

Competition for jobs – they

are in short supply.

Transport is limited and there is no electricity.

Task: Draw the arrow in your book and rank the

boxes from what you think is most – least important.

Biggest problem

Smallest problem

Challenge: What type of jobs do you think people

who live in favelas work in? Why?

B

C Read this newspaper article about life in a shanty town.

Today, Baixasa Fluminense is one of Brail’s poorestand most dangerous areas. Two and a half millionpeople are struggling to survive here. There are noshops, just small corner stalls selling alcohol,tobacco and groceries. The water supply isirregular, electrical connections are a wild jumbleand schools are rare. Everywhere they are heapsof rubbish which are sometimes burned. Insummer the place is plagued by mosquitoes andhit by devasting floods. Jobs are hard to find. Theluckier ones commute to jobs in Rio, in heavilyovercrowded trains or rickety buses. The vastmajority of inhabitants lead hand to mouth lives,doing odd jobs, small time trade and raisingchickens or pigs.

In Baixada Fluminense's only general hospital, fourhour waiting times are common so people do noteven bother to come. Disease and under-nourishment take their toll. In the six so calledneighbourhood medical centres there are no basicdrugs, and two years after opening, one of thecentres has had to close.

Violence and insecurity are everywhere; 2,575murders and more than 25,000 burglaries, rapesand muggings were committed in 1990. Vigilantegroups have sprung up as people have tired toprotect themselves. For most people ‘future’ isnot a word they ever use.

Use the key phrases in bold to complete the diagram.

Life in a shanty settlement

Environment

Health

Crime

Education and Jobs

D

Barbra Pedro

When is getting up time?

What is for breakfast?

What happens in the morning?

What happens in the afternoon?

What is for evening meal?

What happens after dinner?

What will happen tomorrow?

E Using the information in this lesson, as well as doing some of your own research, compare your life to the life of a favela child. Complete the table in as much detail as possible

giving specific examples.

My life Life of a favela child

Housing

Family size

Education

Nutrition

Medical care

Sanitation

Future prospects

Picture Feelings ActivityA picture paints a 1000 words ...

In this activity you will use pictures to discover what life is like in a favela in

Brazil.

F

1. Write down words that describe what you see in the pictures.

2. Write down words to describe the sounds that might be heard.

3. Make connections between the pictures and your own lives.

4. Write down 7 adjectives to describe the pictures.

5. Choose a person in the pictures and write down what they might be

thinking, feeling or saying.

6. Write a caption for the photo.

Picture Feelings

How can you improve a shanty town?

Think about the challenges you would face if you lived here.

Site and service schemes - These give people the chance

to rent or buy a piece of land. The land is connected to the

city by transport links and has access to essential services

(e.g. water). People build their own homes using money from

a low interest loan.

Self-help schemes - These give people the tools and

training to improve their homes. Low-interest loans may be

used to help people fund the changes. People may be given

legal ownership of the land.

Rural investment - Improving the quality of life and

creating greater opportunities in rural areas may prevent

people from migrating to urban areas. Investment in rural

areas may help to improve conditions in the city as well.

G

1. Which one of the schemes do you think

the government in Brazil should focus on?

Give reasons to support your answer.

A self-help housing schemeH

1. What improvements can be made to shanty towns via

self help?

2. Why could self help be a good way to improve shanty

towns?

Send your work to your teacher