We are always trying to improve our services so that people can get the best possible experience while visiting Rocinha. Tours are the starting point as an introduction to the community. More and more Universities abroad and companies are contacting me about full day programs to be offered for visitors. This is including groups that want to participate in activities and contribute through some type of volunteering in the favela.
Visits to the community are great but this new idea gives the opportunity for the visitor to totally immerse themselves in the daily lives and culture of the favela. Imagine a group of 15 visitors who can learn Capoeira, take part in a drumming class, play football with the locals, volunteer with a great project, have a hearty meal and also learn about the community.
I have started securing projects in Rocinha that welcome volunteers and who want to participate in this full day experience. This will be great exposure for the projects so that when visitors want to return they will already have a contact in Rocinha. This will bring a lot of visibility to Rocinha and communities like this. I am also coordinating with other guides in other favelas to do this kind of tour. It can only help these underserved communities.
In November we will start our first trial for this tour to see how it goes. This type of visit will be a full day (8-9 hours) and when the guest leaves the favela they will have a far better understanding of our community. This is always evolving with the idea of tourism bringing benefit to many in the community.
The more residents who can benefit through our programs, the better.
For more information about these programs contact me at: visitrocinha@gmail.com
