Most favelas have this challenge of how to deal with waste and garbage. The government tried to institute a idea of building a cable car here but the majority of residents didnt want this. The residents complained and rallied to have other more vital issues facing the community. The most important challenge for most favelas today, including Rocinha, is waste management and education. These go hand in hand. If we can educate the residents about proper garbage removal and recycling, Rocinha would be such a better place to live.
Finally two months ago I started to see these guys in green uniforms around the community and one of my neighbors works with the crew and was telling me about a new city government funded project being initiated in Rocinha. I thought, wow, this is what we need. Not only is it good for the environment but the workers can earn money from the companies that buy the recycling.
Today, I made a tour with a group who live in the US and work with waste management. One of my neighbors, 9 year old Alexandra, creates art that she sells which is made out of recycled materials, so this fit with the theme of this tour. The group bought 3 pieces of art work from Alexandra. This money earned helps to support Alexandra, her mother and her disabled older brother.
The visitors work on recycling mostly in hospitals in the Bay Area (San Francisco), but they wanted to see our new project. After eating a hearty lunch, we went by the recycling project so they could see how "De Olho no Lixo" operates.
Some background on the project:
The goal of this recycling project is to develop a correct way to deal with waste management in the favelas of Rocinha, Roquete Pinto and Praia de Ramos. Today, the focus is on Rocinha.
As a result of the technical cooperation between the secretary of state for the Environment and Viva Rio Socio Ambiental, with support of the Association of Supermarkets in Rio, the "De Olho de Lixo" project develops the proper management of solid waste in Rocinha in order to minimize the negative impacts caused by garbage. We have problems in certain areas of Rocinha where people through garbage into the open sewers and when it rains heavily the sewers over flow. People can get sick and these conditions also can attract rats and other vermin.
"De Olho no Lixo" is trying to correct the ways of the past by educating people to recycle and not just throw garbage anywhere. We need everybody to get in line with these new ideas to help our community and improve health of many of the people, especially those who live close to the open sewers. They are the most vulnerable.
This project considers that in order to achieve effective results in the face of the current problems, the community needs to consider the Structural aspects (physical, operational and logistic infrastructure) promoting education and communication for the environment with the promotion of Art and Culture. In other words getting the residents involved and learning how recycling can also generate income.
Check out this youtube video for a better understanding of the whole project here.
This project contracted and trained 30 socio-environmental agents, all residents of Rocinha to collect waste in the community. The materials collected will be used for educational workshops promoted by "De Olho no Lixo". This project aims to raise awareness and get residents in understanding that garbage can be transformed into art and this art can be sold. There are 2 projects within
"De Olho no Lixo". Two free courses are developed and on going in Rocinha: Funk Verde and EcoModa.
In the first 12 months of operation, more than 450 tons of garbage was collected in several areas of Rocinha and Sao Conrado. The intention is to leave a legacy and continue this mind set of turning garbage into profit. The city governments plan is to also include classes in the schools teaching students about the value of recycling.
RECYCLING COOPERATIVE - "Rocinha Recycles"
Inaugurated in July 2017, Rocinha found a perfect space to create this project. Its located next to an area called "Roupa Suja" (Dirty Clothes), and houses a recycling structure where all recycled materials start out, a building for the EcoModa and Funk Verde projects as well. The space before was degraded and filled with lots of trash. The project cleaned up the area and now has these projects running daily. Funk Verde makes music out of recycled cans, boxes or whatever else they can find. Ecomoda turns garbage into fashion.
Getting the Community on Board
The cooperatives function is to perform the service of collecting of recyclable waste generated in the favela. The cooperative will work on a self management theme under the guidance of trained locals. They will help to educate the locals on separating waste in their homes and the workers in the coop will go door to door to collect only what is recyclable. The material will be taken to the headquarters at the bottom of Roupa Suja and will under go sorting. It will them be compressed wrapped up, weighed and stored on site for sale. All work will be accompanied by technical advisors. The materials arriving at the recycling center will be reused during the art and education workshops - EcoModa and Funk Verde. Musical Instruments, clothing and accessories are created from this material delivered by locals and merchants.
Unemployed because of the construction crisis in Rio, Jose Antonio Trajano, 33, leads the initiative and expects it will general lots of opportunity for the workers in Rocinha. "The ambition is to grow, to give to and improve the community. This project has given many opportunity to enter the job market." Trajano started the program last year when the NGO Viva Rio Socio-Ambiental paired with the Environmental Secretariat, and the State Environmental Institute to offer training and start the project in Rocinha.
The worshops of EcoModa and Funk Verde promote culture next to the exit of the Zuzu Angel Tunnel. Over 36 meters of Aluminum tiles, a graffiti panel painted by Carlos Esquivel (aka "Acme"), portrays the work of the De olho no Lixo and other projects developed at the site.
Almir Franca, designer and coordinator of EcoModa says that recycling has opened alternative doors to the current model of production in the (fashion) industry. "We teach fashion for reuse, to encourage the production process. People see in the project the potential of entering the labor market by a means that in addition to being accessible, generates a return to the favela.
Advertising in addition to the making of instruments, the Funk Verde has classes of drumming, guitar, flute and keyboard. Regina Cafe, the coordinator believes that regardless of training professional musicians, the initiative has other qualities: It fosters young people's contact with art and contributes to the dissemination of culture by the community.
According to Regina, theres a constant search to make the instruments sound close enough to the factory or professionally made ones. The variety of materials used is enormous. "Buckets, Barrels, Cans of paint, soda cans, aluminum caps. All sorts of materials that would otherwise be thrown in a dump causing pollution, we can use. To make 10 rattles, I need at least 800 cans. So, it's a big project. We take a lot of materials from nature."
Although the focus tends to be on youth, there are adults who are taking part. Housewife Miriam Silveira, 47, is one of the most dedicated students. Two years ago she resumed her studies, learned to read and write and is now learning guitar through the Funk Verde project. Check out this youtube video of Funk Verde's work here.
Cultural Education allows participants to become better people and keeps them out of trouble. I see a lot of hope with this project only growing once the word gets out!
If you have interest to volunteer with this great environmental and artistic project "De Olho no Lixo" in Rocinha, please contact us at: visitrocinha@gmail.com
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