Coloring the "favela"

6/30/12
We met the people from CCJ at Peixinhos and went to a nearby “favela” to paint their house walls and do a bit of graffiti. After we split into groups we painted a plain color for the background then drew and painted our picture. The one my group chose had a beach scene, with palm trees and a boy flying a kite, or a “pipa” like they call it here. We also had a big heart in one side of the wall. We thought it would be cool to do a beach scene because it represents Recife, since there are so many of them. We also chose the kites because at CCJ we learned a really tender story about a man who supported his family by selling kites. And the heart…well, I think it was because we came to serve the people in this favela, and as we beautified their houses we learned to love them.

I was pleased, and maybe surprised, about the cleanliness of some areas of the favela; some streets were cleaner than some streets in the US! And the little children were well kept and well-fed and they were so friendly to us. I love little kids...the women also enjoyed talking to us but the men were a bit more reserved. It was sad to observe the conditions they live in. No inside plumbing, at least that I could tell, the houses are all so close together, there is no room for a bit of a yard or a nice area with grass. The houses are made out of mostly bricks, but we could see a lot of metal scraps and other materials to add to the shape of the house. 
As we painted I though about the people from the favela looking at those walls in the future, as they walked on by, and wondered if they would remember the American students that came to help. Not that important that they remember us, but I hope they remember that we enjoyed serving them and getting to know them for a few hours.

The final results really brought a new life to the favela. The colorful hues brightened their homes and their hearts. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.