expandinginbrazil
admissions as Mercer offers an alternative for highly qualified students who did not get into the federal university of their choice.
W
e began our three-week adventure to Brazil unsure about exactly what we would see. I personally had never been out of the country and was not entirely sure what to expect of Brazil. When we arrived, the airport was very similar to America and, besides the language barrier, we did not notice much of a difference at first. Our first big shock came from our drive from the airport to our hotel in Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro. We passed through poverty like I had never seen before. Rio de Janeiro is a very beautiful city with rich areas and poor areas. Unfortunately, even the nicer areas are covered in graffiti and the poor areas are a kind of living I can hardly imagine. The homes are mostly open and we were able to see right into their living areas simply by driving down the street. Many do not have electricity and big blue tubs of water can be seen on their roofs, which they use to run clean water into their homes. When we began our service project in a nearby
Katherine Manson Photo
Mercer On Mission team member Katherine Manson snapped this photo of the favela the group worked in this summer. Brazil has grown into a world power but is still a land of haves and have nots. Residents of favelas have seen their lives improve, but much work remains.
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T h e M e rc e r i a n | fa l l 2 0 1 2
Brazil Connections The trip solidified Mercer’s existing connections, which already included formal
favela called La deira de Tabajaras, we witnessed the drastic difference between life on the asphalt and life in the hills. Our hotel on the asphalt, or city, was very nice and clean. Those who live in the nearby favela and work in the city must walk up hundreds of stairs to get back and forth from their home and work. The weather is scorching hot, even in the winter, and we could not imagine how difficult the commute would be in the summer months of Brazil. The favela and the city are separated by the numerous stories of stairs. They serve as a barrier and the minute one steps off of the last step to the asphalt, it’s like night and day. The homes on the hill, in La deira de Tabajaras, were small and built by their owners. We would watch young teenagers carry bags of sand to make cement up and down the stairs to take to their homes and work on the structure. The middle and upper class people we met in the city are frightened of being in the favelas, particularly at night. However, the crime and drug gangs have been noticeably contained and our group
and informal ties to the nation. While Brazil is a fast-industrializing country, it also is one of the most unequal in income distribution.
never felt threatened to be in the favela. In fact, we were welcomed with open arms and treated with hospitality and respect. We even attended a resident’s birthday party. We learned that for the most part, the people in the favelas are good hardworking people. We were grateful to have spent our time with them and treated with such hospitality. — Katherine Manson, CLA ’13 (top left in photo)