Favela of the North-eastern District of São Paulo

Collaborators of the SABESP agreed to accompany us in a favela. Their presence made it possible to calm the curiosity of people and a certain safety offered to us... In addition, thank you in Marcel Nakamura (friendly and collaborator SABESP) for his talents for mediators and translators.

- Meeting with Marcelo Rondoni.
It is responsible for the association of Divine Providence, which represents the favela near the prefecture. That made two years that it lives this shantytown and thanks to its action, the prefecture ensures the service of the dustbins now it. He is also the privileged interlocutor of the SABESP for the payment of the litigations, such as the flight of water (illegal connections) and the water cuts.

Name of the Shantytown : "Ponte Grande Divina Providencia" (Divine Providence of the Large Bridge)
Poeple : roughly 2000
Geographical situation: Below a road exchanger. A large Bridge divides the favela into two (from where its Name). It is located at the North-East of the city.
Years of existence : 30 years

Sewers:
In the streets of the favela, there is a rudimentary system of used drainage, but not of connections to the sewers of the city. According to Marcelo, it is only one and even nobody who orchestrated the construction of this sewerage system to the whole beginning of the favela. Since then, nothing was done. Result, as the drains are old and damaged, there are regularly floods which submerge of waste the floor of the houses.

"We are obliged to steal water to live"

Water:
It arrives in this favela by the means of two different distributors of which the SABESP. A great part of the dwellings has running water and often even of a meter.
However, last year, there was a fire in the favela which destroyed a part of the dwellings. Fire is propagated quickly in this kind of place where the houses stuck the ones to the others are made in boards of wood or even of agglomerate. In addition to the dwellings, the fire destroyed the water meters, but fortunately not the control which remained more or less intact. Deprived of water meter or often private, the inhabitants must face as they can it. "We are thus obliged to steal water to live, declares Marcelo, because otherwise one would not give any us".
Like there is not enough water for all the inhabitants, because of the too frequent water cuts, they is entered help so that the children have at least the vital minimum. To consider the construction of a well to face the needs for the shantytown is impossible. Indeed, the evacuation of the sewers is not done enough far what involves a pollution of the tablecloth and the proximity of Rio Tietê prevents any exploitation of subsoil water. Rio Tietê becomes a river died starting from São Paulo. Its water is black and without life because worn water of the city (18 million inhabitants) flows there without preliminary treatment.

"We prefer to pay a system which goes, rather than living without water"

With the question, "be you ready to pay for water and the whole with the sewer ?",
Marcelo Rondoni Answers:
"We prefer to pay a system which rather goes, even if that must represent a large share of our budget, than living tous.les.jours in shit and without running water". But the problem is more complex than it does not appear about it. "Their to provide running water and a system of all to the sewer is their to recognize a legal existence but all these people do not have the right of squatter the ground and can be to expel of the day at the following day", explains us one of the collaborators of the SABESP. "In more they complain to have water cuts, but normally it should not see whole of it…"

"We are here for a short duration, the time to hoard up enough money "

- Word of woman:
Rasa Maria Dassilva is 45 years old, it comes from the North of Brazil of Reef.
It lives here with her husband and his children since only 15 days.
"We for a short duration" declares us are here start while laughing. "My husband wants to find work here. The situation is better here than in North. There are more opportunities and the wages is better, it is for that that we are there ". As soon as they pile up enough money, they will turn over in North.
We asked him to say something to us on water. It answered us while smiling: "Give us water! Me, I do not have anything to say on water. Water for us, it is important. One thus pays naturally attention to it ". Concurrently to Maria another woman Shaved lives here since 15 years, it wants also to leave and turn over to Recife from where it comes, as soon as her husband gains enough money...

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Marcelo Rondoni (on the left in train) to present fonctioinnement shantytown to us. Behind him Marcel Nakamura who was our guide during two days.

The houses are very gathered in the favela and separated by ways in terrre. Behind plane a cistern. It fills it during the night, because the day water is cut.

The whole with the sewer remains very summary in the shantytowns. One seen of the connection of a house to the network.



A glance on the sewers lets to us guess the disaster by large rains. Regularly the inhabitants have to face the rise of water of the sewers which invade their floor.

A pipe of drinking water supply going in the other part of the favela.

A sight on dead water of Rio Tietê. A program of rehabiliation of the river was launched by the town of São Paulo (expiry with more than 30 years)

The "Ponte Grande" deciding between the favela in two parts. In the foreground the charette of the chiffoniers. They traverse day and night the streets of São Paulo by drawing it for récuperer all that trails, primarily paperboard.

A child of the favela looking at its new play, a kite. Presently it will fly in the sky of São Paulo.

The place is counted in a shantytown. Here, the linen dries thanks to the wind of the cars...

Maria Dassilva in the center (blue trousers) shaved. On its line one of his/her friends which has been there for 15 years. At the time, it had undoubtedly also come for a short duration, like Maria today.