Brazil is one of the most unequal and violent countries in the world. In Rio de Janeiro, one third of the city’s population is estimated to live in the 800 favelas, nearly every one of these is controlled by heavily armed drug ‘soldiers’, who monitor and control each community. Drugs, violence, police corruption and violent disputes over territory and sales points are common facts. This is the context in which AfroReggae has carried out its work for the past 13 years.
In the aftermath of a police massacre where 21 innocent residents were killed, AffroReggae began to offer recycling and percussion classes in Vigário Geral, one of Rio’s most violent favelas. From these beginnings AfroReggae has grown to a recognized organization that has permanent bases in four different communities. In Vigário Geral they have formed a 13 piece band that has just released its second album, as well as nine further musical “sub groups”.
For more than ten years, AfroReggae duplicated their work in the neighboring favelas, where they set up a centre for technological excellence in the favela of Parada de Lucas and a circus school in the favela of Cantagalo. Last year it moved into the Complexo do Alemão, a favela complex home to more than 100 000 residents.
Each community where AfroReggae works has its own distinct social, historical and geographical identity. Relatively speaking, some are rich, some are poor, some organized, some chaotic, some central, some suburban. Therefore AfroReggae’s approach is tailored according to the needs of each individual favela. They invest in the latent human potential of these populations and work to raise individual and collective self esteem to show young people that they can achieve success and well being through artistic and creative endeavor. All individuals involved in their projects are monitored by a dedicated social support team.
AfroReggae is an NGO, conflict mediator and socio-cultural business. They work to break down social barriers and prejudices of all types. Offering training in circus, dance, percussion, classical violin, singing, graffiti, breakdancing, DJing, theatre, computer skills, cartoon drawing and literacy, AffroReggae has a choir, a samba school, a theatre and two circus troupes. It has grown from a grassroots local NGO to an organization of national and international recognition and are currently employing over 150 people. For AfroReggae there are no lost causes.
In the aftermath of a police massacre where 21 innocent residents were killed, AffroReggae began to offer recycling and percussion classes in Vigário Geral, one of Rio’s most violent favelas. From these beginnings AfroReggae has grown to a recognized organization that has permanent bases in four different communities. In Vigário Geral they have formed a 13 piece band that has just released its second album, as well as nine further musical “sub groups”.
For more than ten years, AfroReggae duplicated their work in the neighboring favelas, where they set up a centre for technological excellence in the favela of Parada de Lucas and a circus school in the favela of Cantagalo. Last year it moved into the Complexo do Alemão, a favela complex home to more than 100 000 residents.
Each community where AfroReggae works has its own distinct social, historical and geographical identity. Relatively speaking, some are rich, some are poor, some organized, some chaotic, some central, some suburban. Therefore AfroReggae’s approach is tailored according to the needs of each individual favela. They invest in the latent human potential of these populations and work to raise individual and collective self esteem to show young people that they can achieve success and well being through artistic and creative endeavor. All individuals involved in their projects are monitored by a dedicated social support team.
AfroReggae is an NGO, conflict mediator and socio-cultural business. They work to break down social barriers and prejudices of all types. Offering training in circus, dance, percussion, classical violin, singing, graffiti, breakdancing, DJing, theatre, computer skills, cartoon drawing and literacy, AffroReggae has a choir, a samba school, a theatre and two circus troupes. It has grown from a grassroots local NGO to an organization of national and international recognition and are currently employing over 150 people. For AfroReggae there are no lost causes.
