São Paulo

More than eleven million people live in the Brazilian favelas.

Every main city has its own: Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, San Paolo, Recife. They are the rotten downside of a global super growing economy as Brazil.

With more than 20 million inhabitants, Sao Paulo is the largest city in South America and Brazil’s economic capital. In its guts we find Heliópolis and Sapopemba, two most infamous and ancient favelas.

In recent years both have undergone a slow process of urbanization. But for the poor majority of the population life remains tough and violence is sometimes not an option.