Life in the Favela: Jacson’s Story of Survival

Living in a favela in Rio de Janeiro has specific and very different problems. After a very peaceful week, I wake up on Saturday morning, and my mother calls me to go down to the favela and buy vegetables and fruits.
We had breakfast and started going down the stairs as we live in one of the highest parts. When we got close to the entrance to the favela and close to where there were some police officers, an exchange of gunfire began between the drug dealers and the police. Here, we have a very large dumpster made entirely of iron, it is used for garbage or rubble, it was precisely under it that we found shelter.
We had just come down the last step and were there next to the trash, liquid coming out of the trash and on top, larva and tapurus. There were trees close to where we were, and when we looked at them, it was possible to see their leaves falling from the bullets that cut them. Tree branches were hit, and the thinner ones ended up falling because they couldn’t resist, and we stayed under the garbage for about 30 minutes. During this time of panic we asked God to protect us and that we could get out of that situation without a scratch.
For 2 years we couldn’t pass by the same place, because it was very traumatic.
My mother returned to the same place about 2 months ago. Every time we pass by there, it is impossible not to remember the despair, anguish, and terror we went through.
This is the reality of our Favela.”

Live Generously
Jacson Lima

Written by Jacson Lima
Community Leader of The Give Back Community Rio de Janeiro