Living in Favelas: A Reflection of Inadequate Infrastructure - Essay Sample

Introduction

Favelas are the shantytowns that are situated within the outskirts of a large city. Favelas are developed whenever refugees or squatters occupy vast land at the edge of towns, thus constructing shanties of the stolen or salvaged materials. Favela housing starts with the makeshift structures that are built from the daubs and wooden scraps. Also, some favelas incorporate durable materials such as cinder blocks, bricks, and sheet metals. Inadequate infrastructural materials lead to the development of jerry-rigged and impoverished electrical wiring and plumbing. Due to overcrowding in Favelas, there is pollution, poor nutrition, and filthy conditions which pose health risks to the residents. Some favelas experience insecurity issues since they are dominated by gangs who get involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs. Therefore, due to the unfavorable conditions in slums, this paper will focus on the two proposals that discuss the strategies for improving the well-being of their residents.

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Favelas are referred to as cultural incubators since it is cheaper and easier to host cultural events on the streets due to limited resources. Events in Favelas are rarely held indoors as artists utilize the public spaces and play live next to or in front of stores. This action makes the grocery stores to sell more products to the audience. Favelas tend to benefit society since they get to know and hear what their children and youths have to display. Since favelas are surrounded by culture, the stigma among the societal members makes it challenging for the favela artists to attain a mainstream of their terms. Slums make individuals have a place of realizing themselves and exchanging different information that builds the community. Also, the rise in transportation costs leads to challenges in traveling away from their homes to display their talents. In most favelas, the different social codes and aesthetics tend to limit personal or group interactions of different people in specific cities. The young individuals in slums feel discriminated after crossing city borders to showcase their culture spaces and arts. Therefore, favelas process the external influences, thus adapting them to a new kind of expression which belongs to a specific society.

Placemaking is an initiative that focuses their attention on investment in the personal and experiential quality of a specific place. Intervention is developed in promoting a positive relationship between individuals and places. The theory of placemaking tends to support place attachment, which is a process that promotes people-place connections where the situation affects the emotional response of people. The proposal for using google of favelas can be challenging to implement due to the difficulties present in slums. Placemaking has allowed Google and AfroReggae to focus on things that might break the barriers between favelas and their neighbors. Since the alleys and winding streets of the slums in Brazil are challenging to traverse using a car, it makes it challenging to use google maps ancient vehicle-based systems. Also, placemaking leads to challenges for the external camera crews to use the mapping efforts due to high crime rates in favelas. Therefore, to mitigate the obstacles encountered in slums, AfroReggae tends to equip the favela residents with mobile phones and train them on the use of google maps. The project of google will benefit the locals due to place attachment.

Additionally, the place attachment will benefit the favela locals since AfroReggae wishes to recruit the mappers from favela society. The advantage of choosing the locals is that they know every street, squares, small businesses, alleys, and the other interesting locations of their community. Also, place attachment will help google to achieve their objective since the favela locals are proud of getting attached to the digital world. Since the favelas were viewed as being outcasts, Google will open up these slums, thus making the external individual locate schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and bars quickly.

The use of google on favelas will have a couple of benefits on both the residents and non-residents of slums. Through the use of google maps, ambulances and emergency personals can quickly find locations, thus saving the lives of people. Mapping will also assist in the installation of service to every individual, such as sanitation and medical services. The non-residents of favelas will benefit from having the cultural stereotypes being minimized. Since the favelas are termed to be technologically, culturally, and economically disconnected, proposals on google will help in improving the lives and homes of slum residents. Therefore, Ta no Mapa will allow the non-favela residents to begin seeing good things from the favela and its residents.

The project of developing an open-air museum on the Museu de Favela could have minimized the crime rate in favelas, thus making individuals' show-case their talents. The project has made the outsiders start interacting with the favela residents despite being associated with crime and a low social life. Also, the open-air museum project can lead to the development of the permanent pacifying police units, which enhances security in favelas. The use of google on the slums has led to opening up of the slums as people can identify different locations when offering the services to both favela and non-favela residents. Due to training of the favela residents on the importance of using google, individuals are now connected to the outside world since they can locate the grocery stores, medical institutions, and schools surrounding them. The Google project will help in the dissemination of emergency services to the favela residents who will improve their quality of life. Therefore, the use of google among the favela residents has made them locate their areas on the website, thus causing them to feel appreciated by the broader community.

Consequently, both projects will improve social regeneration and the patterns of sociability in the slums. Despite the severe conditions experienced in favelas, the project of open-air museums and the use of Google technologies will help to mitigate poverty, promote mobilization of the local resources, and resist discriminations. Also, the projects can end the marginalization that exists between the slums and cities through promoting arts and civic engagements. The development of these projects in the favelas will help in transforming the slums environment and developing the communication lines between the mainstream and the marginalized societies. Therefore, through the promotion of understanding and recognition in favelas, the residents can mitigate poverty and the crime issues which are experienced in these areas.

I think the neighborhood associations should proceed with one project of opening the favela doors to Google. Focusing on one project will help in promoting the dissemination of services to the slum. The training of the favela residents on the importance of using google map technology will assist in locating businesses, grocery stores, and various institutions. Also, through the use of google among the residents and non-residents, there can be a connection among the residents. Through google, the favela residents can display their talents to other areas, thus making them recognized by the whole society. Therefore, the use of Google will promote flexibility among individuals, thus making the non-residents know there can be good things from the slums.

Therefore, the project about Google and the open-air museums can play a significant role in the lives of both favela and non-favela residents. Since the slums are faced with harsh conditions, the two projects were developed to improve the quality of life. For example, Google can help in determining areas that require medical assistance, thus causing the emergency vehicle to locate the areas in need quickly. Also, through the Google technology, the favela residents can feel appreciated, which reduces discrimination from the cities. The favela residents who have different kinds of arts can showcase their talents on the open-air museums, thus causing them to become identified by the larger society. Training and purchasing the mobile phones to the favela residents will enlighten them and make them locate grocery stores, medical facilities, and business which are situated around them. The development of the open-air museums and Google in the favelas will help in transforming the slums environment and developing the communication lines between the mainstream and the marginalized societies. I believe the neighborhood should continue with the project that has a significant impact on the lives of people in favelas and outside the slums.