Machine used for stream cleaning
Last week, I introduced that Catalytic Communities is running in the Ideablob contest. We’re running out of time, so please vote for our idea! We would like to use the $10,000 in prize money to help give community residents of Rio a voice during the process leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games.
It goes without saying that there are a lot of well-functioning communities, but this is a fact that is commonly ignored. According to one resident of Vila Autódromo, the rich never call favelas what they are: communities filled with poor people in need of help. The rich always call these communities simply, favelas.
Trash piles like this one, dug from the stream, line the road
It is as if this term is a way of masking the truth. It makes communities anonymous and equal, when in reality, each community is completely different. Over time, each community has adapted organically to their physical surroundings and slowly developed a character and an identity of its own.
But this is often overlooked. Many people cannot see past the shoddy exteriors and unpaved roads. Many cannot see that these communities are filled with bright, inventive people who are left to fend for themselves. And, amazingly, they do just that. Communities across Rio have risen to the task of uniting their residents and have developed a variety of innovative social, environmental, educational, and recreational programs.
The portion of stream that still needs cleaning
Asa Branca, for example, has been able to organize itself in such a way. Located one kilometer away from the future site of the Olympics, their community is now equipped with an underground sewage system and houses which are raised to prevent flooding. This community successfully collects R$10 from their residents to perform regular stream cleanings, and has even developed a specific type of machinery to better clean the stream that borders their community. Residents are also fully aware of the environmental and health hazards a dirty stream poses, and are working independently to improve their community.
We want to make sure that the 2016 Olympics bring positive results and benefits to communities like this one. We want to make sure that well-functioning communities continue to improve. With your help, we will use this award money to train leaders in 200 communities so that they can successfully and powerfully communicate their needs and concerns with city officials.
So, what are you waiting for? Please vote for our idea! It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t cost a thing.
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I voted and let my voice be heard