Page 76 - Future Leaders Magazine

WORLD CHANGERS

AfroReggae Cultural
Group is an NGO RESTORING
working to return
hope and peace to the

favelas of Rio. Future
Leader Giulia Olayemi
travelled to Brazil to
work with the pioneering

social enterprise

f you had told me at the start of the
year – “Giulia, you will visit Brazil
and you will experience life in the
I favelas (shantytowns) of Rio de
Janeiro” – I would not have believed you.
Little did I know that 2017 would be the
year this fantasy became a reality through
People’s Palace Projects, but it is difficult to
articulate the life-changing experience my
time there came to be.
As a country holding one of the New
Seven Wonders of the World, millions of
people dream of going to Brazil and its most
famous city: Rio de Janeiro.
The city’s famous beaches of Copacabana
have featured in numerous films, the
Selaron Steps showcased by Snoop Dogg
and Pharrell Williams in Beautiful (2003),
and we in London attempt to recreate
their world-renowned elaborate carnivals.
However, the juxtaposition between
monumental scenic landscapes and
ongoing political corruption has somewhat
tarnished its natural beauty, for which the
notion of Rio de Janeiro being a “Cidade
Partida”, a “broken city” so to speak, is
seemingly fitting.
And so this is where the NGO,
AfroReggae Cultural Group – whom I had
the pleasure to meet – come in to restore the Fixing a broken city: Giulia
city’s natural beauty. and members of AfroReggae
AfroReggae was formed in response to
the Vigário Geral massacre of 1993, where
21 innocent people were killed by police.
Since then AfroReggae has been working
to further ignite and harness the creativity great impact the variety of
of the favelas to provide positive social “The constant love workshops they hold have
alternatives through arts and culture. shown by those who within communities, beyond
The group has successfully established the documentary film Favela
an international profile for its ground- dedicated themselves Rising (2005). The constant
breaking efforts to take young people out love shown by those who
of the gang/drug culture. to helping young dedicated themselves to
Being labelled as the most dangerous people, despite socio- helping young people, despite
areas of Brazil, I was initially nervous socio-economic adversities, was
to visit the notorious favelas. However, economic adversities, mesmerising and is something
while there I felt nothing but safe. was mesmerising…” I feel is somewhat lacking in
Visiting the AfroReggae cultural centres the UK. I was in awe at
was simultaneously fascinating and the enjoyment the
overwhelming. It allowed me to understand percussion, dance,
AfroReggae’s infrastructure and the music and

74 FUTURE LEADERS | 2017-18