“ ReVisit Rio” Rio de Janeiro

Overview The city of Rio de Janeiro, a place that enchants both Brazilians and foreigners, has ever since it was a colony of Portugal grown and expanded as the centuries have past. It was the colonial capital of Brazil since 1763 when the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal and its court was transferred to Brazil., Rio de Janeiro became the only city in the world to host a European empire outside of Europe. It continued to be the capital of the country until 1960 when it was transferred to Brasilia.

The city witnessed many historical events and political movements and since the Proclamation of the Republic Rio has been challenged by serious social problems due to rapid and unplanned growth. The abolition of slavery and the very high social inequalities in Brazil caused low-income citizens to populate the hillsides of the city, areas that were considered less valuable. Thus, the Rio slums were born, more commonly known as the favelas.

Due to the absence of government concern during the 1980´s, urban communities were taken over by criminal gangs whose main activity was illegal drug trafficking. In 2008, a process of urbanization in a new project dedicated to public security named UPPs (Unidades de Policia Pacificadora) started in the favelas. Due to these actions of pacification security was momentarily increased and Rio’s citizens and tourist alike became curious and started to more frequently pass through the favelas.

Furthermore, nowadays the favelas became focus a process of real estate speculation and others forms of gentrification of this specific space. The rising costs of goods and services is making it difficult for the traditional inhabitants to stay. However, the communities keep staying alert and with the power from their initiatives they are making sure that they are agents of change in this historical occupation of the Rio hillsides.

The community The Morro of Babilônia is located in front of an iconic attraction of the city – The Sugar Loaf – and dates back to the last years of the nineteenth century, situated next to the neighborhoods of Botafogo, Urca, Leme and Copacabana. This area is home to two urban communities: Morro de Babilônia and Chapéu de Mangueria, together with an environmentally protected area, APA of Morros de Babilônia and São João. Since 2008, the UPP (Unidade de Policia Pacificadora) is present in the neighborhood.

Since it is located in between two of the most touristic attractions in Rio de Janeiro, the beach of Copacabana and the Sugar Loaf, Morro of Babilônia has a touristic structure that is slowly starting to come together. The capacity of organization in the community is strong and the spirit of the entrepreneurship alive, giving way to creative and novel initiatives such as Favela Orgânica, a project that was born in 2011 under the leadership of Regina Tchelly. Living in the community, Regina’s objective is to teach residents from the area how to cook with leftover food, making sure that as little goes to waste as possible. Regina and her Favela Orgânica has already given classes and workshops in many parts of Brazil and internationally. She keeps being an example and big inspiration for sustainable development in the urban communities of Rio de Janeiro.

Day by day – Rio with new eyes

Day 1 | Morro of Babilônia 9:00 Arrival at Morro of Babilônia

09:30 Arrival to the headquarters of Favela Orgânica – Feel welcome and a chat with Regina Tchelly. Favela Orgânica is a project whose objective is to teach the residents from the region how to cook with food leftovers, making sure that as little goes to waste as possible. Through this innovative and pioneering initiative, the founder Regina Tchelly, wants to change people´s relationship with food, avoid food waste and take care of the environment through lectures and workshops. Regina is showing the way to the full use of food and healthy eating throughout Brazil and abroad.

10:30 Cooking workshop - Regina Tchelly invites Vivejar travelers on a sense journey through food. Now is the time to use your hands and get involved in a very important cause for our planet: food waste. Let’s learn how to cook with discarded food while learning and ruminating about a new relationship with our it, thinking about the food cycle and the cycle of life!

12:30 Lunch – It is time to taste the food cooked by the group. A moment to celebrate!

14:00 Check in at a local Hostel - To get to know the community even more, there is nothing better than being accommodated at an enterprise run by one of the residents of the community itself. You are invited to stay there with a local Rio family who has lived on the Morro of Babilônia for generations and have a lot of experience in receiving tourists from both Brazil and abroad.

15:30 Walking Tour - We will go for a walk led by one of the main leaders of the community in order to get to know the daily challenges of the people who live in the favela, what they do to protect the forest and the dynamics of the local occupation. Furthermore, we will also get to know how the community has embraced a more sustainable life through renewable energies and organic community gardens. At the end of the walk we will arrive at the lookout point Rio Sul to watch the stunning view of Rio de Janeiro in the sunset.

18:30 Happy Hour - It is time to hang out and exchange experiences from the enjoyable day that we spent together to the sound of live music and food made by Regina Tchelly and her team at Favela Orgânica. A beautiful view, a cold fresh juice and a lovely company!

* Overnight stay at a local Hostel

Day 2 | Morro of Babilônia Until 8.30 Breakfast at the Hostel

9:00 Gardening workshop and volunteer work in the community - Regina Tchelly hosts Vivejar travelers around the community gardens in the area and the group assist in the maintenance and construction, cultivation, harvesting, as well as cleaning and organizing open spaces together with the community! Besides getting to know the routine that is required to take care of a garden, you will also experience the well- being of being in close contact to the earth, as well as getting to know the secrets of the aromatic and medicinal herbs.

13:00 Lunch at Favela Orgânica - Once again you will be challenged to expand your perception about food, learn to value husks, stalks and seeds – which are usually discarded – as ingredients and sources of nutrition. After a morning with hard work to leave our legacy in the community, a delicious lunch awaits us.

14:30 Free time for rest and interaction with the community

16:30 Preparation workshop for the Luau - Once again it is time to get practical: plan the purchases, choose the food, prepare the meals, eat them and then carefully watch the waste are very important actions as they demonstrate our love for others and the planet. Let’s prepare our big farewell in style!

19:00 A Luau with the group at Leme beach - We continue together to celebrate the moments shared and lived together during our experience in the Morro of Babilônia.

*Overnight stay at a local Hostel

Day 3 | Check Out Until 10.00 Breakfast

11.00 Good bye to the community and return to Posto 1 at Leme Beach

Tips • Take the opportunity to deepen your knowledge in healthy eating: use you phone or notebook to write down all the tips and recipes!

• Value the interaction with the local residents, initiate conversation and take the opportunity to get to know their life stories. • Contribute to the trade and local entrepreneurs!

Worth to have in mind • Consider comfortable clothes and shoes as the activities take place in rougher terrain filled with hills. • The paths, roads, alleys and stairs may confuse your sense of direction. We therefore always advice our guests to walk with our hosts. • Finding armed police men is part of the local “scene”. The projects of pacification and occupation, even if they are controversial, are nowadays allowing a freer movement in the area. • Use mosquito repellent and sun screen!

Included items • Accommodation at a local Hostel • Breakfast • Lunch workshop • Lunch • Walking tour to get to know the community and lookout points • Finger foods and juices during Happy Hour • Gardening workshop – instructor and materials • Host Vivejar • Luau workshop • Food at Luau

Items not included • Airline tickets • Alcoholic beverages, phone calls, laundry and other personal expenses • Transfer IN and OUT • Optional activities not mentioned in this tour