Rocinha

Rocinha (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁɔˈsĩɲɐ], lit. 'little farm') is a favela, located in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone between the districts of São Conrado and Gávea. Rocinha is built on a steep hillside overlooking Rio de Janeiro and is located about one kilometre (0.62 mi) from a nearby beach. Most of the favela is on a very steep hill, with many trees surrounding it. Around 72,000 people live in Rocinha, making it the most populous favela in Rio de Janeiro.¹

Although Rocinha is officially categorized as a neighbourhood, many still refer to it as a favela. It developed from a shanty town into an urbanized slum. Today, almost all the houses in Rocinha are made of concrete and brick. Some buildings are three and four storeys tall, and almost all houses have basic plumbing and electricity. Compared to simple shanty towns or slums, Rocinha has a better developed infrastructure and hundreds of businesses such as banks, medicine stores, bus routes, cable television, including locally based channel TV ROC TV Rocinha, and, at one time, a McDonald's franchise.² These factors help classify Rocinha as a favela bairro, or favela neighborhood.

History

In the mid-20th century, Rio de Janeiro's industrial growth attracted many migrants from Brazil's drought-stricken northeast, leading to the formation of informal settlements like Rocinha. Due to a lack of affordable housing, residents built homes themselves, often without proper infrastructure. Rocinha grew rapidly and was recognized as a favela by the 1960s. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Rocinha expanded vertically in a crowded and unplanned manner. The government largely neglected the area, leading to the rise of drug cartels and gangs that took control of parts of the community. But with the strong sense of community, the local people established community groups that locally improved town infrastructure, educational facilities, and health-care services.³

Community