UNAS Afterschool in the favela of Heliópolis, São Paulo

Through the connection with the Hip-Hop collective from Sao Paulo “Avante O Coletivo” is that I got to visit and know the organization from Heliopolis “UNAS”. Their mission is to “strengthen the autonomy of the people of Heliópolis for effective citizenship, thus seeking to break the invisible walls that separate the peripheries of other neighborhoods. They run programs and services in education, health, housing, culture, sport, social development, solidarity economy, income generation and sustainability based in human rights treaties, impacting more than seven thousand and three hundred people directly.

By following ‘Avante O Coletivo’ I got to spend a few weeks visiting the different schools part of UNAS, playing, talking to the many kids that everyday attend these schools, I also got to show them different photos from Malmö and the social movement here. Personally I think that my photographs represent the inspiration I felt by seeing an initiative that includes informal cultures such as Hip-Hop culture, as well as the inspiration I felt to see how this created a safe and creative space for kids that are in great need of care and learning opportunities.