- Introduction
- Study Area
- Community Mobilization
- Education and Health
- Employment
- Infrastructure
- Land Tenure
- Conclusion
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Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, encompassing 3.3 million square miles and a population of over 150 million the country boasts considerable natural and human resources with over half the population under 20 years of age. Throughout its modern history however, the nation has been characterized by an overly large and inefficient bureaucracy. Over a quarter of employed Brazilians work for the civil service, and for much of this century there has been widespread support for state enterprise and universal state intervention. However with increased global competition, enormous debt, and an increasing inability on the part of government to provide services, it has become obvious that major reform is needed. Following the lead of most other industrialized nations Brazil has initiated a major shift towards privatization and substantial cuts within the bureaucracy of government are occurring.
The lack of development in rural areas has been the major impetus for the high levels of rural to urban migration. More specifically there are a range of push and pull factors influencing this trend: (1) development of education facilities in urban areas with few in rural parts of Brazil, (2) discontentment with landowners and regressive legislation and policies around land ownership and agriculture have forced people from the land, (3) the perception that legislation regarding labour conditions is generally more effective in urban areas, (4) word of mouth reports by people who have made the move, (5) modernization of agriculture, where more and more labourers are being replaced by machines, and (6) in the north east of the country drought has forced hundreds of thousands , known as "flagelados da seca" (drought refugees) into the cities. Favelas or squatter settlements, are obvious products of this rural migration, as well as the huge disparity in the distribution of wealth.
The specific study area of this project is situated within the northeast section of Brazil in the province of Paraiba in the city of Campina Grande. The growth of Campina Grande has been closely linked to its commercial sector and its rise as a distribution centre for cotton, sisal, beans, cassava, and leather products, as well as manufactured textiles, plastics and pharmaceuticals. With a population of about 326,000 in 1991 (which is a 44% increase from 1980) this city is demonstrative the in-migration trend of poor people from rural areas. As a result of the invasion of empty parcels of land the city continues to experience serious stress on its physical, social, infrastructure, not to mention the environment.
Today the number of people living in Campina Grande's 25 favelas is estimated to be 120,000, approximately one-third of the city's population. Of these favelas those of Cachoeira, Vila dos Teimosos, and Tambos are at the greatest risk. Due to their precarious location on hillside slopes they are subjected to land erosion caused by rains and floods.
With about 3,500 persons Cachoeira suffers from problems of poverty and unemployment, poor sanitation, no medical facilities or schools, and inadequate housing. Admidst this context it is not surprising the neighborhood suffers from a range of social problems including violent crimes, substance abuse, physical abuse, and child labour. There is an expectation that municipal authorities should be acting, but there is also a widespread suspicion of corruption and mismanagement. Individually, families try their best to overcome problems they face but many feel that they lack economic resources to effectively confront problems, while others simply don't now what to do, or feel that tone person can't effectively do anything else.