Comments on: Slum Tours: the new trend http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-destinations/slum-tours-the-new-trend/ Selection of best destinations for your holidays. Travel Destinations we present are cheap, fun and come with a travel guide! Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:58:19 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Rocinhajj http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-destinations/slum-tours-the-new-trend/#comment-13975 Rocinhajj Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:11:25 +0000 http://www.journeyetc.com/?p=1197#comment-13975 favela tours Hello,??My name is Zezinho and I live in the favela of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am a proud resident here in my comunity.?? I understand people's opinon about favela/slum tours.?? I offer a diferent perspective. I welcome "tours" but only if done with a person who lives in the comunity. The majority of the tour operators do not live nor are not from the favela. ??I think it is the time that we who live in these comunities need do something. It is true that some tour companies do glamorize the negative things (drugs, trafickers) in the comunity. This is something that make me upset. Becase there is so much more to favelas than this. I know about all of this because I see the tour guides make their tours. ?? Favelas deserve to be seen and to be heard. There is so much prejudice against these comunities. There is much culture that comes from favelas. When a foreigner comes to our comunity, this help legitimize us as people, like everybody else. It is only that we are poor. When you come for a visit, it is then people from the outside can see the realities of life there. ?? People always focus on the negative becase that is what the media promotes, drugs, violence, only this. But for we who live there exists so much more. ?? Most of the tours have this one "sanitized" route that they take every visitor. Some of us who live here in Rocinha are changing that. We are welcoming people to come for a visit with one of us. We know everything about this comunity and want share the truth but at the same time, want people to enjoy themselves when they come here. I like to bring people to visit my family and see how I live. When you come here, I also learn about you. ?? I respect people who may think this as exploitation but the diference is, we live here and are making changes to benefit OUR comunity. Our goal is to build a comunity center for Arts and Culture. And through our "tours", people have the oportunity to also stay in the comunity. Many people return to volunteer, which we welcome. ?? If you want more information on how we are changing the perspectives of our comunity, please email me: rocinhajj@yahoo.com.br ?? Thank You,? Zezinho? "Proud favela resident"?Zezinho favela tours
Hello,??My name is Zezinho and I live in the favela of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am a proud resident here in my comunity.??

I understand people’s opinon about favela/slum tours.??

I offer a diferent perspective. I welcome “tours” but only if done with a person who lives in the comunity. The majority of the tour operators do not live nor are not from the favela. ??I think it is the time that we who live in these comunities need do something.

It is true that some tour companies do glamorize the negative things (drugs, trafickers) in the comunity. This is something that make me upset. Becase there is so much more to favelas than this. I know about all of this because I see the tour guides make their tours.
??
Favelas deserve to be seen and to be heard. There is so much prejudice against these comunities. There is much culture that comes from favelas. When a foreigner comes to our comunity, this help legitimize us as people, like everybody else. It is only that we are poor. When you come for a visit, it is then people from the outside can see the realities of life there. ??

People always focus on the negative becase that is what the media promotes, drugs, violence, only this. But for we who live there exists so much more. ??
Most of the tours have this one “sanitized” route that they take every visitor.

Some of us who live here in Rocinha are changing that. We are welcoming people to come for a visit with one of us. We know everything about this comunity and want share the truth but at the same time, want people to enjoy themselves when they come here. I like to bring people to visit my family and see how I live. When you come here, I also learn about you. ??

I respect people who may think this as exploitation but the diference is, we live here and are making changes to benefit OUR comunity. Our goal is to build a comunity center for Arts and Culture. And through our “tours”, people have the oportunity to also stay in the comunity. Many people return to volunteer, which we welcome. ??

If you want more information on how we are changing the perspectives of our comunity, please email me:

rocinhajj@yahoo.com.br ??

Thank You,?
Zezinho?
“Proud favela resident”?Zezinho

]]> By: Rocinhajj http://www.journeyetc.com/travel-destinations/slum-tours-the-new-trend/#comment-9647 Rocinhajj Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:46:10 +0000 http://www.journeyetc.com/?p=1197#comment-9647 Nice to see the story talking about many places that have these type of tours.. Zezinho Nice to see the story talking about many places that have these type of tours..

Zezinho

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