THE CULTURE INSIDE OF THE CULTURE

To learn a new culture is not always easy. The first thing we need to do is to give up on what we think is the right way to do things. Cultures are different and have different ways of doing things, especially those things of daily life. It won’t help if we arrive somewhere and try to put our rules, our thoughts, our vision, our way. If we act like that we will always be considered the “outsiders”, and never as “one of us”.

Brazil is a huge country and sometimes it is difficult to know what really is the “Brazilian Culture”. What is normal for those in the South can be completely weird for those living in the North, and this happens with all regions of the country. But there is a culture hidden inside of culture itself. Maybe it has not been explored yet or is rejected by the majority. It is the culture of the slum. And it’s not a bad thing, but it is their own culture, different of anything we’ve ever seen. 

We need time to understand the culture of the slum. It is like a period of “culturizing”. We cannot do our work if we don’t unbuild our little box of thoughts and don’t give up on what we believe is the right way of acting. Of course, we recognize that we have principles that are unchangeable, those out of the word of God. But there are aspects in our culture which are only things we are used to, different ways of acting and thinking.

I will give you some examples of what happens here. It is really common that, on a Saturday morning, some man come together to build a roof, and do you know where they make the concrete? On the middle of the street! Yes, the middle of the street, stopping the cars and busses that want to pass through. And no one complains, because everyone understands that, in the slums, there is no other space to do that. Saturday I had to go to the bus stop. But on a certain point of the street, the way was closed by a mountain of sand, that was about to be used in the construction of one of the houses. I had to find my way through the sand, and turn around an angry dog that was leaving some little presents for the brave builders. Everybody here knows each other, as if it was a little town, even though to slum is huge! It is very common to see the children playing on the streets all day long, running all around with their kites. All the legends, myths and beliefs they brought with them from the countryside continue here. Old people tell their stories, sitting at the doors of their old little houses, watching life passing by. In the weekend you hear the loud sound of the funk and pagode music, mixed with the congregational songs of the many churches spread around the community. And so it goes one. 

The process of knowing the community better is very good and challenging. The important thing is to respect and value the aspects of this culture. We might have a lot to teach, but we also have a lot to learn. 

Once you know the favela, you become passionate for the suffering but courageous people and you will never forget it!