One of the most amazing parts of the trip to Brazil is how
Kwame Alexander arranged for us to tour historical sites of different Bahian
cities through the Ministry of Culture.
I am particularly grateful for Paula Riberio (pronounced
Pawl-lah), the student intern who accompanies us around on our travels. She
is easy-going, helps us navigate the ordering of food, and participates in
good-natured haggling in the market.
Whenever I travel, I like to visit with students and get
their take on their country’s issues. Paula brought her friend Matheus along
one day and I was glad to sit near him and have lunch. He is a business major
at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, which is
a highly ranking business university in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. I asked
him what he thought the top five problems were facing Brazil.
“Education,” he replied quickly. He indicated it is the
number one issue in his mind and talked about the disparity between those with
wealth and children living in poverty. We also discussed the economy, hydropower,
healthcare, taking care of the elderly, and homelessness. He was knowledgeable
about his country and sincere about the concerns we discussed.
The poverty here is saddening and pervasive. In Cachoeira we went into the favela with João (he is a teacher) and walked through the
section of the city where Afro-Brazilians who are poor live. Although they are
living in substandard housing, their sense of community is strong. On the way
home, driving through the countryside, I saw families gathered around outdoor
fires, cooking dinner and listening to music under awnings.
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| Favela of Cachoeira |
One evening we went to Itapuã and walked
around through the barrio, a neighborhood marketplace. (Think: a food court,
outdoors, with samba music!) It has the feel of a festival or fair each
evening. People sitting at outdoor tables having a coffee (which is incredible
here), greeting friends with a double kiss, and laughing into the evening
hours. We befriended the family that owns an açai stand. The açai berry is from
a type of palm tree and is very rich in vitamins. They make a sort of slushy
sorbet from the berries and top it with chopped bananas and granola. It is
amazing – eating açai is like tasting frozen sunshine. I could eat it every
day.
Learning about the culture, history, and
daily lives of the people of Brazil has been such a blessing…I feel so
fortunate to be here!
