This is the fifth article in what will be a spotlighted issue on RioOnWatch for the foreseeable future: the new coronavirus as it impacts Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. We recommend also reading “Six Coronavirus Realities in the Favelas” to understand the context and why your help (in the campaigns below) is critical. List below updated on April 23, 2020.
With the arrival of Covid-19 in Rio de Janeiro, building awareness and actions to mitigate the risks that the disease poses to the health and economy of the favelas is essential. To lower these risks, countless community organizations and collectives, all in a state of alert, have launched donation campaigns dedicated to strengthening prevention measures and supporting favela residents. These are organizations that have worked tirelessly in their territories for years, fostering learning, support, and solutions.
How can residents take preventative measures without proper sanitation, regular access to running water, or funds to buy hand sanitizer? How can effective quarantine measures be practiced among residents who are not in a position to forego work out of the house?
Community organizations from myriad favelas have set up virtual platforms in order to receive physical donations of foodstuffs and hygiene products, monetary donations for the purchase of these products, and resources to support information campaigns. The number of campaigns that have arisen in a matter of days, all dedicated to mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 in the favelas, stands as a testament both to the severity of the situation and the efficiency and organization of Rio de Janeiro communities. These solutions come from the favelas themselves and thus guarantee direct, dynamic, and effective responses to local needs.
With the publication of this list, researched with great care, we hope each reader chooses at least one organization to support, be it because of familiarity with the organization or community, sympathy with their mission, or any other criterion. We hope that, in addition to donating, once this moment of isolation has passed, you seek to learn more about your chosen project up close. Lastly, we hope that this list brings an avalanche of goodwill and solidarity, strengthening our resistance as a society such that we become more resilient in the face of crisis and grow bonds of mutual support that last long beyond the current pandemic. Please share this list widely, with all those who might be inspired to help!
Note: This article will be updated with new campaigns as we learn of more. For US-based donors, Catalytic Communities, the 501c3 nonprofit that publishes RioOnWatch, has established an English-language fundraising page available here where you can get a tax exemption for contributing. To have your contribution earmarked to a specific community group below please type their name in the “Additional Information” box on the fundraising page.
Campaigns Run by Favela-Based Organizations in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region (Alphabetical Order)
Centro
Morro da Providência
Organization: Casa Amarela (Yellow House), a community cultural and arts center in Morro da Providência. Casa Amarela is accepting donations of foodstuffs and hygiene kits to be distributed, in collaboration with residents, to the community.
Donations: here and here
Organization: Entre o Céu e a Favela (Between The Sky and the Favela), an arts, cultural, and social development organization in Morro da Providência and member of the Sustainable Favela Network. Entre o Céu e a Favela is accepting direct and financial donations for the purchase of cleaning items and foodstuffs.
Donations: here
Morro da Providência, Morro do Pinto, and Morro da Conceição
Organization: The SOS Por Zone Communities campaign (coordinated by the Port Zone Cultural Project, Providência’s Casa Amarela NGO, and local residents like Cosme Felippsen) is raising money for the purchase of basic food baskets and hygiene kits which will be distributed to vulnerable families in Providência and to the “É Conceição!” cooperative in Morro da Conceição.
Donations: here
Morro da Coroa
Organization: The Coroa Friends Society (SAMC) group is accepting foodstuffs, hygiene and cleaning products as well as financial donations for residents of Morro da Coroa.
Donations: Donations can be dropped off at collection points at Raízes do Brasil (Rua Áurea, 80 – Santa Teresa) or at Lava-Jato 100 Nome (Rua Santa Catarina, 367 – Santa Teresa) or via bank deposit:
Bank: Santander
Agency: 3838
Account: 13.000.268-6
Centro de Apoio Ao Desenvolvimento Osvaldo Dos Santos Neves (CADON)
CNPJ: 02.593.213/0001-08
Santo Amaro
Organization: The All for Santo Amaro campaign, coordinated by Ademafia, a collective that uses skateboarding for social transformation, will distribute basic food baskets and hygiene material for the residents of Santo Amaro.
Donations: here
North Zone
Aldeia Maracanã
Organization: Aldeia Maracanã (Maracanã Village), a center of indigenous resistance in Rio, located next to the Maracanã stadium, and a community space and reference point for the indigenous movement. The group is accepting financial donations to guarantee water, foodstuffs, cleaning products, and medical supplies for residents during the quarantine.
Donations: here
Complexo de Acari
Organization: Coletivo Fala Akari (Speak Up Acari Collective), a group of favela residents and activists in Acari, organized with the goal of undertaking, disseminating, and spreading news of cultural and educational actions and denouncing all forms of oppression committed by the State within the territory. Fala Akari is accepting financial donations for the purchase of basic foodstuffs and cleaning products.
Donations: Via PayPal (bruuna.aguiar@hotmail.com) or bank deposit
Bank: Caixa Econômica
Agency: 3057
Account: 17870-6
CPF: 136.905.727-03
Bruna S. A. Barbosa.
Or get in contact with Coletivo Fala Akari at: +55 (21) 97 467 4021
Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha
Organization: Abraço Campeão (Champion Hug), a community organization based in Complexo do Alemão has, since 2014, inspired children and youth through martial arts integrated with education and personal development. Abraço Campeão is accepting financial donations for the purchase of materials such as water, soap, hand sanitizer, and foodstuffs for the families of Complexo do Alemão.
Donations: here
Organization: The Serra da Misericórdia Center for Multicultural Education (CEM), a community organization based in Complexo da Penha with a history of work in urban agriculture and agroecology in the favela as well as the promotion of sound nutrition. The group is holding an awareness-raising and information campaign about coronavirus and has launched a donation campaign for foodstuffs, hygiene products, and items for children (games, stationery materials) for residents of the favelas of Complexo da Penha, especially the growing favela of “Terra Prometida.”
Donations: here
Organization: Coletivo Papo Reto (Straight Talk Collective), an independent communication collective of young residents of Complexo do Alemão and Complexo da Penha. The collective, which has a strong history of fighting for human rights, is accepting direct and financial donations for the purchase of basic foodstuffs and cleaning products for families in Alemão and Penha.
Donations: here
Organization: Cooperativa Transvida, a cooperative made up of dozens of waste pickers (catadores) working since 2011 with the collection of recyclable materials in Complexo da Penha. In addition to generating income for families, the group seeks to promote environmental education in the favelas. The group is an active member of the Sustainable Favela Network in Rio de Janeiro. The catadores’ activities are currently suspended due to risk of contamination via solid waste material. They are now seeking support to purchase cleaning supplies and basic foodstuffs.
Donations: here
Organization: Educap, an educational, social, and health NGO in Complexo do Alemão. Educap is accepting in-kind and financial donations for the purchase of materials such as water, soap, hand sanitizer, and foodstuffs for the families of Complexo do Alemão. Educap is a member of the Sustainable Favela Network.
Donations: here
Organization: Voz das Comunidades (Community Voices), one of Rio’s original favela-based online news websites, headquartered in Complexo do Alemão. The campaign created by Voz, known as Pandemic with Empathy, is accepting financial donations for the purchase of materials such as water, soap, and hand sanitizer for the families of Complexo do Alemão.
Donations: here
Complexo da Maré
Community Campaign: Maré Against Coronavírus, a coalition of communicators in Maré, from the Maré Vive, Maré 0800, and AmarÉvê collectives, has launched a campaign to maintain their critical communication activities during this pandemic.
Donations: here
Organization: Fight for Peace is an organization that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to develop the potential of youth in Complexo da Maré. Fight for Peace is accepting financial donations for the purchase of cleaning products, water, and basic foodstuffs for the families of program participants in Maré.
Donations: here
Organization: Redes de Desenvolvimento da Maré (Maré Development Networks), a 22-year-old civil society institution that works in knowledge production and develops projects and actions to guarantee public policies that improve the lives of residents of Maré. Redes is accepting direct and financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, water, personal hygiene products, and cleaning materials. Items can be dropped at Centro de Artes da Maré (Rua Bitencourt Sampaio, 181 – Maré), Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2-5pm.
Donations: here
Costa Barros
Organization: Visão Restaurar (Restore Vision), a youth and children’s soccer school and development program in Costa Barros, is receiving direct donations of basic food baskets.
Donations: Items can be dropped at their headquarters (Rua Maria José Mynssen – Tom Jobim Fechado – Pavuna) and financial contributions can be made by getting in touch with Felipe Rocha, at +55 21 979196583.
Jacarezinho
Organization: Projeto NICA, a literacy and college entrance exam prep program in Jacarezinho, through the Jacarezinho Combating Coronavírus campaign, is accepting financial donations for the purchase of hygiene kits and foodstuffs for the families of Jacarezinho.
Donations: here
Manguinhos
Organization: The Manguinhos Solidarity collaborative (which includes Ballet Manguinhos, the Mandela 2 residents’ association, and the Fala Manguinhos group, among others), existed prior to the pandemic, but has been reactivated to collect foodstuffs, medicine, and cleaning materials for the residents of Manguinhos.
Donations: here
Organization: A group of workers from the nearby Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil’s national public health institute, has come together and is accepting financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, hygiene products, and cleaning material for the families of Manguinhos.
Donations: Via bank deposit:
Bank Bradesco
Agency: 3002
Account: 0305422-5
Silvana Granado Nogueira da Gama
CPF: 790876637-49
Inquiries: +55 21 980137600 (Jussara Angelo) or +55 21 986451606 (Silvana Granado)
Morro dos Macacos
Organization: Anjos da Tia Stellinha (Aunt Stellinha’s Angels), an educational and psycho-social support organization in Morro dos Macacos, is accepting direct donations of cleaning and personal hygiene kits as well as financial donations.
Donations: Via bank deposit:
Bank: Bradesco
Agency: 1400
Account: 3130-5
CNPJ 27.481.838.0001-09
Organization: Morro dos Macacos Residents’ Association
Donations: The Macacos Residents’ Association is accepting direct donations of hygiene products, cleaning materials, water, and foodstuffs at the Residents Association (Rua Senador Nabuco, 248 – Vila Isabel) or at the Loja Ferragens (Rua Souza Franco, 356 – Vila Isabel). Inquiries: +55 21 979031949
Pica-Pau
Organization: #PicaPauAgainstCoronavirus, a campaign launched by resident and organizer Irenaldo Honório da Silva, of Pica-Pau in Cordovil, will guarantee basic foodstuffs to the most vulnerable residents of the community, along with renting a sound truck to communicate prevention techniques to residents.
Donations: here
Serrinha
Organization: The Rise Serrinha campaign, coordinated by the Companhia de Aruanda, an artistic and cultural collective located in Serrinha and the surrounding area, is accepting foodstuffs and cleaning and hygiene products for residents of Morro da Serrinha.
Donations: here
West Zone
Beira do Rio, Gardênia Azul
Organization: Favela Vertical, a collective that promotes cultural, educational, and artistic activities in the communities of Gardênia Azul, is accepting donations to help the families of the community of Beira do Rio.
Donations: Via PicPay (@favelavertical) or via bank deposit:
Bank: Itaú
Agency: 9291
Account: 21011-1
or
Nubank
Agency: 0001
Account: 3421972-9
Rafael Mendes de Oliveira
CPF 170.746.447-22
City of God
Organization: City of God Against Corona Covid-19, a campaign organized by community activists and leaders in City of God, is accepting hygiene products and cleaning items to be distributed to residents.
Donations: here
Organization: Marginal, a school for popular education, community communication, and political engagement in City of God.
Donations: here
Favela do Aço, Santa Cruz
Organization: A collective mobilization in Favela do Aço/Vila da Paciência, led by the local organizations of Levante Aço, Plataforma Casa, and the Hope for a Child Project (PEPUC), is accepting financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, liquid cleaner, soap, and toilet paper.
Donations: here
Rio das Pedras
Organization: Cine & Rock, an initiative that seeks to strengthen full citizenship and social justice through the development of urban culture and an active member of the Sustainable Favela Network. Cine & Rock is accepting donations of cleaning kits, soap, hand sanitizer, and foodstuffs.
Donations: here
Vila Kennedy
Organization: Gabinete de Crise VK, (The Vila Kennedy Crisis Team) a plural group of community leaders, public health professionals, community health agents, social workers, cultural actors, religious figures, teachers, athletes, business owners, communicators, digital influencers, etc; from Vila Kennedy is accepting donations for the production of banners and for the circulation of speaker-strapped cars with preventative information as well as hygiene products. Donations can be dropped off at the Kennedy Brothers Community Center (CCIK), a member of the Sustainable Favela Network.
Donations: At the CCIK headquarters, Estrada Sargento Miguel Filho, 371 – Vila Kennedy
Organization: Projeto SAAF, a community-based social organization for the children of Vila Kennedy, is accepting donations of soap, household cleaning times, and non-perishable foods.
Donations: here
South Zone
Chapéu-Mangueira e Babilônia
Organization: RevoluSolar, a community-based non-profit in Chapéu-Mangueira e Babilônia and dedicated to bringing renewable energy to the favelas (also an active member of the Sustainable Favela Network), is accepting financial donations for the purchase of basic foodstuffs and hygiene products to be distributed to residents.
Donations: here
Contact: +55 21 998886649 (Valdinei Medina) or +55 21 979214486 (Adriano Paraíso)
Organization: Babilônia Utopia in partnership with TV 247, is organizing a crowdfunding campaign to purchase cleaning and hygiene products for the favelas of Babilônia and Chapéu Mangueira.
Donations: here
Contact: André Constantine
Rocinha
Organization: Favela Action, a youth boxing and kickboxing school, is accepting hygiene kits as well as water and cleaning products for the children of Rocinha.
Donations: Via bank deposit:
Bank: Nubank
Agency: 0001
Account: 14861915-4
Eder Alexandre Silva
CPF: 104329547-08
Organization: Social Assistance, Educational and Ecological Nucleus of Rocinha (NASCEER), Guia Mix, and GECORE—three Rocinha community initiatives—have come together to receive donations and distribute basic food staples, hygiene products and powdered milk to residents in need
Donations:
Banco PagSeguro Internet S.A
Agência: 0001
Conta corrente: 01662308-4
GECORE
CNPJ: 05.575.736/0001-01
Organization: Rocinha Resists, a community organization dedicated to inter-favela communication, is accepting financial donations for an awareness-raising campaign (signs and banners) the purchase of bleach, soap, hand sanitizer, water, and basic goods for families in Rocinha.
Donations: here
Santa Marta
Organization: Santa Marta Asks for Help is a non-partisan movement uniting civil society and private initiative to help victims of the coronavirus crisis. The initiative will provide basic food items, hygiene kits and face masks for residents of Santa Marta.
Donations: here or here
Vidigal
Organization: Nós do Morro, a theater organization that provides professional training and access to art and culture in Vidigal, has joined with community leaders to provide personal hygiene products and cleaning products for the families of Vidigal.
Donations: here
Organization: SER Alzira de Aleluia, a community NGO that realizes socio-educational projects in Vidigal, is accepting foodstuffs and cleaning materials to distribute to Vidigal residents in need.
Donations: Items can be dropped off at the organization’s headquarters (Rua Major Toja Martinez Filho, 128A – Vidigal).
Organization: The Vidigal Residents’ Association is counting on your support in its crowdfunding campaign to guarantee foodstuff and hygiene products for families experiencing hunger.
Donations: here
Organization: The Women’s Humanitarian Support Movement, MMAH, an NGO that works in Vidigal with conversation roundtables and assistance to socially vulnerable families, is accepting donations to distribute hygiene and cleaning kits as well as basic food baskets for 100 project families.
Donations: here
Baixada Fluminense (Greater Rio de Janeiro)
Duque de Caxias
Organization: AMAC (The Association of Women with Attitude and Social Commitment), a group that cares for victims of domestic violence and women in vulnerable social positions in Duque de Caxias in Greater Rio de Janeiro’s Baixada Fluminense region, is receiving direct and financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs and cleaning products for local women. AMAC is an active member of the Sustainable Favela Network.
Donations: Donations can be dropped off at Travessa Presidente Kennedy, 194, Parque Fluminense – Duque de Caxias, or picked-up upon arrangement at +55 21 998078422 (Nill Santos). Via bank deposit:
Bank Itaú
Agency: 8297
Account: 18154-0
CNPJ: 24.119.219/0001-72
Organization: MALOCA, a movement that promotes mental health and income generation for women in Caxias, is accepting financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, cleaning products, soap, and hand sanitizer to be donated to families in the community of Pantanal, in Caxias. MALOCA is also a member of the Sustainable Favela Network.
Donations: here
Organization: Movimenta Caxias, a community development organization in Caxias, is accepting direct and financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, cleaning products, and bottled water for vulnerable residents of Caxias.
Donations: here
São João de Meriti
Organization: Projeto Inclusão, an educational, cultural, art, and sports organization in Greater Rio’s São João de Meriti, is accepting donations in order to support a return of their activities following Covid-19 recovery. Projeto Inclusão are active members of the Sustainable Favela Network.
Donations: here
Niterói
Organization: Favela & Arte, which offers art workshops, music, and sports for communities in Niterói, is accepting donations of foodstuffs and hygiene materials.
Donations: Items can be dropped off at their headquarters (Rua Nossa Senhora das Graças 474, Viradouro, Santa Rosa – Niterói), or picked up via scheduling on the group’s social media pages.
Civil Society Organizations Directing Donations to Communities, the Homeless, and Waste Pickers
Organization: The Favelas News Agency (ANF) is accepting financial donations to be passed on to needy families of the favelas and peripheries throughout Brazil.
Donations: here
Organization: Help CasaNem is an initiative to support LGBTQIA+ people and sex workers living in social vulnerability throughout Greater Rio. Promoted by CasaNem and Grupo TransRevolução, the initiative will directly deliver essential food and hygiene items to those in need. The Puta Davida Collective has also put together a donation platform to support CasaNem. Residents of the following communities will benefit: Lapa, Glória, Estácio, Copacabana, São João de Meriti, Nova Iguaçu, Mesquita, and São Gonçalo.
Donations: here in reais (being triple-matched by the Enfrente Fund) or here in dollars
Organization: Catadores em Quarentena (Waste Pickers in Quarantine), a new initiative supporting waste pickers from the Coopama, Coopfuturo and Coopideal associations, is accepting financial donations for the purchase of basic food baskets for informal waste pickers.
Donations: here
Organization: Catalytic Communities (CatComm), the organization that publishes RioOnWatch and facilitates the Sustainable Favela Network, is directing all current donations to supporting favelas in their efforts to combat coronavirus, with coverage on RioOnWatch, donations to community partners (see list above), and strategic support for community projects engaged in the Sustainable Favela Network and the Community Land Trust projects.
Donations: here
Organization: The Cities Against Coronavirus campaign, organized by the Brazilian Institute of Architects, Casa Fluminense, BR Cidades Rio de Janeiro, and Catalytic Communities, among others, is accepting financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, cleaning materials, and hygiene kits to be distributed to favela residents, the homeless, and informal workers in the city of Rio and the Baixada Fluminense. The carefully-selected community-based organizations that will receive donations are: North Zone—Roots in Movement Institute in Complexo do Alemão; Jacarezinho Residents’ Association and Núcleo Independente e Comunitário de Aprendizagem (Nica) in Jacarezinho; Jornal Vila Cruzeiro in Vila Cruzeiro; Companhia de Aruanda in Morro da Serrinha; Manguinhos Solidário in Manguinhos; and the Wakanda Solidária project; Baixada Fluminense—the Imbariê Arts Festival in Duque de Caxias Caxias; MTST community kitchen in the São Gonçalo favela of Rato Molhado; Central Rio—Movimento Unidos dos Camelôs supporting informal workers; Rolé dos Favelados in Favela da Providência; West Zone—the parish of N.S. Sagrado Coração e São José Operário in Morro da Barão, Praça Seca; the Capitão Menezes Association and the Deus da Capitão Menezes Association, Praça Seca.
Donations: here
Organization: Donating Hope is a campaign by the Network of Communities and Movements Against Violence, a social movement which, since 2006, fights against State violence in Brazil.
Donations: here
Organization: Sustainable Brazil Eco Point, a member of the Sustainable Favela Network dedicated to the collection and distribution of recyclable materials, wants to distribute sets of basic food items and cleaning products to 300 waste pickers.
Donations: here
Organization: Habitat for Humanity Brazil’s “Don’t spread the virus” campaign, under the hashtag #EspalheSolidariedade (Spread Solidarity), is accepting financial donations for the purchase of foodstuffs, hygiene items, and water in the 20 Brazilian communities where the group has operations. In Rio, the program will benefit families in Cantagalo.
Donations: here
Organization: Meu Rio, which launched a campaign in partnership with six favela collectives (Fala Akari, Maré 0800, Coletivo Papo Reto, Movimenta Caxias, B.A.S.E. and Conexão Favela & Arte), each of which will receive equal parts of the amount donated, destined for water, cleaning and hygiene products, and prevention communication campaigns.
Donations: here
Organization: Movimento 342, an organization made up of artists directly supporting favela collectives, is accepting financial donations that will be passed along to Voz das Comunidades, Coletivo Papo Reto, Rocinha Resiste, and Redes da Maré (all mentioned above).
Donations: here
Organization: MTST, the Brazilian Homeless Workers’ Movement, a national organization for housing rights, has created an emergency fund for homeless workers affected by coronavirus.
Donations: here
Organization: Nós por Nós contra o coronavírus, a campaign that includes Levante Popular da Juventude, the Landless Workers Movement (MST), Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens (MAB), Maré Museum, among others, is accepting foodstuffs and hygiene products for residents of Cerro Corá, Manguinhos, Guararapes, and Borel.
Donations: The organizers schedule times to pick up donations using this form. Financial donations can be made on PicPay (@levante.rj) or via bank deposit:
Bank: Banco do Brasil
Agency: 2.972-6
Account: 38.834-3
Allanis Dimitria de O. e S. Pedrosa
Organization: Os Heróis da Cidade (Heroes of the City), a collaboration of waste picking and recycling cooperatives, including Coopfuturo, Coopama, ACAMJG, Coopercaxias, Cooper Nova Era, and the Bela Amizade Association, is accepting financial donations for the purchase of basic foodstuffs and hygiene products for recycling workers.
Donations: here
Organization: Projeto Ruas, an NGO that supports the homeless population of Rio de Janeiro.
Donations: here
Organization: Rio Contra Corona (Rio Against Corona), a collaborative initiative between Instituto Phi (a philanthropic organization), Banco da Providência, and the Ekloos social impact NGO
Donations: here
Organização: Rio de Paz is an NGO that seeks to combat human rights violations, reducing lethal violence and social inequalities through peaceful and creative actions that mobilize society and public authorities. Rio de Paz is accepting financial donations for the purchase of basic food baskets for the residents of Jacaré and Jacarezinho.
Donations: here
Organization: TETO Brasil, a non-governmental organization committed to improving housing conditions for persons living in precarious situations in informal settlements. The group has launched an international campaign to support families affected throughout Brazil.
Donations: here
Additional Donation Resources
See a map of the collaborative networks combating Covid-19 in the favelas and peripheries of Rio de Janeiro here.
For an additional list of organizations and vaquinhas, organized by the Gera Social group, click here.