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Latest News
  • [ December 4, 2025 ] Portrait of a Centenary-Old Favela of Stilt Houses: Belém’s Vila da Barca Resists, Organizes and Fights for Sanitation and Adequate Housing #HousingWatch
  • [ November 30, 2025 ] The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel by Community Contributors
  • [ November 15, 2025 ] ‘There’s No Such Thing as Normal After a Massacre’: One Week After Police Mega-Operation Kills 121 People, Residents From Complexos do Alemão and Penha Speak Out #UPPWatch
  • [ November 13, 2025 ] ‘Human Beings Forget That They Are Nature’: Favelas Teach the Path to the Future at the 2nd Favela Sustainability Festival Civil Society
  • [ November 12, 2025 ] Food Sovereignty and Culinary Heritage Connect with Fight for Climate Justice at the 2nd Sustainable Favela Festival Civil Society
HomeWritersJanaina Tavares

Writer: Janaina Tavares

by Community Contributors

Female Entrepreneurship + Racial Literacy = Financial Autonomy for Women in Jardim Gramacho, Favela Made Famous in ‘Waste Land’ Film

By Janaina Tavares • Translation by Yasmin Quaife • March 20, 2025

Clique aqui para Português This Women’s Month, in one of the most vulnerable areas of Greater Rio de Janeiro’s Baixada Fluminense region, an initiative is transforming the lives of Black women from low-income backgrounds with […]

by Community Contributors

Meet Rio de Janeiro’s 2024 Mayoral Candidates

By Janaina Tavares • Translation by Vasti Cruz • October 2, 2024

Clique aqui para Português In 2024, seven men and two women are running for mayor of Rio de Janeiro from nine of Brazil’s several dozen political parties. Only one male candidate self-identifies as Black, reflecting […]

*Highlight

It Isn’t the Rain! What’s Killing Rio de Janeiro’s Favela Residents Is Environmental Racism, Say #VoicesFromSocialMedia

By Janaina Tavares • Translation by Ujwala Murthy • January 24, 2024

Clique aqui para Português This article is part of RioOnWatch’s ongoing #VoicesFromSocialMedia series, which compiles perspectives posted on social media by favela residents and activists about events and societal themes that arise. On Saturday night January […]

Climate Justice

Water and Energy Justice in Mesquita Favelas: Sustainable Favela Network Launches Data from Jacutinga, Coreia and Cosmorama

By Janaina Tavares • Translation by Ezra Spira-Cohen • May 15, 2023

Clique aqui para Português On World Water Day, March 22, the Sustainable Favela Network (SFN), Favelas Unified Dashboard (PUF),* Grassroots Social Education in Solidarity Economy Nucleus (NESPES), Edson Passos Women’s Association (AMEPA), and the Fusion Social Center […]

*Highlight

Reading and Literature as a Human Right: The Work of Literacy Mediators in 20 Community Libraries of Greater Rio de Janeiro

By Janaina Tavares • Translation by Staff • December 29, 2022

Clique aqui para Português Made up of 20 community libraries in the peripheral neighborhoods of Nova Iguaçu, the Baixada Literary Network is an all-female collective which has worked since 2011 to inspire reading and critical […]

Posts pagination

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RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

Contact & Support

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10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
    • Reference Articles
  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
    • Feedback
  • For Journos
  • Donate

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