{"id":82179,"date":"2025-11-30T14:13:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T17:13:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82179"},"modified":"2025-12-03T14:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T17:27:52","slug":"the-story-of-dona-pascoalina-midwife-and-healer-of-morro-do-borel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82179","title":{"rendered":"The Story of Dona Pascoalina, Midwife and Healer of Morro do Borel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Pascoalina<\/a>
Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva, widely known as Pascoal, was a prominent resident of the favela of Morro do Borel, recognized for her healing prayers and assisting births in the favela. Photo: Igor Soares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

This article marks Brazilian <\/a>Black Awareness Month 2025<\/a> and <\/span><\/i>is part of RioOnWatch\u2018s series on Memories of Favela Power<\/a>, which documents and celebrates the history of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s favelas through narratives and reports from residents\u2019 collective memory, in their daily struggle to lead fulfilling lives.<\/em><\/p>\n

Almost every day, you were sure to find Dona Pascoalina\u2014as Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva was known\u2014sitting on a chair outside her home, enjoying the sun. That’s what she loved to do, watching the comings and goings of neighbors outside her door on Rua Nova, one of the areas of Morro do Borel<\/a>, a favela in Tijuca<\/a>, in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s North Zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Everyone who passed by made a point of greeting her. After retiring, her pastime was to take a roll of tobacco from her pocket and light her pipe. \u201cA little drink, smoking a pipe and eating healthy food.\u201d According to the community matriarch, that was the secret to her longevity. She passed away of natural causes at the age of 88 in November 2019. However, her exact age is unknown, as she had two birth records with different dates. Even her family isn\u2019t entirely sure.<\/p>\n

Her pipe was replaced several times over the years. According to Dona Pascoalina, \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been long [since the last one]. It cracks on one side, cracks on the other. So I cut it like this to remove any little thing inside. Then I lie in bed and a little smoke comes out. Sometimes it won\u2019t light, and I curse it\u2014but I always have it with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an interview conducted in July 2019, the final year of her life, she shared a bit of her story as a Black woman who left her family in the countryside to come to Rio de Janeiro in search of work and a better life. Born in the interior of Minas Gerais<\/a>, Pascoal\u2014as she was widely known\u2014began working at the age of five, helping her parents on a landowner\u2019s farm. Her family is also unsure as to what city Pascoalina was born in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to tend the plants\u2026 Then I would just stay there doing farm chores, taking care of the chickens, taking care of the pigs. I worked with a hoe too. I was very small, only five years old. It was a lot of work, and we lived in a house and had to walk everywhere, because there was nothing\u2014no car. The landowner would give us a little something too: a portion of rice, a portion of beans, a portion of flour.\u201d \u2014 Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When she decided to come to the state capital of Rio de Janeiro, she left behind three siblings and arrived at the age of eleven by train with an aunt. \u201cI came on a Maria Fuma\u00e7a<\/em> [as steam locomotives were popularly known in Brazil],\u201d she recalled. Once she arrived, she lived in Penha<\/a>, where she worked for the first time.<\/p>\n

After some time settled in Rio, Pascoalina built a small house in Morro do Salgueiro<\/a>, another favela in the North Zone. By then, already a devoted follower of samba<\/a> and its religious expressions, she joined the baianas<\/em> section\u2014a traditional, mandatory segment of every carnival samba school that represents samba\u2019s Afro-Brazilian roots\u2014of the Salgueiro samba school<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got together with this old man, the father of one of these kids [the late father of some of her children, whose name she couldn’t remember], and I stayed with him [for a while]\u2026 When I left Salgueiro, I came here with another guy. Then [after some time], I left the other guy [the man from Salgueiro]\u2014he was useless, a womanizer\u2026 I was also quite the flirt. Honestly, I really enjoyed my life: I used to go to balls to dance.\u201d \u2014 Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"After<\/a>
After leaving Morro do Salgueiro, Pascoalina arrived at Borel at the age of 19 and lived there for the rest of her life. Photo: Igor Soares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pascoalina was raised by her cousin and godmother. At 19, she moved to Morro do Borel, began her studies and reached the fourth grade. She witnessed all the changes the favela went through: from muddy streets and plasterboard houses to brickwork and paved roads. \u201cWhen I arrived, all of this was [built with] plasterboard,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was all mud. I don\u2019t really have a sense of how things were before\u2026 but this house here, the boss helped me build it,\u201d she recalled, referring to her former employer at a household where she once worked.<\/p>\n

In Rio, she spent most of her life employed as a domestic worker<\/a> in different homes. \u201cI worked in a house in Copacabana<\/a>. I also worked on Conde de Bonfim Street over there [in the lower part of Tijuca], and in a square downtown<\/a>. I worked for rich ladies,\u201d said Borel’s treasure.<\/p>\n

Borel’s Healer and Midwife<\/h3>\n

Considered almost immortal, Pascoalina remained mysterious: she had two ages. Although she would proudly claim one, her family insists she was older. Her daughter, Maria Ant\u00f4nia de Oliveira Soares, 65, reveals that her mother was slightly older than she claimed, because she had her documents issued twice. According to Soares, \u201cAt the registry office, the clerk gave her a new date [of birth].\u201d The truth is, age was just a detail in the life of a woman who overflowed with youthfulness and a zest for life.<\/p>\n

Pascoal recalled the time when she worked as a midwife and healer in the favela, including the moment she delivered her own grandson, Victor, at home\u2014which was common practice. \u201cIt was my mother who delivered Victor,” says Soares.<\/p>\n

Ancestral knowledge also showed through in the spirituality she carried within her, taking on midwifery as a legacy from Dona Zazinha, an older woman who lived in a neighboring yard and performed her healing prayers and deliveries back when there weren\u2019t many houses around. \u201cShe was the one who delivered my children at home,\u201d said the matriarch.<\/p>\n

\"Pascoalina<\/a>
Pascoalina with some of her children, from left to right: L\u00eddia, Ant\u00f4nia and Valmir. Photo: Igor Soares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many times, residents would come to Pascoalina\u2019s house seeking help. Inside, a special space was dedicated to the saint she prayed to for protection and health, with Our Lady of Aparecida occupying the most prominent spot on the altar. \u201cI make my prayers every day, don\u2019t I, my little saint? There\u2019s another little saint here too, for whom I pray for the children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although her daughter emphasized that she was more connected to the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candombl\u00e9<\/a>, when asked about her spiritual practices, Dona Pascoalina said she was Catholic. \u201cI\u2019m Catholic: Roman Catholic.\u201d However, like many Brazilians, she also drew on Afro-Brazilian religious traditions to heal and protect her loved ones. \u201cI\u2019ve prayed [with the intent to heal and bless] for some children. We also incorporated [Candombl\u00e9] into our practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana Paula Rodrigues, 45, born and raised in the community, remembers the legacy of Borel\u2019s healer. She says that two of her daughters received Pascoalina’s prayers and blessings. Rodrigues was always Pascoalina\u2019s neighbor, living just two houses away.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe prayed [healing and blessing] for all the children. She prayed for Marceli, she prayed for Milena. As a midwife, I remember stories about her delivering many babies. And as a healer, we would go to her so she could pray for the children. [She used to bless kids against] the evil eye\u2014it used to be [a] very common [belief] back then.\u201d \u2014 Ana Paula Rodrigues<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Her daughter highlighted just how important Pascoalina was to the Borel community.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was one of those rare, invaluable people\u2014not just for me, but for most people in Borel. She delivered many babies and offered many prayers for the community.\u201d\u2014 Maria Ant\u00f4nia de Oliveira Soares<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Many Changes She Witnessed in the Favela<\/h3>\n

Over the years, the favelas\u2019 struggles for dignity and respect also became part of Pascoalina\u2019s memory. She recounted several conflicts with the police. Pascoalina remembered that, in the past, her children were regularly assaulted and taken away by the police.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp came the police: \u2018Come here.\u2019 They\u2019d grab my son, take him up and down and beat him up. Then they\u2019d take him to the [police] station. I spent a lot of time there too [at the station] looking for them\u2026 You\u2019d go down the hill and all you saw were the bodies stretched out on the ground\u2026 Everything has changed, the favela has changed. There aren\u2019t deaths [like before]; you\u2019d go out and see all those bodies on the ground. It’s not like that anymore. Every once in a while, the [police] helicopter shows up and fires a shot, like last Wednesday.\u201d \u2014 Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Within this reality, she had one fear: dying by gunshot. \u201cDeath may come when it wants, but not by gunfire.\u201d<\/p>\n

By this point, her prayers had become less frequent because Pascoalina had injured her knee. \u201cAfter I got sick, I lost my strength, my energy, my drive. I can\u2019t even keep my balance anymore,\u201d she said, emphasizing her condition.<\/p>\n

Her hair turned completely white, she said, from thinking so much about life. \u201cIt makes my blood boil just thinking about life. I think about life, I think about my children, I think about my granddaughters. And then my hair turned white really quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva passed away on November 17, 2019. She left behind five of her 16 children. She knew 16 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. Her legacy and contribution to the history and identity of Morro do Borel are far greater than her passing, and they continue to be felt in the community even six years after her death.<\/p>\n

*Some information, such as her place of birth and exact age, could not be confirmed, as Pascoalina Oliveira da Silva\u2019s documents were in the possession of one of her daughters, who passed away in 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n

About the author:\u00a0<\/i>Igor Soares<\/i><\/a>\u00a0was born and raised in Morro do Borel and has a journalism degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He currently contributes to #Colabora and works as a freelancer. He has experience covering topics related to cities, human rights, and public security, having previously worked at Estad\u00e3o, Portal iG, and produced reports for Folha de S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Support\u00a0RioOnWatch\u2019s tireless, critical and cutting-edge hyperlocal journalism, online community organizing meetings, and direct support to favelas\u00a0by clicking here<\/a>.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas This article marks Brazilian Black Awareness Month 2025 and is part of RioOnWatch\u2018s series on Memories of Favela Power, which documents and celebrates the history of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s favelas through […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":82180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1328,1284],"tags":[3774,1041,804,1500,617,168,136,417,812,221,674,107,129,2847,37,193,123,906,571,3703,1350],"writer":[3680],"translator":[3425],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[3840],"class_list":{"0":"post-82179","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-by-community-contributors","8":"category-interviews-profiles","9":"tag-ancestral-knowledge","10":"tag-black-awareness-month","11":"tag-borel","12":"tag-candomble","13":"tag-catholic-church","14":"tag-centro","15":"tag-copacabana","16":"tag-elderly","17":"tag-empowerment","18":"tag-favela-culture","19":"tag-memory","20":"tag-health","21":"tag-leadership","22":"tag-minas-gerais","23":"tag-north-zone","24":"tag-penha","25":"tag-religion","26":"tag-salgueiro","27":"tag-samba","28":"tag-series-memories-of-favela-power","29":"tag-tijuca","30":"writer-igor-soares","31":"translator-aaron-scott","32":"photographer-igor-soares"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82179"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82245,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82179\/revisions\/82245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/82180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82179"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=82179"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=82179"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=82179"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=82179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}