TREZE (13)

A photographic diary of a journey to northeastern Brazil.From the favela of Recife to the vast territories of Piauí during the electoral campaign for the election of the President of Brazil. A two parts journey.

   (read more after the pictures.)

The first part takes place in Recife, hosted by the Pé No Chão association which has been operating for many years helping the youth to free themselves from the violence of the favela.
Thanks to the use of music, mainly percussion, Pé No Chão brings together boys and girls offering them an aid in study and training courses.
The population of northeastern Brazil, for the great majority, has African roots and the percussion rhythm that are taught here are typically African; this to create awareness about their origins. From the awareness of one’s roots, a path of liberation and change can begin.

Thanks to photography, it is immediate and easier than expected to familiarize with the group. Thanks to the work of the educators of Pé No Chão it doesn’t seem to have to deal with teenagers from a difficult environment such as the favela.
Just the time to get to know each other and it’s already time to move.

Twenty hours by bus separate Recife from Teresina, the capital of Piauí.
Here begins the second part of the journey. The surroundings have changed dramatically.
From a city of strong contrasts, from skyscrapers on the shoreline to the favela, one finds himself in a rural world where time seems to be still.
As soon as you leave Teresina, the scenery becomes so vast so vast as to be intimidating.
Earth is red, sun is high, the temperature is always around 38 degrees.

Here you meet communities of “sem terra” (landless), struggling rural communities that lead a life of hard work. Faces of the elderly bear the marks of a hard existence. As in Recife, despite the deep poverty, people’s sweetness and smiling faces are disconcerting. What is surprising is the propensity to share what little there is. Wherever you go there is always something to eat or a place to stay.
Nights spent in a hammock leave their mark, physically but also spiritually. It is inevitable to make comparisons with what we are used to back home.

Getting involved in the atmosphere of the electoral campaign is also inevitable. Here the vast majority of the population of northeastern Brazil supports Lula. The demonstrations in favor of him, both in Recife and in Piauí, are lively and noisy like ever before. It is palpable how important these elections are for these people, how much trust and hope are put in Lula. A sensation never experienced.

The trip ends just the day before the second round of elections. A long, intense journey that will take time to ponder.

A journey made possible by Don Sandro, Danilo and Erica, whom I thank infinitely.
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(In Brazil the elections take place electronically. To each candidate a number is associated. 13 was the number associated to Lula.)