Expo Favela brings innovation from Brazilian peripheries to the heart of Paris

The program is made up of roundtables, workshops, concerts, literary meetings and movie sessions. In the garden and hall of the theater, entrepreneurs occupy booths where they show their innovations in the areas of technology, art, gastronomy and bioeconomics.

Tatiane Moraes lives in the favela da Tinga, on the outskirts of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. She brought to France, a country known to Perfumery, her the project of manufacturing artisanal soap. “Along with the soap, comes the whole issue of environmental education, because one liter of oil discarded incorrectly contaminates 20,000 liters of water, because the oil prevents the absorption of water in the soil,” he explains. “We are going through a difficult time in Rio Grande do Sul regarding climate change, so we brought this very important agenda,” he says.

Carioca initiative

Born in Rio de Janeiro, the Single Central of Favelas is present in 68 countries, giving visibility and connecting communities, promoting socially scale solutions and social transformations for over 25 years. A success story, replicated for the second time in Paris. “Our idea is not to celebrate the existence of slums, but that we can celebrate the fact that, despite the difficulties, these people have been quite resilient and have developed,” says Celso Athayde, the founder of Cufa.

“Society, in general, is. The rich are in the world economic forum, scientists meet, doctors find themselves and it is important for slums to meet, in various activities, including entrepreneurship,” he says. “So, creating a fair like this in Brazil and then taking this fair to everyone and starting with France has a very important role, because it shows that if problems are global, solutions can also be,” he says.

Periphery businesses

Favela is power, as attests the large number of small entrepreneurs and present in Paris, such as the House of Axé, Paraíba. “I am at Expo favela representing my business, which is the house of axé, which makes a fashion with afro influence for people in terreiro and beyond the terreiro,” says Erika Santos. For her, performing in the fashion country, alongside international exhibitors, is a great achievement. “It’s a milestone in my history, being able to overcome my country’s borders to present my work,” he says.