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The structure of masonry and iron shacks of the slum Corner of Heaven (Cantinho do Céu), in the south part of São Paulo, struck the 13 architecture master students from Harvard University, for whom the popular organization and urbanization of the São Paulo periphery are "things of the First World." They are in the city to visit slums as part of a graduate program of the U.S. institution.
Some had been to Nairobi (Kenya) and Mumbai (India), where they saw wood huts with earth floors, cardboard walls and plastic roofs, without water and light. "This is by far much more civilized here," says student Andrew Tenbrink. "In Bangladesh there is nothing like this. This structure can be exported," said Thomas Kraubitz.
"In India, the bathroom is in the streets and the water is stolen from leaks of pipes caused by residents. The Brazilian favelas are made of brick and concrete. Nobody can take them out of here," said the master student Rina Salvi.
In the middle of the visit, in an alley of mud and sewage in the open, a truck from the Casas Bahia store passes by, escorted by two armed security guards and bullet-proof vests. "They pay the appliances in 84 installments,"
explain Harvard instructor Byron Stigge. Lily Huang, one of the students, sees a sign hanging on the balcony in Portuguese in a hut: "Lot for sale on this street." How much? "R$ 5,500," says the owner. "I think she is charging more because I am foreign," Huang suspects.
"Even living here, these people are so happy," says the master student Megan Wright. All come up with questions they'll ask the residents. "How do they play Carnival in Corner of Heaven? Do the slums of Sao Paulo have schools of samba? How often do you leave the slum? Do they pay taxes? Vote? Do they have titles of ownership of the houses?".
Professor Christian Werthmann orients them: "Do not take photos without permission of the person." "Why?", asked student Melissa Guerrero. "They may be drug traffickers and may not want to be photographed. If we were in a safe area, I would leave you alone. But because of the danger, everyone must stay together. I do not want anybody left behind."