Scholarships provide 20 Rio youths with long term training in performance art, circus, music and professionalism in order to provide an enjoyable but tangible income alternative to drug trafficking.
In this favela, where whole families live on less than $75/month, youths turn to violence and the drug trade as the ‘best option’ available to improve their social and financial status. Since 2000 the ‘Grow & Live’ project has been promoting alternatives in these marginalized communities and has now introduced this unique financial scholarship program which realistically enables participants to give a long term commitment to their learning and eventually go on to find alternative employment.
A balance of practical and interpersonal training is provided: circus skills, theatre, music, dance, communication and professionalism. Once trained, performances are carried out for businesses, parties and the public to generate much-needed income.
Provides a respectable, sustainable income outside of trafficking for these youths & their families, whilst increasing their self esteem. In turn these youths then become an example and spread a wider message through their actions and performances
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
