Morro do Adeus, at the Complexo do Alemão, in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, traverse a narcoterritorial war between two criminal factions, Comando Vermelho and Tercer Comando Puro, making it one of the most violent favela’s in Rio de Janeiro. A social project called Na Ponta dos Pés coordinated by a local young woman named Tuany Nascimento empowers and give opportunities to more than 200 girls and young woman, pushing for peace, strengthening their identity, their gender and their origins through ballet.
In addition to living with constant shootings, police violence, drugs, prostitution, lack of resources, these girls must fight against the stigma of being black, women and poor, in a racist, sexist and classist society where gender violence is very common and naturalized.
Brazil is the fifth country in the world with highest rate of femicides. Afro-descendant represents more than half of population, being the one that dies most, earns least and suffers most unemployment.
Morro do Adeus has changed command 6 times in the last 5 years, in each change the new faction expels from the community all families who have a relative linked to the enemy. At least a hundred families have been evicted in Morro do Adeus.
Thanks to the continuous work of all the girls of the project, media coverage, some supports and crowdfunding campaigns developed, the project has managed to build its headquarters, with bullet resistant materials, which includes a professional ballet hall, an open space to the entire community, developing many other social activities and responding to the various problems of the neighborhood and needs of its inhabitants, also promoting environmental awareness and care.
