The Brazilian entrepreneur who has given hope to the hopeless

One of the many issues the Brazilian population has had to face recently has been mass
poverty; at 13%, Brazil is nearly 4% above the world average in poverty rate. This issue has
become increasingly worrying with all the setbacks the pandemic has caused, especially in the
overpopulated slums of Brazil. Known as “Favelas” in Brazil, these settlement areas are often
occupied by the underprivileged, who are forced to live in these dangerous densely populated
areas with poor housing infrastructure. Spread all over Brazil, 17.1 million Brazilians live in
these Favelas, as they cannot afford to live elsewhere. Most of the Favela’s residents are either
unemployed or have a low paying job, their parents likely were in the same situation which
means they didn’t have a good education, and this trend continues for generations, making it
virtually impossible for the residents to prosper themselves into a better lifestyle. However, a
recent initiative might change this issue, and improve the living situation for many Brazilians.
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Founded by Gilson Rodrigues, the Favela Stock Exchange is an initiative that focuses on
helping local businesses flourish and attract investors from all over the world. This initiative
hopes to boost initiatives inside the 10 largest favelas of Brazil. In a short period of time, this
project has already found success, as Paraisópolis was recognized as the best organized
community with initiatives to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Aside from
Rodrigues, the organization by the name of G10 Favelas is also behind this revolutionary
initiative. This organization used the services of DIVI-Hub, a digital crowdfunding program who
received authorization from the Brazilian CVM securities agency (who ensures no malpractice is
conducted when investing) to serve as a regulator for this initiative. With some shares at just
around 10 reais (1.81 dollars) it offers an opportunity for everyone to grow economically.
Overall, this initiative offers an opportunity for those who never got one, a way out of
poverty for those who have been in it for generation, hope for those who never had it. If this
program continues developing as it has recently, it could be a key contributor into diminishing
poverty in Brazil.
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Written by: Matias Gonçalves
Edited by: Anna Kissajikian