Fighting poverty with technology and humanity

In some of Brazil’s largest cities, vacant land is often filled with makeshift communities known as favelas. These areas are home to over 16 million people living in abject poverty across 10,000 favelas, where the unemployment rate exceeds 20%. Life in favelas can feel bleak, and for many residents, there seems to be no way out.

Since 2013, Gerando Falcões, a network of over 2000 social development organizations, has been on a mission to break the cycle of poverty and transform the lives of favela residents. Working closely with Accenture, the organization has created innovative solutions and programs that are having an impact across Brazil. In 2023, over 13,000 people received job training and guidance to start their own businesses and find jobs, and more than 6,000 increased their income. Over 2,000 residents have been trained as social leaders and received education to enact change in their communities. And hundreds of thousands of families now have access to resources that can help them rewrite their future.

Creating meaningful change through technology

Non-profits have great ideas for tackling big problems but are often hindered by limited resources and a lack of technical expertise. With Accenture’s help, Gerando Falcões was able to restructure their technology architecture and app development processes and reinvigorate their approach to addressing the economic realities in Brazil's favelas.

One outcome of this partnership is a social initiative called ASMARA, which provides a way for women in favelas to sell products door-to-door to generate income. The new business model and digital platform allow large retailers to donate and distribute their products to favelas. ASMARA is expected to support up to 15,000 women and their families in São Paulo in 2024.

Another outcome is a program called Favela 3D, which helps create long-term development plans for favelas. The program collects and processes data to solve community problems at a hyper-localized level, favela by favela, street by street.

Since 2020, Favela 3D has supported more than 2,700 families in five favelas through housing and urban renovations, workforce inclusion initiatives and more. As a result, unemployment at Favela Marte has declined from 72% to just 4%. And at Favela Dos Sonhos, 80% of the houses have been transformed into safe and dignified places to live, and the entire neighborhood has received urban improvements.

Unleashing potential and hope for the future

Together, Gerando Falcões and Accenture have already made a meaningful difference in the lives of over 740,000 people in more than 5,500 favelas across Brazil. Moving forward, they plan to train 45,000 youths in favelas, providing job training and interviewing skills along with crucial technical and trade skills. The near-term goal is to help 24,000 youths find sustainable employment.

And this is only the beginning. Accenture and Gerando Falcões will continue exploring new ways to fight poverty and create opportunities in Brazil’s favelas, with a shared mission to enact change and make a profound difference in the lives of those who need it most.