The richest man in Brazil, Paulo Lemann visits a favela in the interior of São Paulo

Businessman Jorge Paulo Lemann, considered the richest man in Brazil, visited this Wednesday (29) the Favela Marte 3D, in São José do Rio Preto (São Paulo countryside).

The community that brings together 240 families in situations of social vulnerability, is undergoing a pilot urbanization project that will be replicated in other favelas in Brazil.

The initiative is from the NGO Gerando Falcões with the Valquírias World Institute, and has partnerships between the public authorities and the private sector.

​Lemann, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at R$ 76.3 billion, is one of the supporters and investors of the project, which has as one of those responsible the social entrepreneur Edu Lyra, CEO of Gerando Falcões.

This Wednesday, the billionaire was there to learn about the lives of families in the favela, before they are transferred to temporary homes during the urbanization process.

The works are expected to begin in the second half of this year. During the work period, Gerando Falcões will pay the social rent for the 240 families.

The visit was attended by other entrepreneurs, such as Guilherme Benchimol, CEO of XP Investimentos, Ana Maria Diniz, founder of Instituto Península, Bruno Setúbal, Otto Baumgart, Gabrielle and José Zitelmann, Rafael Hawilla, Rosana Camargo Botelho and Fernando Augusto Botelho and Thiago Oliveira.

During the journey through the dirt streets, the businessmen talked to residents of the community and entered some houses.

After touring the site, Lemann and the other entrepreneurs were invited to inaugurate a panel called “Dignometer”, a timer that will count down the days until the families return to the transformed clay and the final implementation of the project.

The expectation is that the neighborhood will be delivered by the end of 2023. In a social network, Amanda Oliveira, CEO and founder of Valquírias World, said that the project has become the dream of all Brazilian entrepreneurs. “Favela poverty becoming a museum piece.”

Before leaving the place, Lemann was introduced to the community leader Benvindo Nery, who helped in the dialogue with the families.

Partnership between public and private power

More than BRL 58 million will be invested in the transformation of the territory: BRL 28 million contributed by the State Government, BRL 15 million by the Municipality of Rio Preto and BRL 15 million raised by the NGO in partnerships with the private sector, including Bradesco which contributed R$ 3 million.

The State will also allocate R$ 4 million to the Praça da Cidadania project, through the São Paulo Social Fund program, which will be invested in vocational courses, internet access in leisure areas and job and income generation for the community. .

With a systemic approach, the plan is to build housing, generate income, improve health and education conditions, support women and children and provide leisure and cultural options.

The pilot project launched in São José do Rio Preto aims to become scalable for communities across the country, at a time of economic and social consequences of the pandemic.

pioneer project

Implemented by the NGO Gerando Falcões, in partnership with Instituto Valquírias World, the project aims to transform Favela Marte into a symbol of social action to combat poverty.

The Favela 3D model was developed to create solutions to the problems that most affect favela residents, providing services in education, early childhood, economic development, health, education, housing, sports, among others.

The action promotes the union of public authorities, the local community, the private sector, universities and third sector organizations to create solutions that transform the reality of these territories.

The city government is responsible for the expropriation of the land and for the infrastructure works for the distribution of water, sewage, lighting and public paving.