Jardim da Luz

When you stay and work with Favela Experience and Favela Inc. you are becoming a part of our 'community within the community'. We manage 2 organizations, all with a common goal: to break stereotypes about favelas and to generate a positive impact in the community. We operate a social impact travel company (Favela Experience) and a non-profit social incubator (Favela Inc.) all in the vibrant favela Vidigal with the benefit of close proximity to the forest, mountaintop views overlooking the city and urban beaches.

The favela is a special and unique place, and in Vidigal the community is very connected bridging together many communities of artists, musicians, designers, actors, volunteers, and travelers. The locals are incredibly welcoming, with inspiring life stories and perspectives on life. In fact, contrary to what some might think, researches show that over 70% of favela residents would continue to live in a favela even if they could afford to move out. Why? It is up to you to immerse yourself in the local life and find out.

You will get to work with people from the community and abroad, and help them achieve their dreams and be the change makers in their community. We work with local social projects such as the percussion school for children, Capoeira school, the ecologic park, a local tourism agency, and locally produced craft brewery.

At Favela Experience everything begins with friendship and trust. We live, work and play together as a big family, and encourage a culture of empathy, collective consciousness, and respect. We cherish all of our employees and volunteers and seek to provide opportunities for everyone in our organizations to have quality life experiences, cultural and language learning, and personal growth. For those that contribute to our organization at a high level and demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow, opportunities will exist for paid positions or to join the future expansion of our social business. The entire team lives together, sharing a beautiful house in the favela with shared and private rooms, overlooking the sea and located right at the bottom of the Dois Irmaos mountains. Basically, the forest and ocean are our backyards and theres never a shortage of mind-blowing views of colorful sunrises. We have been deeply involved with the community for over 5 years now and we look forward to receiving you and helping you cultivate lasting close friendships with inspiring locals.