GVI Phoenix / Brazil

Literacy, Numeracy and Childcare Project

Six month Report

January – June 2011

GVI Phoenix Brazil Report

Submitted in whole toGlobal Vision International

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Produced by

Emma Astles – Phoenix Brazil Project ManagerDom Williams – Latin America Regional Director

And

Eraldo Barbosa School Director Keira Henderson Volunteer Andréa Santos Teacher Rachel Titcomb Volunteer

Sonia Maria dos Santos School Cook Flora Linklater VolunteerAna Claudia dos Santos School Cook Elise Frederick Volunteer Roberto Carlos ‘Choppi’ Maintenance Jane Stratton Volunteer

Andréa Lima Maintenance Colin Carroll Volunteer Adam Krause Project Coordinator Thomas Brooks Volunteer

Vita Shapland-Howes Project Coordinator Camila Sears Volunteer Alina Wahl Volunteer Serena Sears Volunteer

Phillip Butter Volunteer Chris Ross Volunteer Sarah Moll Volunteer Marianne Pennings Volunteer

Amine Nedjai Volunteer Catriona Benzie VolunteerJoshua Pugh Volunteer Theodore Schlegel VolunteerKevin Glynn Volunteer Ria Saigal Volunteer

Michalis Onisiforou Volunteer Olivia Aguilera VolunteerJoseph de Graft

AhenkorahVolunteer Rose-Lynn

McCarthyVolunteer

Misha Abbas Volunteer Sarah Lilly VolunteerSunil Patel Volunteer

GVI Phoenix Brazil

Address: Avenida Princesa Isabel, 341, Edificio Milano, Apartamento 303, Barra, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 40130-030

Email: phoenixbrazil@gviworld.com Web page: http://www.gvi.co.uk and http://www.gviusa.com

Blog: gviphoenix.blogspot.com

Executive Summary

During the six month period January to June 2011 student attendance at the school project in

Mata Escura rose from 63.1% to 70.2%. Children continue to miss school due to a high-

prevalence of illness and as a result of temporary migration as their parents search for

employment. We are witnessing significant improvement during periods of poor weather,

evidencing a greater commitment to attendance amongst parents.

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Enrolment at the school has risen from 51 students at the start of the 6 month period to 85

students currently registered. A 4th class was opened in March 2011 and the students are now

divided as follows: Class 1 – crèche (maternal), Class 2 – 3-4 years, Class 3 – 4-5 years, Class

4 – 6-11 years. Of the 85 students registered 12 attend for reinforcement classes in addition to

studying at the local colegio.

We have continued to witness a considerable degree of student migration during the period

January to June 2011. The population of the favelas is very fluid (see 1.1) and this often results

in children being absent from school for long periods of time, with school staff unaware of when

or if they will return.

Due to continued financial hardship in the favela, unemployment and social problems creating

additional drains on economic resources (see 1.1 and 1.2) the children continue to show signs

of malnutrition. The improved school meals, daily fruit and weekend food parcels introduced

since our arrival in June 2010 continue to have a positive effect however and we are seeing

signs of weight gain, lower incidence of illness and improved concentration.

In April 2011 we completed installation of a new roof for classroom 2, the school reception and

office. The old roof had leaked water during the rainy season, at times flooding classroom 2 and

damaging materials in the school office.

In May 2011 heavy rain caused a wall in the school playground to collapse. This happened

outside school hours and there were no casualties. Following this collapse we completed

extensive works to extend the playground and reconstruct the wall on more secure ground. This

has resulted in a safer and larger playground for this children, including a shaded area for quiet

play.

In June 2011 we opened a new classroom at the school, bringing the total of operational

classrooms at the school to 5. In addition to the new classroom an indoor playroom has also

been completed, providing the children with a recreational space during the rainy season. This

room also has the capacity to be converted into a further classroom should enrolment continue

to increase.

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In June 2011 10 staff members and volunteers completed the First Annual Phoenix Brazil

Charity Challenge. The Challenge consisted of a 3 day trek and abseil through the state´s

Chapada Diamantina national park, arriving at the top of Brazil´s highest waterfall, the

breathtaking Cachoeira de Fumaça. In excess of GBP 6000 was raised and this money will be

used to secure the salaries of the local staff during the coming 12 months and is of vital

importance to our continued operation.

In summary, there have been many successes at the new Mata Escura Phoenix

project during the period June-December 2010:

1 Over 3,100 teaching hours have been completed by the staff and volunteers to children from

18 months to 11 years old.

2 Over 2,100 baths have been given to the children, the majority of whom do not have running

water at home.

3 Over 4,200 pieces of fruit have been distributed

4 Over 4,200 breakfasts distributed

5 Over 4,200 hot, balanced lunches served to the children

6 Over 2,940 afternoon snacks provided

7 Over 840 weekend food parcels have been sent home with the students to help ensure they

are fed whilst not at the school.

8 5 local Bahians receive regular income

9 1 new classroom has been constructed

10 1 new indoor playroom has been constructed.

11 A new roof has been installed on the upstairs classroom and school reception.

12 A collapsed wall in the playground has been repaired and the area extended.

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Table of ContentsExecutive Summary.......................................................................................................................iiTable of Contents...........................................................................................................................vList of Figures................................................................................................................................v1.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................71.2 Financial situation of our target families...............................................................................101.2.1 Bolsa Familia......................................................................................................................101.2.1 The Cesta Basica...............................................................................................................111.2.2 Put into numbers................................................................................................................111.2.3 Additional costs...................................................................................................................111.2.4 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................122.0 Mata Escura community teaching.....................................................................................122.1 Objectives..............................................................................................................................142.1.1 Literacy and numeracy.......................................................................................................142.1.2 Food and fruit.....................................................................................................................152.1.3 Celebrations.......................................................................................................................162.2 Classroom-based Teaching...................................................................................................172.2.1 Training and Methods.........................................................................................................172.2.2 Achievements in Mata Escura............................................................................................182.2.3 English in Mata Escura.......................................................................................................213.0 Financial Support...................................................................................................................213.1 Charity Challenge 2011.........................................................................................................223.2 GVI Charitable Trust..............................................................................................................224.0 References............................................................................................................................22

List of FiguresFig. 1 – Classrooms in Mata EscuraFig. 2 – Volunteer teaching numeracyFig. 3 – LunchtimeFig. 4 – Children at the Christmas partyFig. 5 – Volunteers in a teaching workshopFig. 6 – Group of older studentsFig. 7 – Students studying hardFig. 8 – New classroom under constructionFig 9.- Staff and volunteers preparing to do a 50m rappel during the ChallengeFig. 10 – Happy kids

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1.1 IntroductionThe Global Vision International (GVI) Phoenix Project was initiated in Guatemala in 2002 in San

Andrés Itzapa, a Kaqchikel-speaking indigenous community. Soon after, in 2004, another

project was opened in Santa María de Jesús, aswell, Kaqchikel-speaking. In the same year,

Phoenix started operations in Honduras, firstly on fresh water tubing projects then later on,

working in Estanzuela and then San Rafael at the beginning of 2006. Work commenced in

Barbasco in 2010. Many of the older population speak Chortí. The Phoenix Secondary school

was founded in 2008 in San Rafael. In 2005, operations started in Ecuador, in the Kichwa-

speaking communities of Urcusiqui, Muenala and Huayrapungo, with a new community,

Larcacunga, starting in 2007. In 2006 work began in Perú, primarily in Socabaya though then

moving to two Quechua-speaking (the “people’s speech”) communities in Sachaca outside the

base town of Arequipa; Maldonado and Triunfo. Work commenced in a third community,

Chiguata, in 2010. Our work around Estelí, Nicaragua started in La Thompson in January 2009

and Chiriza in 2010. Most recently in June 2010, the Phoenix Brazil project was opened in the

favela of Mata Escura, on the periphery of the city of Salvador in the North-East of the country.

It is GVI Phoenix’s belief that one of the most effective ways of improving standards of living is

through education, though this is not always forthcoming to peripheral communities, especially

in the communities in which we work.

Phoenix projects are based on 25-year cycles, where the youngest child when we start a project

will have their own family and will be looking to put their children through education. With the

education we have given them and the better job opportunities that come with this, it is hoped

they will be able to afford the education for their own children, thus Phoenix becomes

sustainable.

Salvador is the poorest city in Brazil and capital of Bahia, the poorest state. Statistics show that

53.5% of Salvador’s population of 2.9 million people live below the poverty line, this is compared

to a national average of 31.06% (index mundi). Salvador has the largest proportion of the

population of African descent outside of Africa – the figure stands at 81% (BBC). Whilst Brazil is

a generally well integrated country, there still remains a degree of institutionalised prejudice and

a lack of opportunities for the African descendent population of Salvador.

The vast favelas which are located around Salvador’s periphery are almost exclusively inhabited

by the African descendent population, many of whom are recent migrants to the city. The rural

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population leave the drought ravaged interior of the state for the capital looking for work,

however employment prospects are slim. Unemployment for the African descendent population

stands at 27%, whilst white unemployment in the city is at 18.5%. In addition to this the average

salary for the African descendent population is 50% less than the average salary for white

‘Soteiropolitanos’ (inhabitants of the city of Salvador) (Salvador Info).

Crime is at endemic levels throughout the city, which is the capital of the state’s marijuana and

cocaine trafficking industry. Gang violence in the favelas is also on the increase. The current

murder rate in Salvador stands at 36.2 per 100,000 inhabitants (O Globo), compared to a

national average of 25.2. To put this into context, a recent study ranked the country of El

Savador as the ‘murder capital’ of the world, with 48.8 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants,

Colombia ranks 2nd with 43.8 homicides per 100,000 and Venezuela 3rd with 29.5 (RITLA). If

Salvador were a country, it would rank 3rd on this list. Despite widespread publicity of these

critical levels of violence, crime still attracts many adolescents who are drawn by the notion of

an easy route to improving their financial status and feel there are few other options open to

them. The number of adolescents involved in drug trafficking in the city has increased by 800%

since 2006, with 223 under-16s prosecuted for drug trafficking offences in Salvador during 2010

(Correio). In a discussion about what the children wanted to do when they grew up, one 5 year

old student at the school told Phoenix project staff that he wanted ‘to be a thief, because a thief

gets everything he wants and doesn’t have to work for it’, this same child had witnessed his own

father, who was involved in the local drug trade, shot dead in front of him by the police just a

month earlier.

Another major issue faced by the inhabitants of Salvador’s favelas is poor public health and

sanitation. Almost 1/3 of the city does not have sewage lines or septic tanks (Salvador Info).

Infant mortality stands at 24.42 per 1000 live births, the national average for Brazil is 18.91.

Most recent studies show 10.72% of Salvador’s babies are born seriously underweight and

10.21% of children aged 6 and under are classified as malnourished. Tuberculosis levels are

rising, currently standing at 120.99 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, vastly higher than the

national level of 41.74 (Ministry of Health).

The favela of Mata Escura is seriously affected by the problems of crime, poor public health, a

lack of sanitation and chronic unemployment. Housing in the community is very poor with the

large majority of families living in one room dwellings. The town is home to the state prison of

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Bahia and many of the inhabitants originally located there to be close to relatives who are or

were inmates. As a result the favela suffers from additional stigma which negatively affects its

inhabitants and prevents the area from obtaining the same upward mobility that some favelas

have experienced.

Illiteracy levels in the area are high. Levels of illiteracy for Bahia as a whole stand at 19.8%,

whilst there are no official figures for favelas such as Mata Escura, levels here are undoubtedly

higher than the state average (Index Mundi).

Other serious social problems affecting the area include drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution,

teenage pregnancy and violence – both domestic and gang related. Almost all of the families

that we are working with are affected by one or more of the above.

It is GVI Phoenix’s belief that one of the most effective ways of improving standards of living is

through education, though this is not always available in the poorest of communities, such as

Mata Escura.

Mata Escura has a population of just over 100,000 people. There are 2 state schools in the

town, which accept children from age 7 upwards, however students are required to purchase

their own uniforms and school materials, something which is often out of the financial reach of

the families we are working with (see 1.2). Inability to pay for uniforms and materials causes

many children to drop out or never enter the education system. We must also consider the fact

that by 7 years old many children have developed an earning potential for their families or are

simply looking after themselves for the majority of the day and do not enter school. The only

alternative option for pre-7 years schooling in the favela is a private crèche – enrolment at which

is not a possibility for GVI Phoenix’s target families. As children become older motives for

dropping out of education increase as their earning potential rises. A very large number of

school age children in Salvador work as street vendors, selling newspapers, refreshments etc,

renting deck chairs on the beaches, shining shoes in the commercial district or in other low paid

roles in the service and tourist industries. In addition to this the migratory patterns of the

population, who come and go from the city and the favelas looking for employment, affect

children’s school attendance and ultimately result in dropouts. Teenage pregnancy is also

another serious obstacle to the completion of schooling. Currently national rates for enrolment in

secondary school stand at 79% and are undoubtedly less favourable in the poor state of Bahia.

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This shows a large drop off from the 98% of 7 year olds who enter primary education

(UNESCO).

Since arriving in Mata Escura we have noted that the children often appear extremely tired in

school. We have noted signs of sleep deprivation, including poor concentration, susceptibility to

illness and sleepiness and irritability in the mornings. We find the children are prone to falling

asleep at their desks. Many mothers work late in the evenings, in domestic employment and

also in prostitution. Families are also affected by alcoholism and parents often stay out in the

local bars until very late in the evening. As a result we are aware that many students habitually

stay up, often out in the streets until the early hours of the morning. Recently our school director

Eraldo found a group of our 5 year old students playing out in the favela at 4am in the morning.

Due to family problems and cramped living conditions, when the children do sleep at home this

sleep is often disturbed.

Illness is common amongst the students, with skin parasites such as ringworm reaching

endemic levels during various periods throughout the year. We have also witnessed a very high

prevalence of fungal skin infections, which have caused scarring and hair loss.. Many ailments

go without medical attention, in particular insect bites, which in dirty living conditions and a

tropical climate quickly become infected. Coughs and colds are also common, especially during

the rainy season.

1.2 Financial situation of our target familiesThe following reveals the short-comings of family income and reasons behind lack of education,

mal-nourishment and lack of access to healthcare (GVI Phoenix).

1.2.1 Bolsa Familia The majority of the parents that GVI Phoenix is working with in Mata Escura are unemployed

and living on the ‘Bolsa Familia’, Brazil’s recently introduced social security cheque. This may

from time to time be supplemented by irregular work, such as clothes washing or leaflet

distributing, but for the large majority of parents the Bolsa Familia is the only regular form of

income. The Bolsa Familia is capped at a maximum of of R$160 per month, for a family with 4

children under 16, after 4 children the amount does not increase. R$160 is equivalent to US $85

per month. With prices in Brazil more closely equated to European countries than the rest of

South America, this figure does not go very far at all. Some families may benefit from

occasional, unofficial work, which tops up what they receive from the Bolsa Familia, however

based on the number of children they have many families also do not qualify for the full R$160

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maximum allowance, therefore it is fair to take R$160 as a average monthly income for our

target families.

1.2.1 The Cesta Basica

The Cesta Basica, is a tool used for tracking the cost of the basic foodstuffs needed to feed a

family for one month, it includes staple products such as cooking oil, beans, rice, milk, meat and

vegetables etc. Due to massive variations across the vast nation of Brazil it is necessary to

focus on the city of Salvador when examining these figures. The official current cost of the

Cesta Basica in Salvador is R$210.64 per month (Departamento Intersindical de Estatística e

Estudos Socioeconômicos, DIEESE) based on a family of five. The cost of the cesta basica is

also negatively affected by annual inflation, which in Salvador is currently at 5,08% (DIEESE). If

we consider that for the majority of our target families the only source of income is the Bolsa

Familia, capped at R$160 per month, we can immediately see problems arising. The table

below puts these figures into a more digestible context:

1.2.2 Put into numbersFamily Monthly Income in USD$: $85

Cesta Basica in USD$: $118

Remaining in USD$: -$33

1.2.3 Additional costsFrom the -$33 bottom line, one must also deduct the following:

1 Drinking and drugs, on average, alcohol and drug abuse can use from a third to a half of

the family income:

2 Illness, medicines

3 Transport – need to travel into Salvador

4 Clothing

5 Elderly relatives, unable to work

6 Family events, like births, weddings, deaths

7 Loan repayments

8 Mobile phone credit/Electricity Bills – to look for work families require access to a

telephone

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One must take into account that this extra money has to come from the family income, which

would have gone into the Cesta Basica

Put into figures, calculated on a monthly basis, based over one year:

Family Income: $85

Drinking and drugs: -$28 (based on a third of income)

Medicines: -$4.16 (based on $50 a year)

Unforeseen events: -$4.16 (based on $50 a year)

Transport: -$16.66 (based on $200 a year*)

Clothing: -$8.3 (based on $100 a year)

Elderly relatives: from Cesta Basica

Family events: -$6.25 (based on $75 a year)

Loan repayments: - $10.00 (based on $120 a year)

Mobile phone/electricity: - $4,16 (based on $50 a year)

Balance: $3.31

Note, that in the above table, nothing has been taken into account for food. After deduction of all

of the above costs $3.31 is left to feed the family each month, dramatically less than the $118

required to purchase the Cesta Basica.

1.2.4 ConclusionUsing these figures, one can deduce the reason why children are mal-nourished, uneducated,

unclothed, receive little medical care etc. The family income just is not enough for all the

eventualities of life.

2.0 Mata Escura community teachingWe currently work in one community, Mata Escura, the first language is Portuguese and families

are predominantly unemployed and claiming the Bolsa Familia. The majority of families are

single parent. Those parents that work are employed in domestic service, prostitution, unofficial

and irregular work– such as washing clothes, unloading materials, washing cars or street

vending. Adult iliteracy is moderately high, and more prevalent amongst women.

Mata Escura In June 2010 we began work at the Educandario Creche Comunitaria Sonho Vovo Clara

(‘Educational Community Creche Grandmother Clara’s Dream’) in Mata Escura on the periphery

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of the city of Salvador. The school was founded in 2004 by local man Eraldo Barbosa who

wanted to provide a safe environment for mothers to leave their children, enabling them to look

for work and improve their families’ situation. The school is housed on land belonging to Eraldo.

When GVI Phoenix arrived in June 2010 a severe lack of funding had caused student numbers

to dwindle to just 12. The buildings were in a state of disrepair, the school was 100% reliant on

food donations so meals were erratic and there was no teacher or educational direction.

Children spent the majority of each day playing with a handful of broken toys, sleeping or sitting

in silence. Since then, with the hard work of volunteers and the school staff the atmosphere and

productivity of the school has been overhauled. Student numbers have grown to 85. 3 more

classrooms, a playroom, a new kitchen, a playground and a new playing field have been

constructed. Repairs have been carried out throughout the school and a new roof installed. The

children have been divided into 4 classes based on age and ability and receive 3 hours of

teaching per day from volunteers, 3 hot meals and a piece of fresh fruit.

Fig. 1 – children doing arts and crafts in Mata Escura

2.1 Objectives

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GVI Phoenix’s objectives for working in Mata Escura are to provide free, first-time and

sustainable education for children who would otherwise not have access to education due to

economic or social constraints. Many families also do not understand the need for education, so

getting the children into school is one of the challenges. Working with children on a full time

basis from 18 months to 7 years we have a unique opportunity to provide access to literacy and

numeracy teaching that they may not be in a position to obtain when they reach national school

age. We also offer reinforcement classes for children studying in the national school system,

which is notoriously blighted by overcrowding, strikes, closures, lack of resources and poor

teaching standards.

Our work can be divided into the following parts:

2.1.1 Literacy and numeracyTo provide first-time teaching in basic literacy and numeracy and continued teaching in the latter

and also both natural and social science, arts and crafts. English is taught for the older children

who attend for reinforcement classes and we are looking to open this out to adolescents and

adults in the local community.

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Fig. 2 – Volunteer teaching numeracy

2.1.2 Food and fruitTo provide daily fruit, breakfast and 2 hot meals for the children, so their vitamin intake is higher,

they have something in their stomachs to enable them to concentrate and their susceptibility to

illness is reduced. We are also providing weekend and holiday food packages to help ensure

the children are fed whilst not at school.

Fig. 3 – lunchtime

2.1.3 Celebrations

We feel it is important to celebrate the various occasions in Brazil, not least the children’s

birthdays, which we do each month. Other celebrations include Day of the Child, Mother’s Day,

Father’s Day, Independence Day, Black History Day and Christmas.

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Fig. 4 Children at the Christmas party

2.2 Classroom-based TeachingThe volunteers teach their own classes, in Portuguese, with help from more experienced

volunteers and/or GVI Phoenix staff. They must lesson plan, using the curriculum and textbooks

provided, along with other materials we have. Any costs incurred to undertake their classes are

reimbursed.The majority of volunteers choose to take Portuguese classes at the beginning of

their program.

2.2.1 Training and MethodsUsing the Brazilian curriculum for day to day teaching, volunteers can plan lessons as per what

is being taught in national school, with the vocabulary needed shown in the books. All lessons

are conducted in Portuguese. One-on-one teaching workshops and group lesson planning

meetings are carried out in the community to provide extra support. A presentation is given on

teaching during the first week the volunteer is in the project, which is given in conjunction with

the Teaching Manual that is sent to the volunteer before arrival in the country. If numbers of

volunteers allow, a new volunteer will team teach with an existing volunteer for the first week,

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with the aim to takeover that class in the second week. When numbers are high we utilize team

teaching methods regularly as many of our students are very young and require extra

assistance to adjust to classroom based learning. GVI Phoenix staff are on hand to help out,

give ideas lesson plan and support.

Fig. 5 – volunteers in a teaching workshop

2.2.2 Achievements in Mata EscuraWe have seen many achievements over the 6 month period January to June 2011:

Increased enrolment at the school – from 51 to 85 students and more arriving every

week! Attendance has increased from 63% to 70.2%.

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Fig 6. Group of older students

Fantastic progress made in the classroom – with children who had little or no classroom

experience making huge strides in learning how to read, write, count and express their

artistic talents!

Fig 7. Students studying hard!

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1 new classroom and a new indoor playroom completed, as well as a new roof fitted on

classroom 2.

Fig 8. New classrooms under construction

Over GBP 6000 raised on our First Annual Fundraising Challenge

Fig 9. Staff and volunteers preparing to do a 50m rappel during the Challenge

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Improved food programme combating the malnutrition which affects many of students.

Fig 10. Happy kids

2.2.3 English in Mata EscuraEnglish is taught to the older children and those who attend for reinforcement classes. Lessons

are taught by a native English speaker following a curriculum based on ESL curriculums. They

are given interactive lessons with the opportunity to speak and interact in English during their

lessons with each other and their teacher, listen and read English to develop their

understanding and pronounciation of the language and have fun doing so! For many students

this provides a unique opportunity to learn English from a native speaker – English teaching in

the national schools and in private courses offered locally is of a notoriously poor standard. We

aim to expand this English teaching programme to offer classes to local adults and teenagers.

3.0 Financial SupportThe substantial fixed costs and variable costs to run GVI Phoenix in Brazil is covered mainly (up

to 75%) by volunteer fees and the rest by the GVI Charitable Trust. This is of course dependent

on volunteer numbers.

3.1 Charity Challenge 2011

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In June 2011 10 staff members and volunteers completed the First Annual Phoenix Brazil

Charity Challenge. The Challenge consisted of a 3 day trek and abseil through the state´s

Chapada Diamantina national park, arriving at the top of Brazil´s highest waterfall, the

breathtaking Cachoeira de Fumaça. In excess of GBP 6000 was raised and this money will be

used to secure the salaries of the local staff during the coming 12 months and is of vital

importance to our continued operation. Plans are already afoot for a second Challenge in

January 2012.

3.2 GVI Charitable TrustWe rely on the GVI Charitable Trust to make up the difference between the money we receive

from GVI volunteers for fixed costs, and what we need overall. These are our only 2 sources of

income. Volunteers raise money before and after they join us, running marathons, weddings etc

and also through Standing Orders. The GVI Charitable Trust is registered in the UK, Charity

Registration number: 1111494. 100% of all money raised through the Trust comes to us in the

field, as GVI covers all administration costs.

4.0 ReferencesUNDP – United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report 2007/8

UNESCO Database: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/brazil_statistics.html

Statistics - http://www.childinfo.org

GVI Phoenix – Eraldo Barbosa, Mata Escura, Brazil, 2010

Departamento Intersindical de Estatísticas e Estudos Socioeconômicos (DIEESE),

http://www.dieese.org.br/rel/rac/tradez10.xml#SALVADOR

RITLA – Rede de Informação Technologíca Latino-Americana, http://www.ritla.net.br/

Salvador Info, www.salvador.info

Ministry of Health, www.saude.ba.com.br

Globo.com,http://oglobo.globo.com/pais/mat/2008/01/29/o_ranking_das_capitais_

brasileiras_com_maior_taxa_de_homicidios_por_100_mil_habitantes-339346604.asp

Index Mundi, http://www.indexmundi.com/

Correio newspaper

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