Brazil's favelas offer alternative budget accommodation for World Cup fans

By the time the World Cup is over, Mary Santos da Silva hopes she will be able to afford to build an extra floor on the roof of her house. A resident of Alto de Ondina, a neighbourhood overlooking the ocean in the city of Salvador, Mary is one of an increasing number of favela dwellers renting out their homes, apartments or rooms to football fans travelling to the tournament. “This business helps me in two ways,” she says. “It is great to make some money for my family, and it will mean I can build an extra floor where my daughter can live. But secondly, both my daughters are learning English. They love the opportunity to practise speaking and broaden their horizons through this cultural exchange.” Mary, like others from her favela, is renting her property with the help of non-profit organisation Football Beyond Borders. The organisation – which uses football as a means to break down prejudice and inequality – has been working with a small group of families to set up “accommodation hubs” for fans staying in the city during the World Cup, to help spread some of the gains resulting from the influx of tourists… READ MORE