Brazil is a rising world power; however, there are huge social issues that are quite evident in Brazil today. Working class people suffer from low wages, extreme poverty and no representation at the local or national level. Most of these people live in slums, called Favelas, on the outskirts of large cities, such as Rio de Janeiro. In Rio de Janeiro, the largest Favela, with a population of almost seventy thousand people, is Rocinha. In Rocinha many problems are blatantly evident, but the government seems to ignore them. Lack of resources has led residents to build unsafe structures on hillsides, unsafe wiring systems, lack of proper plumbing, and lack of basic needs met by their government. The main social issue that helps the continued growth of Favela populations is poverty. The terrible poverty in Rocinha makes it almost impossible to leave the favela to succeed in the city, furthermore, poverty prevents them from adequately feeding themselves, limits the level of education a person can obtain, and makes residents subject to gangs and drug trafficking. related crimes. By examining this problem from a broad perspective and on an individual basis, harm prevention can be implemented towards the betterment of the community. A brief background of Brazil and the history of the Favelas, particularly of Rocinha, is necessary to understand the issue of poverty in Rocinha. Brazil is the largest country by population and surface area in South America. Its economy is booming and has been growing since 2004. According to the Wall Street Journal, for the past 100 years Brazil has been the land of opportunity in South America, being the largest economy in South America and the tenth largest world economy (…… middle of paper … in relation to poverty and its effects. Income inequality, lack of education, growing health concerns, drug-related violence and no response from the state government helps perpetuate this poverty issue.However, community change work is taking place in Rocinha in the form of community organizations coming together to use the community's strengths to bring about change. Realizing its strengths, the community will continue to improve yourself and slowly get out of the cycle of poverty. It will be a long and difficult fight to get out of the grip of poverty, but it is a fight worth fighting. The community is strong and has great strengths: its ability to organize itself, its sense of communalism, its determination and its pride. Thanks to these ongoing efforts, the symptoms of poverty will eventually subside and the community will continue to thrive.