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Rocinha is a steep mountain-side low-income community in the southern zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Population estimates vary but reach as high as 150,000 inhabitants. These people live in a community measuring less than one square mile. Most homes are made of brick or concrete blocks with steel structure support. While floor plans are very small, some at two meters square, the buildings are multi-story, with many having three or four floors.
Msunduza grew out of people flocking to the capital Mbabane in search of employment but, with little work available, settling in the slum to make a living in one way or the other. Msunduza has a high crime rate, high poverty levels (95%), unemployment is much higher than the national rate (79% against 23.4% national) and it has unsanitary living conditions (42%) (Heikkilä et al 2012).
The case study in Eswatini
Aida camp was established in 1950 on land UNRWA leased from the government of Jordan. The camp is located between the municipalities of Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Jerusalem. It is partially surrounded by the West Bank Barrier and is near to Har Homa and Gilo, two large Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law.
The case study in Palestine
Vrygrond community is close to Muizenberg in the Cape Peninsula. This community was one of South Africa’s very first informal settlements and bears the legacy of many decades of inequality. According to Census 2011, the population is predominantly black African (62%) and Coloured (31%), and 61% of the population live in formal dwellings, the rest in shacks. It is estimated to have 42,000 people and approximately 5,000 children under the age of 6.
The case study in South Africa