Ashley Cain's 'shocking' experience in the Brazilian favelas

BBC/True North A man with a beard wearing a white top stands on a balcony in a favela in Brazil

BBC/True North
Ashley Cain says he found his time in the favelas 'shocking' and 'devastating'

Ashley Cain visited dangerous places around the world - and tried to understand why some young men choose a life of crime.

"It's absolutely devastating. People are losing their lives every single day," says Cain about the impact of crime in some of the world's most hostile environments.

In his new BBC series, the ex-professional footballer speaks to young men involved in criminality, from favelas in Brazil to gangs in Sweden. And he also explores other topics like rhino poaching in South Africa and illegal gold mining in Colombia.

He wanted to understand why they had chosen a life of crime, its "heartbreaking" impact on people and how some were finding a way out.

BBC/True North Ashley Cain in a favela with a man holding a large weaponBBC/True North
Cain meets young men living in Rio's favelas, including those involved in crime

Cain recalls meeting one mother in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, whose two children had been murdered.

"It hit me deeply," he says. "To find out how she picked her son up in nothing but a bag of bones from one of the cartels was devastating."

The presenter, who has faced the loss of his own child, says he hoped "in that moment, just to make this lady feel comforted, feel heard and feel like she had a voice to speak about all that's wrong in that area".

Favelas are informal settlements and there are more than 1,000 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cain shares his shock walking into one favela and seeing people openly selling drugs or walking around with guns "like it was normal".

"Criminality is around these guys," he says, explaining that they get picked up off the street and promised they're going to be looked after. "In the end, they always end up in the same place, unfortunately."

He adds that many of the people he met were not happy. "They don't enjoy doing what they're doing, they're scared, they're worried, they're in pain," he says.

Fearing for my life

Post a Comment

0 Comments