I've got to repeat, the best thing about the tours in rio was that your money went towards building schools, medical clinics, day cares. If there was guarantee, and proof, that the money for these tours to Villa 21 were going to build the same types of things I would be all for it (Apart from the price, it is too much, they should cut it to 25-40 dollars tops, especially as we know the current fondness for raising prices, at us$60 they are cutting out a huge portion of the potential market).
Yesterday I was at Retiro. A little girl asked me to buy her Mantecol, so I gave her 1.50. I put the coins in her hand and a 50 centavo piece was approximately the size of her palm -- meaning she must have only been about 4 years old.
If I knew that money from these tours would go towards building a community or daycare centre for these kids, then I would be fully behind the company. However, like a lot of locals, I have a fair share of distrust that the money will go where it really needs to.
By the way, did anyone see the documental a few weeks ago on TN about the guy who has a soup kitchen out to the east of the city (I want to say it's 19 de Agosto, but I could be completely mistaken) -- they had a phone number or website at the end for donations, if anyone remembers that it would be gret to publish here. The man serves about 200 meals a day to the kids in the area to make sure they get at least one proper hot meal everyday.
