It's a peaceful winter's day in the favela of Monte Azul, Sao Paulo. Customers sit chatting around the hot-dog stand (which accepts credit cards). A state “health agent” patrols the undulating main street, looking for sick people to advise. At the creche, the purple curtains are closed to let the children nap. And the rain runs neatly into the gutters, instead of flooding the street. A lot has changed since 20 years ago, when some local men worked as “security guards” for bakeries and supermarkets - which meant they were paid to murder suspected thieves.
這是在聖保羅Monte Azul貧民窟的一個平靜的冬日。顧客們坐在熱狗攤（可以用信用卡結賬）周圍閒聊著。一位政府「公共衛生聯絡員」在崎嶇不平的大街上巡視著，以便爲病人們提供諮詢。在託兒所，紫色的門簾被放了下來，以免打擾孩子們午睡。雨水規整地流入排水溝，以往街道上雨水橫流的景象不見了。與20年前相比，這裏已經發生了翻天覆地的變化，當時一些當地人曾做過麪包房和超市的「保安」，店家僱用他們幹掉小偷嫌疑犯。
