An Interview with Erica Woods, Creator/
Director of Projeto de Habitação
dos Desabrigados da Bahia (Bahia
Homeless Housing Project).
Tell me about the title you’ve chosen for this interview.
Tempos Modernos is one of my favorite songs.
It opens with the line “Eu vejo a vida melhor
no futuro” (I see a better life in the future) and
ends, “Vamos viver tudo que há pra viver, vamos
nos permitir.” (Let’s live all there is to live,
let’s permit ourselves.) It felt appropriate.
Indeed. How did this project come about for you?
I first traveled to Brazil in 1995. I found Sao
Paulo an interesting city, and found Rio fascinating,
but intense. I felt myself at home before
the plane touched down in Salvador. I felt
myself committed, from that first moment, to
helping Bahia and her people …my people.
My first attempt at helping involved taking
money from my wealthy employer, and giving
it to friends in Brazil. It was a very well
intended bad idea that landed me into loads
of trouble …that’s another story, though – and
it’s covered fully in my book, A Day Without
Me. However, instead of ending my deep desire
to help, it only fueled my passion. Further,
I understood that I was doing no more than
putting a band-aid on a much larger problem.
I spent several years garnering an education
in homelessness by working for different
homeless organizations in Los Angeles. What
I found, amongst other things, is that there
are myriad opportunities in the United States
for homeless people to change their circumstances.
As I traveled to Brazil every year, I
came to understand that the same is not true
for Brazil’s homeless. For several years, I spent
whole days wandering the streets of Salvador
speaking to homeless people, buying homeless
children lunch or a pair of shoes, and providing
English classes to young “disadvantaged”
adults. I asked them what they felt they needed
to change their circumstances. The overwhelming
response I received was a single
word – “Opportunity.” I knew then that my
work would be in somehow helping to provide
opportunities.
The actual idea for PHDB (which stands for
Projeto de Habitação dos Desabrigados da Bahia,
or the Bahia Homeless Housing Project)
came as a daydream one afternoon while I was
driving home from yoga. It felt terrifying and
overwhelming – get funding from Brazilians,
create housing and schools, build communities
of people who learn to sustain themselves,
and foster the creation of opportunities for
people to effect change in their lives. I pulled
my car over and wrote it all down. The more
terrifying it seemed, the more excited I was to
get started.
I knew it wouldn’t happen until my sons could
take care of themselves. They have been priority
number 1. That said, they’ve known for
12 years that mom would be moving to Brazil
when they grew up. I’m honored to say that
they are now very capable grown men.
So, I’m off to Bahia.
Why Bahia?
In the same way that all of humanity owes its
existence to the first 2 humans who walked
the Earth, so do all Brazilians owe their existence
as Brazilians to Bahia. This northeast
state is the birthplace of Brazil and is, therefore,
the perfect birthplace for PHDB.
For me, Bahia was the first place that ever
felt like home to me. I’ve always felt myself
a bit of a misfit in the US – even in laid
back L.A. In Bahia, I felt I’d found my tribe
– whether in the city of Salvador or in the
small towns along the Paraguasu River, or
on the other side of the Bay. I don’t view
Bahia, or Salvador, as a passing fancy or
as a tourist attraction, nor do I view it with
“stars in my eyes.” I see it as home … and
I want my home to flourish, grow stronger,
smarter, and more financially stable. I
want my home to relish in the great wealth
in itself that I see as I walk its streets and
breathe its air. That worth, that wealth,
begins with uplifting the people and giving
them the opportunity to change their circumstances.
Why Brazil?
Because it’s necessary. Further, in my opinion,
Brazil is amongst the most powerful places on
the planet – second only to Africa. The fact
that Brazilians, like Africans, are not living
fully in their power does not change the fact
that the power exists. PHDB’s intention is to
assist Brazilians in re-claiming their power
by providing the basic launching boards – access
to homes, education, employment and
healthcare. PHDB is not a hand-out or shelter
program. Every person in our community
will know, on no uncertain terms that they are
required to work, grow and change their circumstances
daily to remain a member of the
PHDB community.
Why you? What is your motivation?
My motivations are love and gratitude. Love
has no other desire but to exist and flow. I
love Bahia, and Brazil as a whole, and feel that
PHDB is the best way that I can show that love
and be of service. PHDB is my way of loving
Brazil. It is also my sweet, humble ‘thank you’
to all my ancestors dating back to the first
two humans. In living my best life and stepping
up to the challenges and joy that PHDB
will present, I’m showing my gratitude to my
ancestors, my familiars and the Divine for the
blessings and bounty of my life.
Why not rely on 100% foreign investors for PHDB?
Because that antiquated model has never
worked. The only way for PHDB to work – for
lasting change to become possible – is through
local (Brazilian) participation on every level.
If Brazil is not prepared to invest in Brazilians,
then Brazil will fall. And if Brazil falls,
all Brazilians fall, not only the poor and disenfranchised
who already appear to be “down
and out”, but also the wealthy and educated
who will find themselves forced to leave their
beautiful homes and their beautiful country
because they’ll find they are prisoners – imprisoned
by the masses who, forced by their
circumstances, will rob them, attack them and
beg every time they leave their homes – homes
which eventually will not be safe because of
the desperate masses of people who feel they,
unfortunately, have nothing to lose.
If one wants proof of this rapid decline, one
only needs to look to the United States. As the
middle class disappears, crimes of opportunity
are rising. As America invests more in foreign
business opportunities and gives jobs, by the
10’s of thousands, to people in India, China
and Mexico – taking these jobs from capable
Americans and creating virtual ghost towns in
many of America’s small towns, the nation is
falling deeper into debt, deeper into poverty,
and deeper into its own destruction. As the
US government shows its disinterest in taking
care of Americans – such as is currently
occurring in New Orleans – the American
public is facing a stark reality, realizing that
New Orleans could happen anywhere and that
none of us would be treated any differently. As
basic systems like education and healthcare
are lacking and are becoming, like home ownership,
an elitist opportunity, Americans are
looking for a way to get back to simpler realities
that, in many ways, simply no longer exist.
Fortunately, Brazil is NOT the US. Brazil does
not live by this model, nor does it need to die
by the same sword.
So is this missionary work?
I’ve been asked that quite often actually. The
answer is always No. Missionary workers
come in with a plan to “fix” something they
see (or have been taught by their religion) as
“broken”. Bahia …all of Brazil … is not broken.
In many ways, it is healthy and flourishing –
a virtual paradise with a quality of life that’s
been missing on a large scale in the US (and
many other places I’ve traveled to) for many
years. PHDB is simply a tool, a service provided so that people have more choices about how
they want to conduct their lives. PHDB will
not make changes, or “fix” anyone. If change
occurs, it will be 100% their choice …and what
specific changes occur will also be fully up to
each individual.
How will it work?
It will be a lot of work, but on paper, I imagine
it looks very simple. Investors will sign
agreements to provide X amount of Reais
(Brazilian currency) and X amount of jobs
and/or services once our community is established.
If applicable, they will also agree
to provide job training. Investor funds will be
used through the several stages of the project
– 1) purchasing abandoned buildings around
Salvador, 2) designing the re-construction
(which, of course, will be done by architects
working with PHDB), 3) creating the new,
viable spaces – all of which will be run primarily
on Solar Power (contractors, construction
crews and solar power experts will
be employed for this purpose). As the facilities
come close to completion, 4) staff will be
hired for every job that needs to be filled from
doctor to security guard, and 5) we will begin
the screening process for our community of
people – selecting homeless people who want
to change their circumstances, who, given the
tools, are willing to do the work necessary
to manifest change in their lives. As the pilot
project opens its doors, we will 6) present
large scale fund-raisers such as O Navio Negreiro
(a musical show) to further involve the
communities of Salvador, Bahia and Brazil as
a whole. After the pilot project has been active
for approximately 6 months and is running
smoothly, we will begin again – gathering
more funding, purchasing more buildings
and continuing to build upon the PHDB community
so that real change can continue to
manifest in larger numbers.
How much naïveté do you feel you’re bringing to this project?
Not much. I mean, an ounce or two of naïveté
is necessary to begin anything that is truly
new and different …and as huge as PHDB.
However, beyond that two ounces of naïveté,
I know that PHDB is going to require a lot of
hard work, dedication, patience, collaboration,
perseverance and learning …and perhaps
a few shots of good cachaça. I anticipate
many sleepless nights, delays, changes to
plans in midstream …I fully expect the unexpected
at every turn. I’m actually looking forward
to it all. Change really is the only constant
in life, and I feel ready for the inevitable
constant changes that will be associated with
PHDB. Further, I don’t believe that PHDB
will end homelessness. What I do believe is
that PHDB will offer something that currently
does not exist in Bahia, a choice.
Where do you see yourself in 10 or 15 years?
In 10 or 15 years, I’d like to have turned PHDB
(which, by then will stand for Projeto de Habitação
do Brasil) over to a capable group of
Brazilians. I’d like to be consulting with other
parts of the world for models of similar projects
in their countries, states or cities.
What does PHDB need?
Support, of course. Like all non-profit organizations,
PHDB will only thrive if it is fully
supported, with funding, supplies, computers,
etc. I have sent support letters and approached
potential Brazilian investors (and
will continue to do so), but there’s also celebrity
support, computer companies, lumber
and construction supplies. I will be sending
letters soliciting support to all sorts of people
and organizations in Brazil and in the US.
The more support PHDB gets, the more it
flourishes.
What if it doesn’t work?
If it doesn’t work, I will have tried. I read a
beautiful quote recently about listening to the
voice inside that calls you to do your part toward
taking care of the world. PHDB is that
for me …I’m stepping up and doing the work
I feel called to do. In the end, that’s what really
matters.
What about corruption and this concept of “non-accountability” in Brazil?
If I allowed myself to be daunted by corruption,
I couldn’t get out of bed every morning.
Corruption, like politics, is everywhere. It’s in
the way the US government functions, in the
way the Brazilian government functions, it’s
in the way every government functions.
So what!
I agree with Jeffrey Sachs, I am impatient with
the excuse of corruption. Corruption gets used
to promote and promulgate inertia. I’m bored
with that excuse. For better or worse, the same
is true of this “non-accountability” you speak
of. Politicians and government officials all
over the world are famous for not being “accountable”
for all sorts of acts and actions dating
back to the beginning of politics.
Accountability is not in the governments of
a country, it’s in its people. It’s in the greatgrandmother
who, at 80-something years
old, still walks 5 miles to catch a bus into
town to do the laundry of a middle- or uppermiddle-
class family (for minimum wage) so
she can feed, house and clothe her children,
grand-children and great-grandchildren. It’s
in the way that same great-grandmother gets
up early to make sure her entire family is fed
before she leaves the house and in the way
that she, after working all day and walking
10 miles, gets home and continues to take
care of her family. That’s the level of accountability
I’m interested in. Those are the people
I’m interested in working with. Those are the
people I’m interested in serving.
What will you do to keep corruption out of PHDB?
Whatever is necessary. If I have to hire an accounting
team from Sri Lanka or San Francisco
because I’ve had to fire a corrupt Brazilian
accounting team, I will. If I have to micromanage
every department to check where
every centavo is being spent, I will. As I’ve
said before, PHDB is about Brazilians helping
Brazilians. Anyone who sees fit to steal
from, or otherwise create corruption within,
the organization really has no business being
a part of it. PHDB will have checks and balances,
and employ outside resources to check
on our checks and balances.
Sounds impressive …and expensive...
It won’t be – either, actually. It will simply be
a means to an end, insuring the integrity of
PHDB and its interests.
It certainly sounds like you have all the answers.
That’s funny. I mean, I’m glad it sounds that
way. I don’t feel like I have all the answers.
I simply feel open to every question, every
challenge and every adventure associated
with PHDB. As surely as the challenges will
arise, so the answers and solutions will come.
I’m simply here to do my part.
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