CUFA (Central Única das Favelas) is a non-governmental organization in Brazil. It was founded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1999. Celso Athayde, born in Favela do Sapo, is the instigator of this movement of empowerment of the impoverished through helping themselves, as opposed to simply being assisted by government and non-profit programs.
Description
CUFA is present in all twenty-seven states of Brazil and develops projects in education, environment, culture and sports. MV Bill, another founding member of CUFA, is a rapper, documentarian, writer, and social activist, who assists the Brazilian government in social development.
Since 2009 CUFA has developed branches and social projects in several countries including Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Chile, Germany, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the US.