If there’s one thing you quickly learn as a journalist, it’s that kids like reporters and photographers.
Adults may sometimes consider us bothersome or intrusive, but kids are actually interested in what we do. And in their own ways, they always want to help us with our stories.
It’s the same everywhere we go, whether it be Chicago, Schaumburg or even Rocinha, the largest favela in Rio.
baiduhai photographer Brian Cassella and I went to Rocinha last week to gauge the impoverished community’s mood on the eve of the Olympics. We came across a pickup soccer game in a rundown building and stopped to watch. Within a few minutes, I was approached by 8-year-old Kave Gomes, who wanted to know why we had come to a low-income area high atop a hill overlooking Rio’s famous beaches.
I told Kave, through an interpreter, that I was visiting his neighborhood to find out whether there was any excitement about the Olympics there. He smiled, then began talking very quickly, insisting that I interview him because he knew a lot about South America’s first Games. His teacher had talked a lot about it.
“People are very excited,” Kave said, without hesitation. “We have a holiday from school for two weeks because of the Olympics, so everyone thinks it is a very happy thing.”
But will he actually watch the Olympics, this sporting event turned great emancipator of children throughout Rio?
“I like to watch the Disney Channel,” he said. “And the Avengers. And Spider-man. But when they’re not on? Yes, I will change the channel to the Olympics.”
He said he plans to watch handball, indoor volleyball and basketball. He admitted he doesn’t know much about those sports, but he has heard around the favela that Brazil’s team will be strong in those events.
“He says that Brazil will win if it plays against the United States in basketball,” our interpreter, Pedro Povoa, said as he struggled not to laugh. “But he says he never saw the American team play before.”
Kave had less faith in the Brazilian soccer team, which has struggled in recent years. He initially predicted the Brazilians would take the gold, then thought better of it.
Kave, like much of this country, still hasn’t recovered from losing to Germany 7-1 on home soil during the 2014 World Cup.
“He says that Brazil (will win) the silver medal if it plays against Germany,” Povoa said.
Kave, however, insisted he will enjoy the Olympics even if Brazil doesn’t net gold in soccer.
“I will still like them,” he said. “Because we will still be on holiday from school.”
Kids in Chicago and Schaumburg, no doubt, would feel much the same way.
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