Favelas are unplanned shantytowns that have developed on the outskirts of Brazils major cities. Access to essential services such as clean water, electricity, and sewage disposal remains a major challenge. Severe water shortages, inconsistent access to piped water, and low water pressure often result in prolonged periods without water, forcing residents to ration it for basic needs like drinking, cooking, and bathing. Water insecurity further deepens economic and social inequalities in the country. We visited Rocinha, Brazils largest hillside favela, where people worked cooperatively to survive in difficult conditions. We encountered children guarding the favela, some carrying automatic weapons. Many residents seemed more fearful of the police than of drug dealers. The complex, symbiotic relationship between the drug trade and the nearby glittering tourist hubs of Copacabana and Ipanema was explained to us, offering a deeper understanding of this impoverished and often violent world.